Jamaicans Encouraged to Capitalise on World Cup Business Opportunities

With World Cup Cricket 2007 on the horizon, the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) is emphasizing the need for Jamaicans to capitalize on the many business opportunities associated with the event.
As such, a major feature of the JBDC’s ‘Bowling for Business’ conference 2004 will be a workshop on Thursday, November 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, aimed at sensitizing potential producers about the processes involved in the production and the promotion of goods and services, specifically for the event.
The conference is being held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JBDC, Valerie Veira told JIS News that participants would be briefed on the need for preparation in order to participate.
“All of the residents in the surrounding communities of the proposed venues will be impacted, so they need to be aware of the opportunities available to them and how they can become a part of it,” she explained.”There are strict rules and regulations pertaining to Cricket 2007, so we have invited persons from the Cricket Association, Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO), to speak about intellectual property, as well as the Bureau of Standards,” she added.
The workshop will also outline issues relating to business participation and product registration.
Business ideas such as, ‘Bed and Breakfast’ for guests, will be addressed by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), as it relates to standards for certification. The business of transporting guests will also be explored.
“In terms of food, we need to start looking to those who can provide special types of food as it relates to eating patterns based on religion in particular. There are a wide range of possibilities in that area,” Miss Veira pointed out.
“Hardly anyone leaves an event like the World Cup without an item from the occasion. It includes craft, fashion, wooden products, ceramics, among others,” she added.
The CEO said that the work would continue after the conference, as several community leaders are slated to attend, and they in turn would be assisting with the coaching process involving community members.
“There will be some amount of ‘hand holding’ in the process. Our designers and engineers will be working with persons on their products leading up the event, as we have to be looking at a world standard,” she said.
“The business advisors will also be there to assist in deciding what is feasible. It may look and sound good, but may not be a feasible business proposition based on how it is being conducted,” the CEO said.
While there are vast opportunities, the CEO is acknowledging the fact that there will be sterile areas, which is often commonplace in such events. Therefore, community members will be sensitized in this regard as to the impact it will have on them.
“The conference will bring the reality that 2007 is not far away. We need to start thinking in terms of months, rather than years. This is what we hope will stimulate the energy,” Miss Veira said.Community members from both proposed venues in Kingston and Trelawny will be in attendance at the conference.
The JBDC will have on display, a collection of products that have been designed for the event.Jamaica will host the opening ceremony as well as a number of first round and semi-final matches of Cricket World Cup 2007.