Forum for entrepreneurs to network

AVRIL GALLOP (FP)

Mon, August 06, 2012 - 12:01 PM

THE SPOTLIGHT WILL BE on Barbados later this year when the island becomes the first English-speaking country to host the 15th annual Inter-American Forum On Microenterprise (FOROMIC) conference.

The three-day event, a collaboration between the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Multilateral Investment Fund and the Government of Barbados, is expected to attract about 1 300 participants.

According to consultant Avril Gollop, the event to be held October 1 to October 3 will help market the island and provide opportunities for young entrepreneurs to learn and network.

Speaking recently during the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s monthly business luncheon, which was held in collaboration with the IDB, she said the island will have a “captive audience” for a week.

“We are going to do a charter out of Panama and the Panama charter hopefully will come the Saturday and GOL comes out of Brazil on Saturday also . . . .

“We’re hoping to take advantage of that and that a lot of those persons will also come to the first day,” the former head of the Civil Service said during the event at Hilton Barbados.

The first day has been designated Barbados And The Caribbean Day.

“Traditionally the first day is the country day but if you go back and look at the site, you will see that most of the countries have not really taken advantage of that,” Gollop said, noting that the Caribbean was included because this will be the first time the event will be held in the region.

The theme for this day will be Meeting Turns To Micro-Financing Institutions.

Gollop added that the focus will be on showcasing Historic Bridgetown And Its Garrison and Professor Henry Fraser will speak on Getting Business Out Of World Heritage Sites.

“We do not want it concentrated only on tourism because everybody seems to think that tourism is the only business than can come out of the World Heritage Site,” she said.

Gollop noted that FOROMIC will allow young entrepreneurs to network with people they would otherwise never get a chance to meet, as well as provide opportunities for them to do business. (NB)