News

• Revenue in the rum segment for 2019 amounts to nearly £1 million
• In the last three years, exports of rum from Caribbean companies to the European Union have grown by nearly 27%
• The 4^th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum will be the meeting place, from 26 to 28 September, for some of the sector’s most representative brands and professionals

Caribbean rum is one of the preferred drinks of the British, a fact reflected in the market, which is expected to grow in the UK by 8.8% in coming years. Revenue in the rum segment for 2019 amounts to nearly £1 million. This increase in sales is accompanied by a diversification of the industry, which is offering more and more varieties that address a growing demand and a diverse consumer audience.

To spread the word about these new trends and call attention to brands that are still not as popular on the continent, the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum—organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in conjunction with the European Union and the German Development Agency (GIZ)—from 26 to 28 September, in Frankfurt, will bring together some of the sector’s leading producers, mixologists and other Caribbean professionals.

To talk about rum is to talk about the Caribbean: the place where this drink was discovered and where, in the 17th century, sugar cane plantations covered the land. But times have changed a great deal for this spirit, which today is available in surprising variants. Thus, as Damie Sinanan, Manager of Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export, explains, “rum production in the past decade has become diversified to embrace a wide variety of flavors, like apple, pineapple, mango and passion fruit.” Flavors that perhaps still are not as widespread among consumers but which are gradually penetrating the market on the European continent. But, “thanks to these new trends and to growing demand, we are hoping to see more and more variants of Caribbean rum in the European market,” says Sinanan.

Exports from the 15 CARIFORUM countries to Europe have grown by 26.86% in the last three years. Despite the fact that the U.S. is the main consumer of rum, European countries like Spain and Germany have great weight in this market.

But, what do we really know about this drink? We learned some interesting things about rum:

1. Not all rums are sweet:

Rum in its natural state does not contain sugar: its sweetness comes from the process of ageing it in barrels—which are typically made of American oak. Some rum producers add sugar to the distilled rum to sweeten the product and make it smoother. Nonetheless, the Caribbean authentic rum-producing countries, like Barbados, Jamaica or Martinique for example, do not add sweeteners, as they have regulations that prohibit the addition of sugar and other preservatives.

2. Not all rums are dark:

There are different types of rum: golden, dark, white, spiced, aromatized. Aged rum tends to be dark and, in fact, is the most popular variety in Europe, but there are also aged rums that are white in color. Aged white rum is obtained by placing distilled rum in an oak barrel with charcoal filtration, which eliminates the dark color but maintains its flavor. The most popular white rums are Bacardi—with Cuban roots but produced in Puerto Rico—and Cane Spirit Rothschild and Brinley Gold Shipwreck, produced in St. Kitts and Nevis.  You’ll find quite a few white rums produced across the Caribbean including Mount Gay in Barbados and Wray & Nephew in Jamaica to name a few.

3. Classic and trendy combinations:

In UK, rum is typically consumed in mixed drinks. But experts recommend drinking premium rums straight, on the rocks or combined with just mineral water. Only that way can their complex aromas and flavors be appreciated. Another basic way is in classic cocktails, like the Manhattan or the Old Fashioned. In addition, as the experts from Caribbean Export explain, “a growing trend is to pair rum with different types of food, like chocolate or marshmallows”.

Combinations and nuances that can be discovered within the framework of the fourth CARIFORUM-EU event, as one of the sector’s leading experts will be on hand: Ian Burrell, a mixologist known internationally as the Global Rum Ambassador, who has received seven nominations and one award at the Spirited Awards, which are presented at the Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans. There will also be rum tastings, which will bring the authentic taste of the Caribbean to Frankfurt, and at which, as the producers indicate, people will be able to try some of these new varieties that are increasingly pointing to aromatized and fruit-flavored rums.

4. Not everything sold as rum actually is:

Precisely because of rum’s growing popularity, counterfeits have increased. For example, and because sugar cane is not grown in Europe, it is obviously impossible to produce an authentic Caribbean rum there. Instead of sugar cane, these imitations use beets or potatoes. To tell if a rum is authentically Caribbean, you should look for the Authentic Caribbean Rum seal.

5. A drink with history:

Although rum has always been associated with pirates, so plentiful in the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries, in reality the people who consumed the most of this drink at first were the local people. Names of pirates like Captain Morgan popularized rum, but brandy, port and Spanish wine were also among the favorite drinks of the corsairs of the era.

Since its beginnings, rum has had different names—from demon water to Barbados water—but the origin of the word “rum” is linked to the English word “Rumbullion.” This describes a sugar cane drink that was very popular in the Barbados of the 17th century and means “great tumult.”

6. For all pocketbooks:

Like other spirit drinks, rum is available at a wide range of prices. The majority cost between €15 and €50, but astronomical prices have been paid on occasion. For example, 24 bottles of Barbados rum from 1780 fetched €297,000 at an auction at Christie’s.

