by Jim Byers
Last updated: 5:15 PM ET, Sun August 18, 2019
The Jamaica Tourist Board's Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions (MICE) department is embarking on a dynamic campaign to engage top North American Planners and present the destination as the ideal Caribbean location.
With an abundance of amazing hotels, attractions, off site venues and professional DMC's, the destination is ideally positioned to deliver unique warm weather experiences that will enhance programs and "WOW" clients.
"We at the Jamaica Tourist Board realize that MICE travel is a tremendous opportunity for international groups to experience the destination. To showcase our competitive offerings, our MICE team will be traveling throughout Canada and the U.S. to educate meeting and incentive planners on the benefits of selecting Jamaica for their next trip," said John Woolcock, Groups & Conventions Manager at the Jamaica Tourist Board. "This campaign will establish the foundation for long-term growth within Jamaica's MICE market and solidify the island as a top choice for groups."
On August 19 and 20, the team will launch its "Spirit of Jamaica" roadshow series in Toronto and Montreal, before continuing October 21-23 in Washington, D.C., Peapack, NJ and New York City, where they will meet over 250 planners and provide an update on Jamaica through engaging evening receptions designed to provide a "Taste of Jamaica."
The Monday, Aug. . 19 meeting goes from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Bisha Hotel in downtown Toronto. The Tuesday, Aug. 20 event takes place in Montreal at Loews Hotel Vogue, also from 6 to 9 p.m.
September 10-12 will see Jamaica's team attend IMEX America in Las Vegas, the largest hosted buyer program in North America for the global MICE market. The team will engage in scheduled appointments with planners currently sourcing warm weather destinations for their programs. Last year, a record 13,500 participants took part in IMEX America. Among the exhibitors, more than 6,000 hosted buyers and trade attendees, fostering significant exposure to the Jamaica's MICE offerings.
Jamaica remains an ideal location for meeting and incentive planners with a wide range of facilities for groups of all sizes. Additionally, the Montego Bay Convention Centre has 50,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 25,000 square-foot courtyard capable of holding up to 2,600 guests and the 18,684-square-foot Grand Ballroom, which seats over 1,500 for banquets. The Centre remains a planner's dream venue capable of hosting large meetings, trade shows, conferences or major events.
In addition to the high-profile United Nations World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) global conference in November 2017, its most prominent event to date, the Montego Bay Convention Centre has hosted a number of other major conferences and events including: Latin America and the Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institution Conference, Petrobras Gala & Awards, CANEX Business Conference and Expo, FOROMIC 2016: the 46th Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Development Bank Board of Governors and most notably the Jamaica Classic NCAA Basketball Tournament.
To learn more about groups and meetings in Jamaica, go to:
www.visitjamaica.com/conventions/meetings
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