JEF Stages Convention 2012 from May 3-6

The Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) is promising a spectacular and mega 30th staging of "JEF Convention 2012', slated for May 3 to 6 at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort, in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

This annual business and workplace convention and expo is the largest of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean and allows for chief executive officers, general managers, human resource managers and other operators of organisations to interact, network, share ideas, discuss and plan strategies and best practices for their firms and companies.

Themed ‘Execute, Grow, Sustain’, the convention will feature an impressive mix of local, regional and international speakers who will highlight matters relating to labour and industrial relations and workplace issues.

Speaking with JIS News, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JEF, Brenda Cuthbert, noted that, "the convention has grown exponentially over the years…we are following on the theme that we had for the last two years where we focused on re-organising, re-aligning and getting ready."

"This year we are at the point and in tune with what is out there in the environment, where we say execute or implement, grow and sustain,” the CEO explained.

Highlighting the planned activities for this year’s convention, Mrs. Cuthbert informed that there will be several sessions, discussions and presentations focusing on labour laws, employer-employee relations, risk alertness and management and challenges in the workplace.

"We will be looking at wellness at the workplace, innovation and the challenges of getting things done…we will be looking at the public sector, with one speaker focusing on the National Insurance Scheme, which is of interest to all employers who want to be informed about the benefits to their employees,” the CEO said.

The four-day event has a slew of activities with day one dubbed ‘Super-sized Thursday’, with presentations on: ‘Labour Laws: from legal concepts to practice’, which will examine the implications for the HR Practitioner or HR Layperson; ‘Getting Execution Right’, outlining how to effectively plan and deliver any type of project or workplace initiative; ‘Moving from conflict to co-operation’; ‘The Challenges of Change’; and ‘Employee fraud and the bottom line’.

Day one will close with the official opening of the convention and expo at 5:30 p.m.  Friday will be packed with several concurrent sessions facilitating discussions on: Risk alert or risk averse; Psychologically healthy workplaces; Getting more from less; and Creating bridges for success.

An Executive Women’s Forum Luncheon is also included in day two’s proceedings.

Day three is dubbed: ‘CEO Saturday’ and is skewed towards operational matters and concerns of CEOs, with presentations on: Business Ethics and Corporate Governance; Information Security; Intrepreneurship in the workplace and the Power of a positive vision.

Participants will be able to ‘let their hair down’ at the ‘Saturday Night Party’ from 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The convention ends on Sunday, May 6 with a ‘Praise and Worship and the Word’ service beginning at 8:30 a.m.

An impressive line-up of speakers and presenters will be participating at the convention including: Mike Michalowicz, an entrepreneur behind three multi-million dollar companies and the author of ‘The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur’; Vanessa Thomas Williams, Attorney-at-Law, specialising in Industrial Relations and Consultant at Employers’ Consultative Association of Trinidad and  Tobago; Robert Teelucksingh, Director, Safety and Health/Risk Manager with Tee Luck Singh and Associates Limited and Wayne Chen, President of JEF and the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC).

Mrs. Cuthbert pointed out that the convention gets bigger and better each year as the sessions and presenters are evaluated.

“Every session that our participants attend, we ask them to do an evaluation and when the convention is done, we compile the evaluation…we see, rank and rate our presenters.  This also guides us in tweaking our programme, determining what to focus on and the theme,” the CEO pointed out.

For further information on the convention, persons may call the convention hotline at 754-8444, toll-free: 1-888-JEF-HELP (533-4357), 926-6762 or visit our JEF Business & Workplace Resource Page.

By Kadian Brown, JIS PRO