For more information about the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum, visit: http://www.cedev.local/businessforum/

About the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export)
The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) is a regional organization of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) dedicated to the development of exports and the promotion of trade and investment. It is currently implementing the Regional Private Sector Development Program (RPSDP) financed by the European Union within the framework of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF). Caribbean Export’s mission is to enhance the competitiveness of Caribbean countries by delivering quality services for export development and promotion of trade and investment by implementing strategic programs and partnerships.

Press Contact:
Apple Tree Communications
Natalia Amores: na@homeatc.com
Adriana Navarro: an@homeatc.com
Tel.: 91 319 05 15

Former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice Sir Dennis Byron has underscored the importance of remunerating creators for their Intellectual Property.

The eminent jurist made the point while delivering the keynote address at the Association of Caribbean Copyright Societies (ACCS) inaugural symposium at the Hyatt regency Hotel in Port of Spain last week.

He said “at the core of many business models, creative entrepreneurs seek to turn their Intellectual Property into cash flow, they innovate, they create, they take risks and the Intellectual Property System was designed to reward such entrepreneurs who take such investment risks to innovate.”

Sir Dennis also highlighted that despite its immense contribution to the economies of various countries, the creative sector remains somewhat invisible on the radar of economists and does not feature significantly in the creation of policy. The retired CCJ president observed that a regional approach had given way to development on a national level and that the region should look to the development of economies of scale through the pooling of resources and minimizing the waste from replication.

In his welcoming remarks, president of the ACCS Mr. John Arnold outlined the reality of the market for both local and regional copyright owners and the organisations acting on behalf of their membership. He noted that they “continue to face challenges with high levels of resistance to copyright licensing including from regional governments and major music users including cable operators. To illustrate how we are affected, whilst the revenue for broadcast (including cable) for most copyright organisations is at least 50%, in the region it is less than 20%.”
He explained that “in turning to the legal system to enforce our rights, we are forced to deal with lengthy, expensive procedures,” and illustrated how these factors negatively impacted the amount of royalties that these organisations can distribute to their members, which in turn affects the way they are perceived.

The symposium which was held in collaboration with the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (ALJGSB) and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) attracted representatives from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Also, in attendance were members of international copyright organisations, the legal fraternity and business community.

Some business cases were presented to illustrate how regional businesses are able to use IP to create a commercial advantage. In presenting her case study, Ms Melissa Clarke, Commercial Counsel & Legal Manager, of Angostura Limited provided practical examples of Angostura’s system of handling their Intellectual Property and advised those present that even the most minor violation/ infringement of an organisation’s Intellectual Property, should be taken seriously and acted upon expeditiously. She advised the audience to “treat each infringement like it’s a threat to your company’s bottom line, because in fact it is.”

Release prepared by the Association of Caribbean Copyright Societies (ACCS)

For Further Information, feel free to contact
Erica K. Smith
c/o COSCAP
11, 8TH Avenue Belleville
St. Michael
E: erica@coscap.org
T: 4351777
www.accscaribbean.com

Eight teams of Caribbean animators and gaming practitioners pitched their animation concepts to international content buyers on the final day of the Animation and Gaming Accelerator training. The E-IDCOT Tobago Project with their Tobago Trekkers game won the top prize of $10,000 USD provided by the Caribbean Development Bank via the Cultural Industries Innovative Fund (CIIF). Caribbean animation content has now been positioned to secure 200 hours of Caribbean content to be shown on US networks.

The pitch sessions were held on the final day of the Animation and Gaming Accelerator training at the Government Plaza Complex on Friday 16th August 2019, hosted by Animae Caribe in collaboration with the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the University of Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM, CARIFESTA, FilmTT and the Global Services Promotion Programme.

The panel of judges that included industry content buyers, investors and producers saw eight pitches which were scored on their strength of concept, experience and the game or series ability to succeed on the international platform.

The winning animation pitched was Tobago Trekkers delivered by the three-person team of the Eco-Industrial Development Company of Tobago (E-IDCOT) Ltd. The team which included Oshun Oya Trim, Terrence Murray and Carlton Lindow showed how their Tobago Trekkers concept had the scalability to develop into other areas such as merchandising and tourism.

Speaking about his experience judge Stephen Hodge – Managing Director of Toon Googles, a premier on-demand entertainment destination for children shared “I’ve been delightfully enlightened by the quality of animation and concepts and projects that I’ve seen out here. And I definitely feel that quite a few of these have quite a bit of potential in the global market, so I’m excited to see how this further develops”

As part of the implementation of the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) Caribbean Export has been supporting the export services and the creative industry. Animation has been identified for its huge potential for both the talent within the region in terms of content creation and the outsourcing of animation services to international production studios.

