Brand Jamaica to Be Showcased at Commonwealth Games

Brand Jamaica will be on display during the staging of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, through the hosting of Jamaica Commonwealth Manor.

The facility, which will serve as the official hospitality house of the Jamaican delegation, will be housed at the Helm Bar and Bistro in Queensland at no cost to the Government.

It will be open to the public for the duration of the Commonwealth Games from April 4 to 15.

Jamaica Commonwealth Manor will serve as a venue for supporters of the country’s athletes during the games and feature live entertainment from international artistes, Jamaican dance contests, as well as showcase a suite of Jamaican cuisine and beverages.

Activities for the period include the opening launch, press conferences, panel discussions as well as meet and greet with several Jamaican athletes.

Speaking at a press briefing held today (February 23) at the Terra Nova Hotel, St. Andrew, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Denzil Thorpe, said the Manor presents an opportunity to promote Brand Jamaica at the games.

“The hosting of Jamaica Commonwealth Manor is an opportune avenue for promoting Brand Jamaica and generating excitement about our beautiful country as a unique brand in terms of its location, its products and, in particular, as a great sporting nation with high-level athletes, coaches and physical-education teachers,” he noted.

Mr. Thorpe pointed out that Jamaica Commonwealth Manor is a spin off ‘Jamaica House’, which was first featured at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and again held at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and the World Championship in London in 2017

“Jamaica House has provided a highly visible avenue for exposing the Jamaica brand to the world… . We expect the Jamaica Commonwealth Manor to build on the experiences generated by the previous staging of Jamaica House,” he noted.

President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), Christopher Samuda, said that a major focus of Jamaica Commonwealth Manor will be to promote the work of the entity in an international space.

“The Jamaica Commonwealth Manor… will start a debate on Jamaica’s contribution to sport. Also, with all that is happening in the sport world now – anti-doping, corporate governance and the real and perceived breaches of that, we feel that even during the games, the dialogue must continue, and what better opportunity than at international games when you have all stakeholders present,” he argued.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JOA, Ryan Foster, said that the Manor will be the hub for press conferences, hosting sessions designed to promote the JOA as well as Jamaican athletes and culture.

“The Commonwealth Manor will not only showcase our athletic prowess and achievements but will also highlight our administrative abilities to be game changers, and showcase our ability to leverage Brand Jamaica in an international space. This will allow us to establish partnerships with like-minded nations, promote sport tourism on an international platform, and promote Jamaica as a destination of choice to achieve excellence in sport preparation and execution,” he noted.