Teino Evans and Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writers
These young ladies were in a dancing mood at the Summer Shots Temptation Live ATI party in Negril in April last year. - PHOTO BY CLAUDINE HOUSEN
EVERY SUMMER for the past four years there has been a mass migration of young Jamaicans to Negril around late July, early August, for the weekend party series popularly known as the ATI Weekend.
However, title sponsors Appleton has severed ties with Absolute Entertainment (the promoters of the event) and both groups are now presenting two separate parties called ATI weekend.
The series was originally dubbed Absolute Temptation Isle when first staged in 2001, but renamed as Appleton Treasure Isle in 2002 when Wray and Nephew's Appleton Jamaica Rum became title sponsors.
Both entities have given reasons for the separation, Absolute Entertainment saying that they have reverted to the original "Absolute Temptation Isle" (ATI) and Appleton Jamaica Rum, who are no longer title sponsors, has moved to stage their own weekend, "Appleton Treasure Isle" (ATI).
Over the Emancipation weekend, which is Friday July 28 to Tuesday August 1, Negril will be host to "Absolute Temptation Isle"; and, on the weekend of Friday August 4 to Monday August 7, Independence Weekend, Negril will also host "Appleton Treasure Island".
The official statement of Absolute Entertainment comprising Alexander Chin, Christopher Telfer and Daniel Abbott on the separation says, "essentially we split because of creative differences with respect to the naming of the weekend. Wray and Nephew didn't feel as though they would be getting enough equity from the original name, Appleton Temptation Isle, and wanted to use a name that spoke more Appleton".
This however, they explained, would not give due credit to Absolute Entertainment for the event which they have spent many years building, and so the entities parted ways.
However, David Walton, brand manager, Appleton Jamaica Rum gave a different piece to the puzzle.
"We were receiving tremendous volumes of calls from our local and oversees patrons and all of them were asking about the staging of the event, it was an inconvenience for them to go on the Emancipation weekend and the Monday before Emancipation Day was work, but the Independence holiday was on the Monday, so we decided to go with that weekend," Walton said.
Absolute Entertainment, however, maintains that, "up until our last meeting in February 2006 the date was never a major concern. When we initially met to begin planning for the weekend it was agreed that ATI would be on the Emancipation weekend, so as to avoid competing with Reggae Sunsplash which is slated for the subsequent Independence Weekend," they said.
NEW PLANS
Though Appleton is no longer on board, "we have already surpassed the sponsorship levels received last year", says Absolute. This year's title sponsor is Digicel Jamaica, and past sponsors such as Ocean Spray, Wata and Air Jamaica will continue giving their support, and a number of other sponsors have also shown interest in becoming involved with them.
"We have long been meeting with the Negril Chamber of Commerce, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association since last November and are fully endorsed by the Jamaica Tourist Board. The ATI 2006 that is scheduled for the Emancipation Weekend is known to hoteliers to be the ATI Weekend", says Absolute.
Nonetheless, Absolute Entertainment now has to compete with another similar party weekend, but say they are not worried about any possible resulting loss of patronage. "We have put together an exceptionally strong line up of events, including a number of new events that were never before on the ATI line up", they outlined. The new additions include Wright Image's 'Daydreams', 'Beach Jazz' for the older patrons, the BET Soul Food Celebrity Party, the BET Celebrity After Party, and an event hosted by the Smirnoff-sponsored Platform Media.
David Walton, brand manager, Appleton Jamaica Rum, says, "Our theme is 'Negril Becomes Appleton City' and this year we going to have some international acts and it's ten parties in four days. It will include parties put on by the promoters of 'French Connection', 'Spirits', 'MIA', 'VIP', 'Yush', 'Twisted Spiritz' and we will also have an Appleton Live Concert with local and international acts."
Walton also pointed out that, "nobody is allowed to use just the acronym ATI as they would be trodding on our brand equity and the acronym ATI has joint connections to both entities."