“We have seen that the region has the talent and the skills to develop a buoyant animation industry and so for us it’s about providing the opportunities or the platforms for this talent to be seen” informed Allyson Francis – Services Specialist at Caribbean Export. “What has been encouraging to see is how each concept that was pitched included some level of cultural reference to the Caribbean be it folklore, mythical creatures for example”.

Kim Wright content buyer for Sesame Street Workshop and also a judge expressed that “It’s been great. I’ve met some very talented animators here and it’s a very rewarding experience being of Jamaican descent, and to see the wealth of talented yet young animators in general from across the Caribbean is always refreshing and rewarding experience for me, especially students. I find that really great to meet students and to let them know that these opportunities exist to pitch to companies like Sesame Street Workshop and have their work seen internationally”.

Following the pitch sessions Ty Richardson, serial entrepreneur and investor announced that discussions had started to secure 200 hours of Caribbean content on US based Beacon TV. Working with Camille Selvon Abrahams – Founder and Creative Director for Animae Caribe Festival, Richardson would be able to source Caribbean content to be aired on the US television network.

“We definitely have some exciting stuff. I’m excited to distribute, I’m excited to present. The story lines ranged from far and wide, I love the direction some of these kids are going in and I love the fact we can even do a pilot channel with pilot, after pilot, after pilot. We don’t have to have fully developed series or content and it gives everybody an opportunity to see their stuff on a screen and enjoy that moment in the sunlight”.

The Agency supported seven animators from Grenada, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Guyana and will continue to support the animation industry at the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum scheduled for September 26-28th September in Germany.

More than twenty-five (25) emerging and established Caribbean animators and gaming practitioners have been selected for an accelerator training programme scheduled from 12th – 15th August 2019 in Trinidad. Teams from Jamaica, Barbados, Tobago, Guyana, St. Lucia, Grenada and Trinidad have been selected for this intensive training opportunity that will enhance their technical capacity in the area of 360 design development, allowing them to design an animated series and a game based on a single concept. In collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank, Caribbean Export Development Agency, the University of Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM, CARIFESTA, FilmTT and the Global Services Promotion Programme, the training is presented by Animae Caribe as a critical element of their continued work towards developing the animation industry and network throughout the Caribbean.

Dr. Marielle Barrow Maignan, Coordinator of CDB’s Cultural and Creative Industries Innovative Fund (CIIF), shared “ The timing of this training was critical for us as the Accelerator comes just ahead of CARIFESTA XIV which is also being held in Trinidad and Tobago. CARIFESTA is the nexus of Caribbean cultural creativity and we wanted animation and gaming to be involved as we move to support new cultural industries. In addition to providing flights and accommodation for regional participants, we have pledged a prize of USD10,000 from CIIF to enable the winners to produce an Animation Production Bible, Game Production Bible and a 30-60 second trailer. CDB is committed to enhancing the technical and business skills of the Creative Industries (CI) in the Region and Accelerator programmes like this one allow us to equip a larger cadre of professionals with these skills while increasing access to resources.“

The Animation and Gaming Accelerator training has been designed for emerging and established practitioners engaged in animation/game design to bring new projects and ideas into game and animation reality. Ten teams were selected from 49 applications from across the Caribbean. Each team is comprised of three persons inclusive of an animator/illustrator, an experienced writer and a game developer. Directed by international trainers Eric Elder and Tyree Dillihay from Monday August 12th -Thursday 15th, the camp takes place at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, John Donaldson Campus, in Port of Spain. The training will be closed sessions for pre-selected animation and gaming teams from the Caribbean and Trinidad & Tobago.

Caribbean Export Development Agency has supported this Accelerator, by facilitating the opportunity for youth to pitch to international buyers on the final day of the Accelerator. Participants will have the opportunity to pitch to their two trainers and representatives from the Caribbean Development Bank, alongside international animation sector buyers and mentors: Kimberly Wright – Sesame Workshop; Stephen Hodge -Toon Goggles LA; Audrey Kamga – Arte France; Animation Business Consultant – Joan Vogelesang and Dr. Ty Richardson – YoPro Global.

Founder and Creative Director for Animae Caribe Festival, Camille Selvon Abrahams says, “Caribbean animation is attracting tremendous attention. We are on the cusp of some great opportunities and we continue to ready a team of animation professionals. We are thankful that we have been able to work alongside funding agencies who understand the social and economic impact that jobs and careers in animation can make. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Introducing the Trainers
Trainer – Tyree Dillihay, joins us from SONY PICTURES ANIMATION, makers of Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse. Previously he spent 8 years as a director on Fox’s hit animated sitcom, “Bob’s Burgers” with 32 episodes and 2 consecutive Emmy Nominations to his credit. As an Animation Director, some of his past director credits include “Da Jammies” for Netflix, “Allen Gregory” for Fox, and “Good Vibes” for MTV with various other projects ranging from pre-school to Not Safe For Work (also known as “get in here, shut the door, and come look at this!”). Outside of animation, you can find Tyree on Instagram(@sneadsbyree) where he’s built a niche social media following combining his love of cartoons, fashion, sneakers and sports working as a content producer for brands such as NIKE, CONVERSE, RED BULL, REEBOK, and FOOT LOCKER. Tyree graduated from California State University, Northridge with a BA in English and ’til this day, no one cares.

