June 22 deadline for Christmas in July tradeshow

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

The Jamaica Ministry of Tourism’s Linkages Network has extended its open call for manufacturers of locally-produced corporate gifts to apply to participate in their annual Christmas in July tradeshow. The deadline for submissions is now Thursday, June 22, 2017.

Joining in the appeal, Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has emphasized that “events like Christmas in July promote economic growth for the nation while still ensuring that more Jamaicans benefit from this great sector,” and, therefore, urged more Jamaicans to participate.

“I have tasked the Tourism Linkages Network to use more innovative methods, such as Christmas in July, to ensure that Jamaica owns the consumption side of tourism. My Ministry is doing all that it can to tackle the leakages in the economy and by extension create inclusive growth by the provision of jobs, which will lead to increased earning, consumption, tax revenues and the ability to better pay our debts,” said Minister Bartlett.

The event, which is hosted in partnership with Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), seeks to provide Jamaican producers of corporate gift and souvenirs with the opportunity to access an alternative market segment while adding uniqueness and creativity to product offerings.

Shortlisted applicants from this open call will be invited to attend an assessment session following which an evaluation and final selection will be conducted.

Organizers have disclosed that the products will be assessed based on: design and aesthetics, durability, material appropriateness, packaging, labeling, cost, functionality, product relevance, design influences, and patent/design protection.

Project Manager of the Tourism Linkages Network, Carolyn McDonald-Riley, shared that she expects this year’s event to be the most successful to date based on the high level of interest from potential participants in this year’s staging.

“We are extremely excited about this year’s staging of Christmas in July. We have already seen a steady flow of applications coming in, which is very heartening as it demonstrates the interest persons have in helping us to strengthen and better leverage brand Jamaica,” she said.

“Christmas in July is an opportunity to expose their product to corporate entities; it is also an opportunity to learn about new ways to diversify your product to better suit niche markets. A great example of this is Garry Parish, who had Jamaican proverbs written in Spanish on keepsake products. The French ambassador saw this and suggested he do some in French, which he agreed to, resulting in him getting a large number of orders right on the spot,” she explained.

The application form for Christmas in July is now accessible at the Ministry of Tourism’s website at mot.gov.jm or its partners’ websites: jbdc.net; jma.com.jm and jamaicatradeandinvest.org.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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