The 9th Annual Exuma Business Outlook is scheduled to take place Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at Sandals Emerald Bay Resort in Georgetown. This year’s theme is “Charting a Course for Growth in Exuma.”
Transport and Aviation Minister, Glenys Hanna-Martin is the keynote speaker. Also slated to speak are President and CEO of BAF Financial, I. Chester Cooper; Co-Chair, VAT Education, Jasmine Y. Davis; Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Delon Brennen; Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), Eric Carey; General Manager of Sandals Emerald Bay Golf, Tennis & Spa, Jeremy Mutton; Senior Director of Airlift Development, Ministry of Transport & Aviation, Tyrone G. Sawyer, and President of the Exuma Chamber of Commerce, Pedro Rolle.
Joan Albury, president of TCL Group and organiser of the multi-island Business Outlook series explained the choice of presenters.
“The fundamental purpose of the Exuma Business Outlook and of the whole series is to bring information to the local and wider community that affords a global view of our country’s development picture. Being able to appreciate all aspects of a given situation and how each will impact your development goals can help you make better decisions. I cannot overstate the importance of high quality information. This is what Business Outlook is all about,” she said.
“We are most grateful to Minister Hanna-Martin, as minister of transport and aviation for accepting to deliver the keynote. Tourism is central to Exuma’s livelihood. Exuma tourism is important to the overall expansion of Bahamas tourism and most definitely, getting tourists to Exuma, whether by sea or air is essential for the growth of the industry. Because of the importance of tourism in the Exuma group of islands, we are also grateful for the participation of Tyrone Sawyer, senior director of airlift development in the Ministry of Aviation and Tourism and Jeremy Mutton, general manager, Sandals at Emerald Bay. That property is not only Exuma’s tourism anchor, but also the island’s major employer.”
Mrs. Albury noted that one of the main goals of EBO is to increase general knowledge among Bahamians of communities throughout the archipelago.
“The Family Island Business Outlooks always include representatives of Local Government and the Chamber of Commerce among our speakers. Consequently, the welcome at EBO ’14 will be given by Leonard Dames Jr., local government chief councillor and Pedro Rolle, president, Exuma Chamber of Commerce and Vice President/Manager Seaside Real Estate Limited will again present the Exuma update and vision. We feel that this inclusion is essential. Bahamians living in New Providence and Grand Bahama, who represent the majority of our population, tend not to be as conscious as they ought to be of what is happening in the other islands and the great value of such communities to national well-being.
“Additionally, we have been putting the soon-to-be implemented Value Added Tax regime on every Business Outlook agenda because of the impact VAT will have on existing businesses and future business development. TCL is glad to have the involvement of Jasmine Davis of the VAT Education Committee and happy that we can help to spread accurate information about VAT.
“If we are talking sustainability of Exuma’s top attraction, which is the group’s peerless natural environment, we must involve Bahamas National Trust as much as possible and no discussion of Family Island tourism development can be complete without including airlift. Of course, the financial services industry, as the second pillar of the Bahamian economy, is always topical and must be dealt with,” Mrs. Albury added.
Persons interested in attending Exuma Business Outlook 2014 may contact Teddy Clarke, Exuma Chamber of Commerce at Tel. 242-524-8777; Sharmaine Deveaux at the Exuma Tourist Office at 242-336-2431 or Margaret Albury, The Counsellors Ltd. 242-322-7505. Online registration is also available at www.tclevents.com.