His training sessions will focus on Writing for Animated Series, this short course designed for the Beginner, will see students participate in a 32 hour programme where lectures and directed independent study will cover topics such as Character development & design, basics of design and ideation, ideation to concepts.

Our Game Development trainer is Eric T. Elder, graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia as an Animation Major with a BFA degree. Soon after, he began teaching animation production at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, his illustrious career with the Art Institutes spans over 15 years. When not working in education he has been a professional artist and producer at animation, gaming and media studios. He began his studio career at MTV Animation in New York on the Beavis and Butt-Head feature. He then moved to California where he worked as a key animator at Film Roman on King of the Hill and the Simpsons.

He then assumed his role as Academic Director of Game Art & Design at the Art Institute of California – Los Angeles in Santa Monica. There he founded his special video game production team course, the Game Wizards. The Game Wizards under Elder’s leadership produced over 20 titles mostly in Unreal and had team sizes ranging from 5 to over 100. His Game Art & Design program was the most successful in the entire Ai system with 300+ students and placement rates of 90%-100% at AAA game studios including: Electronic Arts, Activison/Blizzard (Luxoflux, Treyarch, Neversoft, Infinity Ward), THQ (Heavy Iron), Id Software, Sony Santa Monica, Microsoft and Rockstar San Diego.He also created and launched a new degree program in Game Programming. The Game Programming degree he developed has gotten near 100% placement in the game industry for graduates since its inception. In 2009 he achieved the title of Game Industry Development Representative (G.I.D.R.) and expanded his responsibilities for the 12 campuses in the Western Region and the over 45 across the Ai system.

In Trinidad, his Game Prototype Design Short Course will allow participants to Learn the fundamentals of design, mechanics, theme and gameplay. Teams will design and build a paper prototype version and then test and pitch the game to the group, followed by a formal pitch panel on Friday. This session is highly inter-active and our objective is that by the end of the week, there is a first version of a playable game that you can then take into digital development along with the skills to create future designs.

For more information on the exciting elements of the Animae Caribe Festival CARIFESTA XIV Edition visit – www.animaecaribe.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Press Contact:
Roxanne Colthrust
Colthrust PR Limited

European imports of spices and herbs from developing countries have grown significantly in recent years, as much as 6.6% annually between 2013 and 2017. The Caribbean is well known for its prepared sauces, condiments and seasonings. The countries in the region have not hesitated to share their spicy goodness with the rest of the world and continue to find opportunities to do so. Chief among these are the makers of pepper sauce, or hot sauce as some people call it, which is made from a variety of peppers including chilli, scotch bonnet, scorpion, habanero and cayenne.

With the global spices market expected to grow by 5.1% between 2017 and 2021, as reported by CBI due to increased demand for spices and herbs, the Caribbean Export Development Agency is supporting producers of pepper sauce and other spices and condiments at its upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum which will be held from September 26 to 28, 2019 at the Union Halle in Frankfurt, Germany.

Here’s a look at just five producers of prepared spices and condiments companies that will be at the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum.

1. Baron Foods
A leading food manufacturer in the Caribbean, Baron Foods’ has over 150 products which include exotic and gourmet sauces, spices, flavorings, salad dressings and even drink cocktails. With manufacturing plants in Saint Lucia, Grenada and Trinidad, Baron Foods produces three hot sauces including its Classic Pepper Sauce and Blazing Hot Sauce made with ground scotch bonnet peppers. They also manufacture a West Indian Hot Sauce from fresh, wholesome peppers blended with mustard to create its very own individual piquant flavor. Let’s not forget they also have an award winning Banana Ketchup!

2. Viking Traders
Also based in Saint Lucia is Viking Traders – a mature company that was established in 1979. They manufacture a range of over 100 different award-winning food products, including specially blended herbs and spices, flavorful condiments, baking goods, drinks and gift items many of which use recipes that are the original creations of the founder and embody the authentic taste of the Caribbean. Viking Traders produces three hot sauces – Viking Mild Pepper Sauce, Viking Hot Pepper Sauce and Viking Dam Hot Pepper Sauce, all of which won a Scovie Award in the World’s Best Hot Sauce category. The Viking Dam Hot Pepper Sauce also placed first in the Fiery Food Challenge out of 275 competing pepper sauces from the Caribbean and the United States.

