Expo Jamaica 2023 provides the opportunity for businesses to jump-start exports coming out of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, says President of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), John Mahfood.

“We see this as an event to re-energise our manufacturers, who are now gearing up and putting behind us, the recovery mode or survival mode and now looking to expand their businesses overseas,” he said.

“My expectation is that this, more than any other Expo, will bring us together and galvanise the effort at exporting,” he added.

Mr. Mahfood was speaking at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank held at the agency’s head office in Kingston.

The 48th staging of Expo Jamaica, under the theme: ‘Connecting the World to Jamaica’ will be held from April 27 to 30 at the National Indoor Sports Centre and the National Arena.

Mr. Mahfood said that the four-day event will enable Jamaican businesses to meet and develop relationships with various buyers and distributors from all over the globe over a short period of time and at one location.

He said it would be difficult and costly for local entrepreneurs to make these contacts if they had to travel to seek these markets by themselves.

“So, imagine if you were to visit all of the countries in the Caribbean and spend three or five days trying to find distributors for your products? It would take a significantly long time to go through every country and it would be very expensive,” he pointed out.

Noting that the business sector has faced challenges due to COVID-19, Mr. Mahfood said that “Jamaica has bounced back in a strong way.”

“We are at a point where we have to be thinking strategically about growing our businesses. We have many years of good fortune to come, and this is the greatest opportunity for our businesspeople to step up and step out of the conservative mode that we have been in, and that is what I hope we will see from this expo,” he said.

The first two days of Expo Jamaica 2023 have been reserved exclusively for buyers to transact business with exhibitors.

Expo Jamaica will be held from April 27 to 30 at the National Indoor Sports Centre and the National Arena in Kingston, under the theme: ‘Connecting the World to Jamaica.’

Speaking at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, Senior Sales and Promotion Manager at Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Ricardo Durant, said that April 27 and 28 have been set aside for buyers to meet with local manufacturers and other providers of goods and services, and explore all options for doing business.

He is urging entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity by registering for the tradeshow at www.expojamaica.com.jm. Persons can also visit Instagram @expojamaica or email expojamaica@jmea.org for further information.

“Remember, senior decision-makers from companies will be present to discuss business with you; don’t miss that opportunity. It is a good opportunity to do business right in that environment all to yourself,” he pointed out.

Mr. Durant told JIS News that about 374 buyers from 20 countries have so far registered for the Expo, noting that 51 per cent are repeat buyers while 49 per cent are new.

“So, this amount of repeat and new buyers is a good balance for the event. This shows that we are renewing and improving enough for previous buyers to remain interested and of course, we are generating new interest and we are very pleased with that,” he said.

Further, he informed that 38 of the registered buyers are from CARICOM countries and there are 15 non-CARICOM members, including Cuba, British Virgin Islands and the United States (US) Virgin Islands.

He said that JAMPRO is also targeting buyers from China, the Dominican Republic, Guyana and from unknown traditional markets.

“Apart from our traditional partners, such as the USA and Canada, United Kingdom and CARICOM, we have also seen registration from as far as Ghana and the Middle East,” Mr. Durant told JIS News.

“So, JAMPRO is pleased with the level of in

Jamaica will be the host to the International Conference on Inclusive Insurance (ICII) scheduled to take place 24 th  to the 28 th  of October 2022 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. The hybrid Conference is being hosted by the Insurance Association of Jamaica in partnership with the Munich Re Foundation and the Microinsurance Network. It will attract over 400 international delegates from over 50 countries.

President of the Insurance Association of Jamaica, (IAJ) Sharon Donaldson stated that it is the first time in 20 years that the conference is being held in the Caribbean and Jamaica is extremely proud to be the host country.

The conference will provide a platform for stakeholders to present and discuss issues, policies, and state-of-the-art solutions for efficient, sustainable, and inclusive insurance products; and promote the development and proliferation of good-value insurance for emerging economies. It also aims to enhance awareness of the demand for insurance in the low-income segment and its potential.

According to Donaldson many countries have large informal sectors which face a range of challenges, including the death of a breadwinner, precarious traditional livelihoods, compromised food security and damage to homes and infrastructure due to the climate crisis. Also citing the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected children’s education and caused many small businesses to close their doors, she said “many low-income groups are often unaware of steps they can take to protect themselves financially. The insurance industry has a critical role to play to provide innovative insurance and financial products and education geared to these groups” she said.

Dirk Reinhard, Vice Chair, Munich Re Foundation and Chairman of the Steering Committee of the ICII 2022 said that risk management including insurance plays a key role to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Recent floods, droughts and wildfires have shown that climate change threatens the livelihood of billions of people that do not have access to affordable safety nets. Small island states are particularly vulnerable which is why we are very honored that IAJ is hosting this year’s International Conference on Inclusive Insurance in Jamaica and for the first time in the Caribbean. How to reach scale in small countries will be among the key topics that will be discussed at this conference,” Reinhard stated.

