Curtain Closes on a Successful Connect Barbados
Last Friday the curtain closed on the 12th Connect Barbados conference hosted by the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI).
Held at the Holder’s Polo Field in St. James, under the patronage of the Minister of Tourism and International Transport, the Hon. Richard Sealy, guests were treated to a teaser of the annual Food & Rum festival. It was a gastronomic fare as local chefs wowed tour operators and airline partners from around the world with a variety of Bajan delicacies.
Popular Food & Rum chef, Michael Harrison, served roasted breadfruit with a range of topping options including buljol, lobster and pulled pork. Local proprietors including Bar Cutters and Lunch Tins introduced guests to pulled pork cutters, pizza fries and fish cakes, just to name a few. Not to be left out were the popular Bajan pastries such as jam puffs and turnovers from Purity Bakeries; BICO ice-cream; a sno-cone vendor; and a coconut vendor.
In addition to the food stations, a special Mount Gay bar featuring mixologist Ryan Adamson was open all night, featuring speciality cocktails, all using local rum.
CEO of the BTMI, William “Billy” Griffith said that he was extremely pleased with the response. “Food & Rum is one of our biggest events, and one that we expect will get a lot of mileage in the markets represented here by participating tour operators. Tonight, we have given them a sample of not just what’s to come in November for the festival, but also a taste of everyday Barbadian cuisine and culture. We think that this showing will entice our Connect Barbados tour operators to continue to promote destination Barbados.”
Approximately two hours into the evening, the lights went down and the stage was set for an energizing evening of local entertainment. Stiffy was first up, showcasing some of the flavour of the upcoming Crop Over festival, followed by the duo of Leadpipe and Saddis. After just a short interlude of deejay music, the band Krosfyah followed closely with their newest member, Joaquin. The renowned band kept the lively crowd going until the close of the night, around 11:00 p.m.
About Connect
Connect Barbados is an annual conference that brings top tour operators from around the world to Barbados to meet with local tourism service providers. This year, the four-day event was well attended by participants from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean and Latin America. Following the opening ceremony at Gun Hill Signal Station on Wednesday night, participants were engaged in a series of almost 600 business-to-business meetings at the Hilton Hotel on Thursday and Friday.
The conference ended with an Attractions Day on Saturday, and tour operators and partners were invited to partake of a range of Barbados’ most popular attractions including Harrison’s Cave, Atlantis Submarines, Island Safari and The Museum of Parliament and The National Heroes Gallery.