3. Winfresh
When it comes to condiments to tantalise your taste-buds the Winfresh brand created in 2009, brings a range of sauces and condiments to do just that. Made from fresh herbs and spices grown by farmers across the Windward Islands – that is Dominica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Winfresh are on a mission to bottle the true taste of the Caribbean. Based in Saint Lucia, they manufacturer a range of wholesome food products including premium juices, sauces, cordials, marinades, and pepper jellies. Winfresh offers a variety of sweet, spicy and hot pepper sauces to create authentic Caribbean meals. These include their Sweet & Spicy Tamarind Sauce, Sweet Ginger Hot Sauce, Hot Jalapeno Pepper Sauce, Sweet Jalapeno Hot Sauce, and Hot Caribbean Pepper Sauce. At Winfresh it’s about putting the Caribbean and its people first – working together to improve lives across the Caribbean.

4. Hot Mama’s Belize
If you like it hot and hotter then Hot Mama’s Belize’s Habanero Hot Sauce – Too Hot XXXX is one to try. The company started in 1996 producing habanero pepper jelly and exporting fresh peppers. Initially exporting just a few pounds of peppers, the export pepper business grew to 100,000 pounds significantly enough to add value by actually producing pepper based products such as habanero pepper sauces, gourmet sauces, jellies, and specialty items including honey, fudge, and BBQ sauce. Currently they produce four hot sauces including the Hot Mama’s Habanero Hot Sauce – Mild X, Habanero Hot Sauce – Hot XX, Habanero Hot Sauce – Fiery XXX, and Habanero Hot Sauce – Too Hot XXXX. Hot Mama’s Belize is promoted under the Belizean Pepper Sauce name in the United States of America and believes in a culture of giving back to the local community by working hand-in-hand with the farmers “one bottle at a time.” Look out for their ‘Mangenero’ sauce – a fusion of fresh mangos and habanero peppers.

5. Super Blend
This Barbadian company offers a wide variety of condiments ranging from seasonings to syrups. Quite often when food tastes so good, we expect it to be packed full of all the bad stuff, the excess salt and sugar, but at Super Blend they’ve created products with your health in mind. The brand owned by Jays Enterprises is committed to using less sugar wherever possible and providing salt free alternatives to some of their seasonings. The end result is dried condiments including home-blends of all purpose and chicken seasonings, curry and an exceptional blend of salt free feasoning which is excellent for enhancing the flavor without the added salt. They have blended wet seasonings and pepper sauces depicting traditional Barbadian heritage and The Premium blend is the flagship in this range. Additionally, they have a gourmet range which includes Ginger Pepper Jelly, Spicy Mango Chutney, Zesty Onion Relish and four Caribbean fruit sauces. The marinates, are quick and easy to use and popping with the flavor of herbs and spices to add zest to meals.

Click here to see all the companies in the sauces and condiments sector.

The 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum will be held from 26th-28th of September at the Union Halle, Frankfurt, Germany where over 60 companies from across the Caribbean will be there to showcase their produce and meet with retailers and distributors interested in sourcing products from the Caribbean.

Watch out world, the Caribbean is coming for its own piece of the global music pie!

That’s the intention of Trevor Pretty, CEO of Pretty Boy Worldwide and Pretty Boy Music and Publishing, a Caribbean independent label dedicated to exporting Caribbean artists internationally, while ensuring that 50% of the profits earned are returned to the region.

And unlike many regional counterparts, Pretty Boy Worldwide is not only targeting the United States (US) market. Instead, Trevor is also focused on getting his artists known in the United Kingdom (UK), Europe, Asia and Australia.

“Asia likes anything that has any culture attached to it. More reggae, dancehall and R&B artists do better in Asia. Europe is the same thing. How they consume the music is so different. We studied the markets big time and decided these are the markets we want to go into,” he said.

The Caribbean Export Development Agency ( Caribbean Export) is also committed to prioritising the export of music under the EPA and is hosting the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum in Frankfurt, Germany from September 26- 28, 2019. This event, which is being held in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) will provide a platform for Caribbean musicians to meet with their European counterparts and explore opportunities to enhance the penetration of Caribbean music into Europe.

Trevor Pretty reasoned that Caribbean music has been performing well in the European and Asian markets and pointed to reggae sensation Chronixx who toured Japan for a month. He also mentioned Konshens, a dancehall artist who performed in several European countries in 50 days.

Hailing from Barbados, the Pretty Boy CEO sought to highlight the talent signed to his label differently. Instead of auditioning at record companies, he staged the Pretty Boy Experience – a four-day cultural trip to Barbados in June, 2019.  Industry executives and media professionals were invited to experience the label’s music firsthand.

Over a dozen radio producers, DJs, music journalists, A&Rs (artists and repertoire) and music scouts from the UK, the US and the Bahamas signed up. The Caribbean Export played an integral role in bringing four of the executives into the island.

Dan Bean, a British DJ and consultant with Black Butter Records, said he believed the potential for Caribbean artists in the UK hasn’t been fully explored. However, he said the expansion and evolution of the digital age opened new opportunities for the music.

He said Caribbean sound was already being consumed in mainstream genres such as pop.

