CARICOM SUPPORTS FIRST EVER PAN-CARIBBEAN MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS DELEGATION TO A MAJOR INDUSTRY EXPO

The CARICOM Secretariat has come out in full support of a CARIBBEAN Music and Entertainment Trade & Promotion Business Delegation to attend LONDON CALLING 2008, the UK’s premier international music business event. (www.londoncalling2008.com).

In a letter to Caribbean Event Director, Josanne Leonard, the Directorate of Human and Social Development (CODSOD) of the CARICOM Secretariat describes the first ever Caribbean mission as a “worthwhile and timely initiative” and has lauded the efforts of organisers for what it describes as “the tremendous amount of forward planning and preparatory work that has been done.”
According to Dr. Edward Greene, Assistant Secretary General, “with Caribbean governments placing greater emphasis on our creative industries, the CARICOM Secretariat endorses fully the aims of the organisers to strategically promote, brand and market Caribbean creative products and services.” Citing the recently concluded CARIFORUM-EU Partnership Agreement (EPA), Dr. Greene adds “it is recognised that an intervention like London Calling 2008 provides an excellent opportunity to ‘test’ the trade and development benefits articulated in the EPA and where possible trigger collaborations and business alliances.”

The letter concluded that the CARICOM Secretariat has signaled formally “our willingness to support the continuing efforts to ensure this is a successful Caribbean outing for the Caribbean creative sectors at this international business convention.”

The endorsement and promise of support from the CARICOM Secretariat has been commended by the organisers. “This is by far the most significant indicator in recent times that the region is ready to recognise the value of the creative industries to wealth creation, divestment and competitiveness of our Caribbean economies” says Leonard.

Noting that this is the first initiative of its kind to promote the music and entertainment industries under one Caribbean banner, Leonard adds “it’s taken a herculean effort because we operate largely in silos even on our domestic fronts. In the past, individual countries and professionals have attended events like MIDEM, WOMEX and others but we have never united to brand a Caribbean presence. We need to fast forward the collaboration of our Ministries of Trade, Investment, Tourism, Technology and Planning to harness the potential of our creative sectors and support strategic regional and extra-regional marketing and promotional strategies.”
London Calling 2008 takes place on June 19/20 at Earl’s Court, London. Interested persons, please contact Josanne at miribai@tstt.net.tt; tel: 868 633 3397; 868 477 2462 or Maria at

4gproduction@gmail.com.

See www.londoncalling2008.com