Fabian Ledgister, Staff Reporter
Party people arrive for SQUISH, staged by the Boom Network at Morgan's Harbour Hotel, Port Royal, on Sunday, September 18. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WITH GENERATION X now coming of age to take their place as major 'power players' in the economy, traditional social networking has come to a fiery end and from the ashes rises a phoenix called 'Boom'.
Though the 'Boom Network' may be known to some as a group that stages some highly unique and entertaining events, such as 'Investa Fiesta' and 'S.Q.U.I.S.H.', there is much more to this unit than they have wished to reveal until now.
Though all five founding members say they have similar interests, they each bring varying skill sets and experience to the table. The five are Andre Bello, Edward 'Frano' Francis, Michael Look Tong, Andrew Peart and Benjamin Bailey.
"We are a network of guys that use creativity to attract a specific group of people to events. These people, who we refer to as the innovators and 'early adopters', are a small, but highly influential sect of our society," explained the self-titled 'chief innovative officer' of the Boom Network, Andre Bello.
ATTRACTING 'EARLY ADOPTERS'
Bello describes this target group of 'early adopters' as having the characteristics of being venturesome, socially integrated, cosmopolitan and in a position of upward social mobility. He also states that this group seeks intense and intelligent experiences, to which they cater.
Whereas most event promoters aim to maximise their number of attendants, Boom does quite the contrary as they mostly rely on word-of-mouth advertising. They explain that relying on this mode of advertisement allows the event to attract those from close knit circles. Though some might say that Boom tailors their events to the rich Bello says that the group they market their events to does in fact usually control a large amount of discretionary income, but they also expect premium quality in entertainment.
"Unlike other parties that may offer a fraction of what our parties entail we try to avoid an excessive crowd, but these events still cost money to stage... These events are not a money-making venture, but an opportunity for a certain sect of society to come and have fun among their peers and at the same time make substantial networking connections," explained Bello, formerly marketing manager for JMMB.
Sponsors seem to favour this approach, as the group has garnered support from many 'high end' brands and companies, including Mercedes Benz, Swiss Stores, First Magazine, Starfish Oils, Lithographic Printers and Scotiabank, among others.
The Boom Network goes beyond event promotion though, as the entity itself is geared toward exposing Jamaican professionals to the business skills and thinking that will prepare them for the international business market, especially with the coming of the Caricom Single Market Economy (CSME). "Though the business side is a major part of our goals, we decided that we wanted Boom to be known as an exciting and innovative group and with our parties we have so far accomplished this image," affirms Bello.
The group plans to stage seminars on Negotiation Skills, Corporate Creativity and Customer Service in 2006. In fact, after their 'Investa Fiesta 2.0', which will be held in December, the group will change pace from entertaining sessions to entertaining seminars.