“We have seen in the last few years that big pop stars like Justin Bieber are borrowing tempos, riddims and instruments from the Caribbean…. Sonically people might not realize that the record they like has origins in soca, reggae or dancehall. So I feel like everyone’s ears are prime for [Caribbean music] but it just needs the right infrastructure for people to start shining light on the wealth of talent in the region,” he outlined.

 For him, the Pretty Boy Experience confirmed that there was so much diversity in the regional product, ranging from old school reggae to modern soca to contemporary R&B. “You have varying genres and styles that don’t need to fall into pigeon holes and categories, it’s a melting pot much like the Caribbean.”

Dan Bean expressed “thanks and humbleness” to Caribbean Export for bringing him to the island. “I am going to spread the word through my platforms about all the good things going on here,” he promised.

Trevor Pretty explained the purpose behind staging the Pretty Boy Experience: “The idea is that if [industry executives] come to the Caribbean, they would understand the culture by tasting the food, enjoying the music and seeing the sights. There is a big Afrobeats movement happening in the UK and lots of people have been going back to Ghana, Nigeria and other parts of Africa, and that is making the music even bigger.

“So we figured that if we can have a Caribbean movement, they should come to the Caribbean to experience the culture, because people just think about Jamaica when they think Caribbean.”

The usual audition process before a successful signing includes countless meetings, performances and artist showcases. “It does not happen overnight, so bringing the industry executives here for the weekend, they have said to me they learnt so much more about the artists in this four to five-day period than by having meetings in their office.”

While on island, the visiting group experienced Caribbean culture, attended rehearsals and listening parties featuring Shiloh from St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Blvckhaze from Curacao; Arii Lopez who grew up in Jamaica; Sherika Sherrard, who was born and raised in the UK to her Guyanese mum, and Briel Monroe, who is of Barbadian descent but grew up in the US.

Another music executive was Jennifer Goicocehea, Director of A&R at Epic Records, who spends most of her time between Atlanta and L.A.

She said the Pretty Boy Experience gave her the incredible opportunity to see the artists in their space. “I feel like this helped me to see the vision,” said the music executive responsible for signing Hood Celebrity, a Jamaican currently taking the US market by storm with her popular tune, Walking Trophy.

Jennifer was really impressed with how developed the Pretty Boy artists were. “I was pleasantly surprised to see people had actually rehearsed, when you came into their space they were writing and actively grooming their talent.”

 She believes there is a demand for Caribbean music in the US. “A super big dancehall artist hasn’t come out in a while, so I think our appetite is open, we just need the acts.”

 Adding that Caribbean music “brings fun”, she believed the music should be exported to the US market in its authentic form.  “I definitely think the talent was on a level that could service our market but of course with anything, you need to work on visuals, develop the content and what their actual story is. I think in the States what we appreciate is the story,” she explained.

Jennifer praised Caribbean Export for “bringing the opportunities to people who wouldn’t normally get it.”

 Also blown away by the talent was Allyson Francis, Services Specialist at Caribbean Export; she explained why the agency assisted the Pretty Boy Experience.

“At Caribbean Export we are committed to supporting the development of the Caribbean cultural and creative industries and with the level of interest from the music executives and media persons subsequent to the performances we are really encouraged,” the Services Specialist at Caribbean Export expressed.

Since the showcases Pretty Boy Worldwide has been presented with a number of offers for their artists as well as music distribution deals in Europe and Asia.

Also at the showcase was Henrie Kwushure, a presenter at Reprezent Radio in South London; she described the Pretty Boy Experience as “amazing and completely different”.

“Although there is strong Caribbean heritage in London, one can never truly experience the lifestyle until you come here…, you get to see people in their authentic spaces, in London you just hear stories about it” Henrie observed.  

Insisting there was definitely a market for Caribbean music in the UK, she pointed out it was heavily dominated and influenced by Jamaican dancehall.  The radio presenter complained that some Caribbean artists in London even spoke Jamaican patios although they were from other islands.

“That needs to change…, if you are from a different island you represent it to the fullest so someone who is not from the Caribbean don’t see you as a homogenous Caribbean person…

“There is a very strong Jamaican influence in London but there could be more singularity from the different islands so we know what is what… and that should also come forth in the music. Dancehall is prominent but I feel there should be some more soca…,” Henrie Kwushure suggested, adding it was a “big thing” in England to highlight where you are from especially if you were black.

Music is a key element in the creative industry and the Caribbean Export Development Agency has been instrumental in providing technical assistance, business development support and access to finance to music industry professionals who are seeking to export their talent and services. (SP/Caribbean Export)

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) has partnered with the Small Business Association (SBA) of Barbados to host a two-day workshop on leveraging the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

Over 50 exporters from across the region gathered at the Radisson Aquatica Resort to hear from experts from the European Union, Caribbean Export and the SBA of Barbados on the tools available to support the growth of their export businesses whilst leveraging the EPA.

