Socadrome jamming still

At first, it was met with mixed reaction. Some saw it as an attempt to move mas away from the city of Port-of-Spain, as a threat to downtown mas at venues like Broadway and the Piccadilly Greens. Others welcomed the chance to shake things up: a new venue and a reorganisation which could help reduce bottlenecks that plague the Queen’s Park Savannah yearly.

Four years later, the Socadrome is still here and it is showing signs that it is here to stay.

According to the event’s organisers, the crowd this year was about 2,200. Whether this is an increase or not is beside the point (a Socadrome spokesman said the figure represented an increase of about 1,000). The fact is 2,200 is not a negligible number.

In fact, it probably compares favourably to the size of the audience at other venues, some of which do not have the capacity of the Jean Pierre Complex.

We say the time has come for Carnival to formally embrace this private initiative, roping it in and integrating it more fully into the overall experience as part of a dynamic tourism product.

There are clear advantages to the Socadrome. In the first place, it addresses issues which are important to the Carnival audience.

For many safety is a factor and there is a perception that the Jean Pierre Complex is a more secure venue than stands in the city.

Another advantage has been the relatively good condition of the seating and accommodations at the complex. While these could still be better, they compare favourably with other venues where there is little sense that any effort is made for the ease and comfort of the audience.

Utilising the Jean Pierre Complex for Carnival is also an ingenious way to make our sporting facilities more sustainable. By thinking outside of the box, the organisers have managed to utilise a space that would have otherwise been left empty, a space constructed and maintained – at a cost of millions – by taxpayers.

We laud the fact that this year the Socadrome was free, allowing people who may not have otherwise been tempted to try it out. This was a clever way to drive future profitability.

A similar tactic was used at the Queen’s Park Savannah this year, with the North Stand being free of charge to the public as well.

But that effort notwithstanding, little else seems to have been done to draw the crowds there.

Certainly the time has come for an update of the Carnival venues and a redesign of the overall Parade of the Bands. How can existing facilities be made more enticing? The irony is that both of the major spectator venues opened up for free to draw the crowds, yet there was relatively little for them to see. Mind you, there were positive reviews of some bands, such as The Lost Tribe, and for the bands presenting traditional mas. But the deeper issue is the need for something to bring the crowds in with.

Crime is also affecting the perception of Carnival. While many downtown venues have a bad reputation, the fact is they are relatively well-policed and secure. Yet, such is the rampant nature of serious crimes overall that the public is fearful and rightfully vigilant.

The issue of the venues is also just a stand-in for the fact that there is a need for a regeneration of the city as a whole. The Carnival experience should be a consistently high-quality one at all its points.

Still, it would do the State well to learn lessons from Socadrome and to include it within its overall strategy. For now, it is clear that, among the many winners that are to be congratulated today, the Socadrome has clearly won a place in the hearts and minds of those who attend it.