Caribbean Executive Conference 2001 - Jamaica open for business

WESTERN BUREAU:

JAMAICA IS open for business, Minister of Technology Phillip Paulwell assured participants and investors in the second staging of the Caribbean Executive Conference 2001 last weekend.

"Jamaica is open for business and we are looking for your business," Mr. Paulwell announced on opening day of the four-day conference, which drew over 200 participants and 38 presenters to the Half Moon Resort, in Montego Bay from June 21 to 24.

The Minister spoke on the "Imperatives for Business in the Global Economy", including an ability to embrace change; high quality investment in human capital and a business culture that can respond readily to the changes taking place in the global economy.

He emphasised the need for Jamaica's response to globalisation with increased emphasis on attracting high value added industries in areas such as film, tourism, entertainment and commerce.

The Caribbean Executive Conference fills the gap left by the Caribbean Management Series, hosted for over 20 years by Alcan Jamaica Ltd. The conference was put on by the project management consulting firm, Smythe Witter and Associates, supported by McKinsey & Co, an international consulting firm.

Participants from most of the Caribbean islands attended the conference.

It also attracted participants from a number of universities in the USA, with one from South Africa. The theme of the conference was "Global New Economy: Opportunities for Caribbean Business Development".

Organiser Michael Witter said the most exciting aspect of the conference was the opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet investors in The Venture Capital Fair. "Though I can't say for sure right now I understand that some good networking occurred with at least one definite possibility," he told The Gleaner on Saturday.

He noted that small business operators seeking to expand their organisations would have benefited greatly from the conference.

"We try to use presenters who have practical knowledge of the subjects," he said, citing special guest speaker Bob Holland, ex-chief executive officer of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, a company which started small and made it big.

This was the second conference of its kind and Mr. Witter indicated that the next conference would most likely be in another Caribbean island.

Both presenters and participants agreed that the conference was a worthwhile venture, one that especially afforded for great networking.

Ruth McCants, a lecturer from the National Lois University in Atlanta, Georgia, who spoke on leadership, conceded that the conference was a great opportunity for knowledge sharing.

"It was a wonderful opportunity for me to come here and share with the Caribbean people," she said.

Bernita Locke a participant from Life of Jamaica (LoJ) said the conference presented opportunities for networking and understanding of the global market.

"It was a great effort. You got a chance to network with other business people and to get a feel of what is happening globally.

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