A central theme to the dialogue as highlighted by Senator Lynette Holder, CEO of the SBA of Barbados in her Opening Remarks was the importance of strategic partnerships.  Senator Holder called for businesses to work together to reap the benefits of the EPA.

The CARIFORUM-EU EPA was developed to facilitate integration and regional cooperation further the EPA supports enhanced sustainable growth, increased production and supply capacity. The Hon. Sandra Husbands, Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Trade with the Government of Barbados echoed Senator Holders sentiment, “We cannot do this alone. Not as individual companies, not as individual islands or countries but rather we must do this together”.  The overall objective of the EPA is the sustainable development of the ACP States and their integration into the world economy and the eradication of poverty.

Speaking about the workshop in general Minister Husbands charged that “This is a vital part of the strategy toward attaining export led economic growth and this is what is needed in Barbados at this time.”  The Minister went on to encourage the participating companies to take advantage of the workshop discover a mechanism that allows participants to work together in groups and in teams to leverage the benefits of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA.

The EPA is the most comprehensive agreement between the EU and the ACP and remains a flagship for the European Union making its successful implementation a priority informed Filipe de la Mota, Head of Regional Section at the EU Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

“Increased attention has been and will continue to be placed on those areas required to assist CARIFORUM States and the regional private sector in maximising the benefits and mitigating the challenges presented by the integration efforts” he continued.  “One of the EPAs main objectives is to promote economic growth within the region with the aim to increase chances for Caribbean businesses to participate in global value chains and support the conditions for increasing investment in private sector initiatives, enhancing supply capacity, and competitiveness in CARIFORUM States.  We strongly believe that strengthening competitiveness and trade capacity will ensure stronger supply chains in succeeding in the global market and effectively contribute to sustainable development”.

Caribbean Export will host the next EPA workshop at the upcoming Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) scheduled for July 4-7, 2019 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Over the past 5 months young entrepreneurs have been battling it out to secure a place in the final of the Caribbean Entrepreneur Challenge (CEC), a component of the Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean (TEECA) project, hosted by the Martinique Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the CTM, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and supported by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), with funding by the European Regional Development Fund through the INTERREG Programme.

CEC was an initiative which aimed to raise awareness amongst the younger Caribbean people on regional cooperation and to encourage entrepreneurial innovation. Students initially applied to the challenge online where they gave a presentation of their business idea in one of the following areas: fashion, agro transformation, ICT, environment or music.

The top 10 presentations were selected to attend workshops on marketing, management, creativity, innovation and pitching to help develop enhanced business plans. The five most realistic innovative projects were then invited to pitch their ideas to a Caribbean panel in the final, where they could win a prize of between €1,000 to €10,000.

Nineteen-year-old Sophie Klein from Saint Lucia grabbed the top prize at the CEC final held on Wednesday June 5, 2019 in Trois-Ilets, Martinique for her business plan to transform education through incorporating greater virtual reality and gaming. The top prize of €10,000 and technical guidance will be used to kickstart her business.

With her project titled “JOIE” and in keeping with the ethos of her school Sir Arthur Lewis Community College “The cure for poverty is not money but knowledge” she set out a business plan that unlocked the utilisation of virtual reality and gaming to enhance the learning experience.

Other finalist included Miah Scott from Grenada with a range naturally made skin moisturisers and hair products under the name Shea Miah’s Way; Kenna Questelles from St. Vincent and the Grenadines with her project Linkup an online directory of restaurants menus and events; Leona Melius also from Saint Lucia presented Lily’s Healthy Eats – an organic and local food delivery service for schools and workplaces; and Tehillah Bannis offered cosmetics products that are safe and of good quality for the skin from Dominica with her project Herbie Care.

“Caribbean Export is pleased to support a project which encourages young people to be innovative and develop solutions for their immediate communities. We are looking forward to seeing how these business ideas turn in to reality” expressed Gayle Gollop, Special Advisor – Trade and Legal Affairs, Caribbean Export.

Nineteen Caribbean female entrepreneurs have successfully completed the WE-Xport Programme, an initiative geared at helping them to start exporting or to increase exports of their products and services.

Organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in cooperation with the European Union, WE-Xport commenced in March 2018 and climaxed with a closing ceremony on Friday, June 7, 2019, at the Hilton Barbados Resort. 

“We believe that this WE-Xport programme has been a tremendous success,” Mr. Zamani Moodie, Market Intelligence Advisor at Caribbean Export said on behalf of Ms. Cecile Humphrey, Chairperson of the Board of the Directors.

“Caribbean Export understands the complexed challenges faced by regional firms, particularly those owned by women.” A study by the Women’s Entrepreneurial Venture Scope, funded by the Multilateral Investment Fund on doing business, ranks many Caribbean countries at the bottom of the list for female entrepreneurship. 

