CSME ‘a plus’ for entertainment

Entertainment promoters say they eagerly await the formation of the Caribbean Single market and Economy (CSME) and more opportunities to develop and export “cultural products”. Trinidadian Joel “Signal” Morris argues that the case for (CSME) was compelling and clear-cut. “It is time that we get serious and implement this thing. To compete on a global scale we need to unite the people of the Caribbean”. In recent years there has also been a notable increase in the number of Trinidadian promoters, partnering locals to bring entertainment products to the Barbados market. This has been evident with costumed bands on the road for Kadooment as well as in the intra-regional movement of calypso artistes for musical productions. Apart from Spektakula presentations, the other entertainment package to make perhaps the biggest impact to date has been the Wet Fete which evolved in Trinidad five years ago. For the current Crop-Over festival Morris, of Noise Productions, teamed with Barbadian partners for a successful second edition of Wet Fete off the Spring Garden Highway on July 20. In excess of 5000 people attended the event which was an elaborate open-air production with far-reaching economic impact. Some of the major sponsors included Carib Beer, Coca Cola, Cable & Wireless and Hott FM radio. Insiders estimated the outlay was in the region of $150 000 and the returns were a little better than break even.  Export of these entertainment products and concepts is something which Morris said must continue for the regional entertainment market to remain viable. “Our wet fete concept is a Caribbean thing and one of our main objectives is to develop a Caribbean product that is strong enough to compete on a global scale,” Morris told Business Authority.

Part of the long-term vision, he said,is to stage similar events in such places as Brazil, Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Venezuela as a Caribbean product. “We need to show the world what the region has to offer . . . along with our soca music, wet-fete is really a tourism and cultural product,” he said. Veteran Trinidadian promoter Frank Martineau said there were still many challenges in the region which were stifling the growth and development of the entertainment industry. Among them, he said proper venues were needed and tax policy on the industry in most territories needed to be reviewed. “Some of the taxes are really punitive and counter-productive. When taxes are that high what you succeed in doing is to keep out promoters which also negatively impact on events that could stimulate the tourism industry,” Martineau said. On the CSME, he suggested: “The single market and economy should have been here already. We need to come together and push our cultural products as a region”. Barbados’ Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator John Williams said the notion of the “creative economy” was recognition of the importance of cultural industries to states like Barbados and the challenge was for such nations to be able to produce products for the global market.

“We must be in a position not only to guarantee the availability of cultural products but that the products are of a sufficiently high quality to meet the demands of international markets,” said Williams. Barbados’ Crop-Over stimulates economic activity in excess of $60m annually and has been a leader in developing the “creative economy”. Crop-Over increases tourism arrivals in the summer and has emerged as a driver of business activities and cross-border partnerships. This island’s entertainment industry is most vibrant between June and August and shows itself in calypso tents, recording studios, stage management, sound engineering, costumes production, transport, security and rental of event venues.