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All systems go for JAMAICA Jazz & Blues Festival
Friday, January 23, 2009
FACILITIES for media and patrons began to take form, the brilliantly blue Caribbean Sea bounding The Aqueduct glistened even more in the afternoon sun. The venue, located along the Elegant Corridor in Rose Hall, was abuzz with activity yesterday, as workmen, sponsors, and festival organisers went into overdrive to ensure that everything is in order for the staging of the Caribbean's premier music festival... the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival.
LIONEL RICHIE
Early yesterday, sound checks began to emanate from 30-foot high speaker boxes, a sign that all systems are go, and the 13th jazz festival would, yet again, rock Montego Bay, and Jamaica.
"We're putting on the finishing touches to ensure that our Jazzmaniacs have the time of their lives," TurnKey boss Walter Elmore said.
Elmore, executive producer of the festival, said that this year's staging will truly be an "experience".
The JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival, a staple on entertainment calendars around the world, is a first-class event, and embodies the term 'Art of Music', something TurnKey Productions seems to have perfected.
Some concern was expressed earlier about the state of the venue, having been thoroughly soaked by rains during December. But Elmore is assuring patrons that they have nothing to worry about.
"We built this venue when we moved from Cinnamon Hill. We know it inside out, and we've put the TurnKey touch on it. It's ready for the festival, and we are going to have a great time."
TurnKey Productions - who also produces the Cayman Jazz Festival, the Turks and Caicos Jazz Festival, and the St Kitts Jazz Festival, as well as the Reggae Sumfest - says that despite negative reviews about the sponsorship of the renowned event by the Jamaica Tourist Board, the festival remains an important economic and tourism boost.
"No one can take that away from us. This festival fills hotel rooms, brings in revenue for the country from things like departure tax and general consumption tax, we create employment for communities, we create business for restaurants and taxi cabs. The JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival is something that is of value to the country, and no one can deny that," Elmore said.
With several hotels, especially those located on the Elegant Corridor boasting 90 per cent or more occupancy rates, the access to the JTB's marketing machinery seems to have paid off.
"We had access to the JTB's marketing arm and contacts, and this worked well for us. We targeted South Florida in January as history has shown us it is a late booking market for Jamaica. We know how easy it is for Floridians to hop on an Air Jamaica flight and be in MoBay in about an hour. So for them to plan a last-minute getaway to Jamaica is easy and is something that the market has been programmed to do."
That marketing blitz in South Florida included almost 140 TV ads, which ran on CBS affiliates WFOR and WBFS-TV in South Florida, along with an aggressive online promotion to run concurrently on the stations' websites. The ads, which were aired up to yesterday, ran on the Oprah TV show and the Tyra Banks show.
"With artistes such as Lionel Richie, Robin Thicke, The OJays, and female powerhouses like Estelle, Nikki Yanofsky, and Randy Crawford ready to take the Jazz stage by storm, Jazzmaniacs can expect a great show starting tomorrow (yesterday), and taking them right into Saturday night," Elmore said.
The JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival 2009 has a lot to offer fans and guarantees value for money. Tickets are available at the Acropolis Gaming & Entertainment Centre, Coral Cliff Entertainment Limited, El Paso Records, Fairview Texaco, Fontana Pharmacy, Paymaster Outlets, Rorys Texaco, Villagio Gaming & Entertainment Centre and also online at www.jamaicajazzandblues.com.
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Friday, January 23, 2009
FACILITIES for media and patrons began to take form, the brilliantly blue Caribbean Sea bounding The Aqueduct glistened even more in the afternoon sun. The venue, located along the Elegant Corridor in Rose Hall, was abuzz with activity yesterday, as workmen, sponsors, and festival organisers went into overdrive to ensure that everything is in order for the staging of the Caribbean's premier music festival... the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival.
LIONEL RICHIEEarly yesterday, sound checks began to emanate from 30-foot high speaker boxes, a sign that all systems are go, and the 13th jazz festival would, yet again, rock Montego Bay, and Jamaica.
"We're putting on the finishing touches to ensure that our Jazzmaniacs have the time of their lives," TurnKey boss Walter Elmore said.
Elmore, executive producer of the festival, said that this year's staging will truly be an "experience".
The JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival, a staple on entertainment calendars around the world, is a first-class event, and embodies the term 'Art of Music', something TurnKey Productions seems to have perfected.
Some concern was expressed earlier about the state of the venue, having been thoroughly soaked by rains during December. But Elmore is assuring patrons that they have nothing to worry about.
"We built this venue when we moved from Cinnamon Hill. We know it inside out, and we've put the TurnKey touch on it. It's ready for the festival, and we are going to have a great time."
TurnKey Productions - who also produces the Cayman Jazz Festival, the Turks and Caicos Jazz Festival, and the St Kitts Jazz Festival, as well as the Reggae Sumfest - says that despite negative reviews about the sponsorship of the renowned event by the Jamaica Tourist Board, the festival remains an important economic and tourism boost.
"No one can take that away from us. This festival fills hotel rooms, brings in revenue for the country from things like departure tax and general consumption tax, we create employment for communities, we create business for restaurants and taxi cabs. The JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival is something that is of value to the country, and no one can deny that," Elmore said.
With several hotels, especially those located on the Elegant Corridor boasting 90 per cent or more occupancy rates, the access to the JTB's marketing machinery seems to have paid off.
"We had access to the JTB's marketing arm and contacts, and this worked well for us. We targeted South Florida in January as history has shown us it is a late booking market for Jamaica. We know how easy it is for Floridians to hop on an Air Jamaica flight and be in MoBay in about an hour. So for them to plan a last-minute getaway to Jamaica is easy and is something that the market has been programmed to do."
That marketing blitz in South Florida included almost 140 TV ads, which ran on CBS affiliates WFOR and WBFS-TV in South Florida, along with an aggressive online promotion to run concurrently on the stations' websites. The ads, which were aired up to yesterday, ran on the Oprah TV show and the Tyra Banks show.
"With artistes such as Lionel Richie, Robin Thicke, The OJays, and female powerhouses like Estelle, Nikki Yanofsky, and Randy Crawford ready to take the Jazz stage by storm, Jazzmaniacs can expect a great show starting tomorrow (yesterday), and taking them right into Saturday night," Elmore said.
The JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival 2009 has a lot to offer fans and guarantees value for money. Tickets are available at the Acropolis Gaming & Entertainment Centre, Coral Cliff Entertainment Limited, El Paso Records, Fairview Texaco, Fontana Pharmacy, Paymaster Outlets, Rorys Texaco, Villagio Gaming & Entertainment Centre and also online at www.jamaicajazzandblues.com.
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