“Access to finance and women’s business skill capacity are identified amongst the reasons for this low ranking. Against this backdrop, the Caribbean Export Development Agency developed a special programme called WE-Xport to assist women entrepreneurs in the region,” he explained.

In addition, a study by infoDev, “Profiling Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs: Business Environment, Sectoral Constraints and Programming Lessons”, draws attention to the state of women-owned businesses in the Caribbean. The study shows that these businesses have little to no employees, are concentrated in low growth sectors and have difficulty accessing finance. Other challenges are their lack of self-confidence and women’s fear of failure in their businesses. Women also struggle with work life balance because many are primary caregivers.

Mr. Moodie further outlined that the objectives of WE-Xport were to build capacity amongst women-owned enterprises as well as to access alternative sources of funding.  It also aimed to provide capacity building tools to help the entrepreneurs improve their international competitiveness and increase penetration in new markets.

Additionally, the WE-Xport programme sought to advocate for the empowerment of female entrepreneurs by strengthening their network and by creating awareness amongst business support organizations, development partners and stakeholders.

Over the year participants benefited from technical assistance, finance workshops, online business training, a personal business coach and access to grant funding.

The entrepreneurs had the opportunity to showcase their products and services to regional and international buyers at a Buyers’ Programme organized by the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation and the Caribbean Export.  They also got the chance to sell and display goods at BMEX, Barbados’ largest manufacturing expo.

“We hope that you had a rewarding experience and had obtain tangible benefits that you will continue to use to enhance the competitiveness of your businesses. We wish tremendous success to you,” Mr. Moodie said.

He also thanked the European Union (EU), the Caribbean Development Bank, the German International Corporation and UN Women for partnering with Caribbean Export on the programme.

Ms. Celine Anselme, Programme Manager in the delegation of the EU to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, described WE-Xport as “innovative”.

Noting that the EU supported the important role that private sector played in generating employment and economic growth within the region, she said the EU had been working with Caribbean Export for approximately 20 years.

She added that since 2017 the EU had been running a US $30 million private sector development programme which is being implemented by Caribbean Export. It will end in 2021. 

“WE-Xport is one of the many successful activities being implemented. WE-Xport is not just any initiative, it is innovative. It is the first women only initiative designed within Caribbean Export to enhance the export capacities of women-owned enterprises.

“WE-Xport got off the ground for two critical reasons. The first was a need to address the fact that women-owned enterprises in the Caribbean are concentrated in saturated sectors thereby making them difficult to grow. Second, research has shown that in the Caribbean, women’s participation in self-employment is lower than their male counterparts, and when self-employed, women are more likely to operate at the micro level with sometimes no employees,” she explained.

Ms. Anselme said the EU regarded women’s empowerment as a matter of human rights, democracy and good governance and argued that it makes good economic sense.

“Women normally control the house provisions and the financial decisions for their families and by extension, women are a significant pool of consumers and clients.”

Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Trade in Barbados, Sandra Husbands told the WE-Xport entrepreneurs that they played an important role in transforming their countries’ economies.

“The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of your country needs you. While you may think your business is small, while you may think you are struggling… every single penny that you turn over in your business contributes to the GDP of your country. Therefore, what you do every day is not only important to you and your family, it is important to your country.”

Minister Husbands told participants it was critical to look beyond their country to achieve true growth and pointed out that the Barbadian government was encouraging the local business community to explore markets in Guyana, Suriname and Panama.

Taribba do Nacimento from St. Lucia, who owns the designer handmade bag company, Meme Bete, said the WE-Xport programme was very beneficial.

“St. Lucia has a population of 180,000 people, if I do not export my business cannot survive. I am not selling fish, I am not selling food. There are so only many handbags a local lady can and will buy.

“I am not selling a need, I am selling a want in an affordable luxury market with lots competition. The WE-Xport programme allowed me to finally set up my website. I was grateful to have a business coach who worked in fashion and understood the industry,” Ms. do Nacimento said. 

Mrs. Grace Foster-Reid, owner of EcoFarms in Jamaica, an enterprise which produces organic honey and a range of honey by-products, also praised the WE-Xport Programme.  Through the initiative, she secured a deal to supply honey to the international coffee franchise Starbucks.

She thanked her coach for helping her “to take the Starbucks order from 95 per cent to 100 per cent”. However, she said the highlight of her experience was forming a sisterhood with the other women.

“I thought I was coming for information about financing and mentorship, but the relations were fabulous. Immediately I felt like I was with sisters. Entrepreneurship is a lonely place. On Friday evening, everybody is worried about how to pay their workers. Right away I had a family, women with whom I could share and be vulnerable with.”

Observing they were the first group to participate in the initiative she appealed to Caribbean Export to continue the WE-Xport programme given the benefits derived.

“This should not be the last experience, there are many other women in the Caribbean who could benefit from this,” Mrs. Foster-Reid emphasized.