Katharine Pulvermacher, Executive Director of the Microinsurance Network, said: “Insurance has the potential to make a significant and enduring contribution to public policy goals and to closing the global people protection gap. Only a tiny fraction of emerging customers and small-scale producers around the world have insurance of any kind, even for smaller, more frequent risks that can have a devastating effect on their economic well-being. This presents a clear opportunity for the insurance sector – one that we conservatively estimate to be worth at least USD 66 billion per year, increasing as the resilience of the people and producers insured flourishes over time. We are delighted to partner again with the Munich Re Foundation and the Insurance Association of Jamaica for this impactful event to support the development of sustainable, inclusive insurance.”

Apart from insurance industry representatives, business persons, development partners, multilateral agencies, technology companies, academia, other policy experts and media are also encouraged to attend.

About Munich Re Foundation
The Munich Re Foundation based in Germany uses their knowledge of risk for the service of humanity. Their main aim is to prepare people to cope with risk and to improve their living conditions.

About the Microinsurance Network 
The Microinsurance Network is the global multi-stakeholder platform for professionals and organisations that are committed to making insurance inclusive. Membership-based, we bring together diverse stakeholders from across the value chain who share our vision of a world where people of all income levels are more resilient and less vulnerable to daily and catastrophic risks. We encourage peer-to-peer exchange and learning, facilitate the generation of knowledge and research, and act as advocates, promoting the role that effective risk management tools, including insurance, play in supporting the broader development agenda.

Who is Behind the Strategy Conference?

Hi,

Have you wondered who is behind the conference? You’d like to know more about the people behind the event but this may be the first time you are coming across a gathering of regional minds like this one. This brief introduction should help.

My name is Francis Wade and I am the founder of Framework Consulting, the company behind the conference. We’ve been around since 1993 and have been helping regional companies create strategic plans since 2001. I’m also the author of a bi-weekly strategy and productivity column for the Jamaica Sunday Gleaner’s business section.

Before ever leading my first planning retreat I spent part of my career with McKinsey & Co as a hired hand. My role? To help train new managers to become better coaches as part of Engagement Managers’ Basics. I also joined a few teams serving the firms’ clients on transformation projects.

During my decade of involvement, I saw the difficulty McKinsey had with their problem-solving approach which rarely involved giving clients “the secret sauce.” But the truth is, most companies can’t afford the fees of a top notch consulting firm. They need to do their planning on their own steam.

In that context, I came across the Strategy Mapping article by Robert Kaplan and David Norton just as it was published in 2001. It provided an important missing link for executives who needed to communicate complex ideas to employees who weren’t used to thinking in strategic terms. I trialed the idea with a few willing clients and a new approach was born using this new tool as part of our arsenal.

Two decades later, we still facilitate strategic planning sessions. Our job is to help leadership teams make the most difficult decisions about the future of their companies…even with limited data. Today we also deliver facilitate online meetings, but the challenge remains.

As we in the Caribbean struggle to shake off the effects of Covid, a recession and a new period of armed conflict, we want to think beyond these distractions. The business landscape for the world’s companies has changed more in the past two years than in the prior 20 years. Or 30.

As such, the purpose of this conference is to equip you as a Caribbean leader with the tools needed to craft strategic plans that produce a game changing effect. Why? Getting past the chaos and uncertainty that has reigned supreme takes more than mere defense.

It requires a smart offense.

Our region’s organizations have the raw material i.e. brainpower to produce breakthroughs. However, this takes courage and confidence, in addition to the ideas we’ll share at the conference. Together, we’re sure to make the most of this downturn and become the ones who instigate disruption in our industries worldwide.

Decisive measures make the biggest difference in dark times.

Join me and the rest of my team in three days intended to really move the needle on our ambitions.

The 2022 Caribbean Strategy Conference.

Francis Wade founder of Framework Consulting

Women In Law Foundation is hosting its conference brunch at the UWI Regional Headquarters, Mona, Kingston on March 8, 2020.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Inspired by Hope – Resilience, Rise, Roar”.  Its purpose is to celebrate and inspire females from all areas of business and the men who act as bridges.   Part proceeds of this conference will be donated to the Women’s Center Foundation of Jamaica which we have been supporting since inception.  We offer scholarships to enable young ladies to be reintegrated into the school system and progress to realising their dreams.

We have themed tracks for panels and individual presentations. The conference progress can be tracked at womeninlawja.com.   Two of our keynote speakers are – Lady Allen (TBC) and Michelle Chong, CEO – Honey Bun Limited.

Please send your inquiries to the email address womeninlaw@henlin.pro or follow the website www.womeninlawja.com for updates.

See also https://360eventsgroup.com/event/women-in-law-conference/  and www.360evenstgroup.com