JBDC to showcase Jamaican products during Olympics

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) will showcase 61 entities and brands under its Things Jamaican umbrella in Birmingham and London during the Summer Olympics which gets underway in earnest this weekend.

The exhibitions and retailing of the products will be held at Victoria Square in Birmingham under the theme ‘Jamaica in the square’ and in London at ‘Jamaica House’ in the O2 arena.

Executive Director of the JBDC, Harold Davis said products that will be retailed in Birmingham have been made mostly by micro and small enterprises, most of which would not otherwise have had access to the United Kingdom market.

“We know that the retail opportunity in Birmingham will be good,” a release from the Meet Jamaica Secretariat quoted Davis as saying.

“This represents a window of opportunity for these entities to tap into this lucrative market,” he added.

Davis said products that will be on display include gift and craft items, aromatherapy products, sauces, spices, confectioneries, jams and jellies.

The exhibition will also feature Jamaica’s coffee brands Jablum and Wallenford.

One of the larger companies displaying products will be the Jamaica Producers Group.

Also being exhibited will be different genres of Jamaican music as well as books on Jamaica’s cuisine and history, among others areas.

“We are expecting that on the spot retailing will be significant,” Davis said. “People have been anticipating purchasing these products and we are expecting that sales will go fast.”

The showcase has been organized by the JBDC in collaboration with the Meet Jamaica initiative, a Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ)/JAMPRO programme which brings together a broad cross-section of public and private sector organisations.

Meet Jamaica is seeking to maximize the commercial benefits to the country from the exposure of Jamaican culture and sports during the Olympics.

The organization is hoping that Jamaica will benefit from national branding, export promotion, investment promotion and economic ties with the diaspora.

Earl Jarrett, former chairman of the PSOJ trade policy committee welcomed the participation of the micro sector.

“The world will not only see the performance of athletes in London but they will see the products and services that we offer and that are unique to us,” he said.

“This is a step in the right direction for our Jamaican companies to maximize their potential,” he added.

business@gleanerjm.com