by Amanda Lynch-Foster

HIGH ABOVE the streets of Jamaica's premier business district, New Kingston, looms the larger-than-life image of "the big man inna cricket", former Jamaican and West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh. Cutting a dashing figure in a crisp business suit and gripping a bright red cherry, the image of the cricketer-turned-businessman gazes out over the corporate hustle and bustle of New Kingston with intent.

"Today's Jamaica means business" declares the wording beneath the poster.

The promotional poster clearly demonstrates the link that Jamaica wants to forge between Cricket World Cup 2007 and its trade and business prospects. It is all part of the business side of Jamaica's legacy plan for CWC 2007 and included the launch of two initiatives to boost Jamaica's viability as a place for business: Brand Jamaica and the Caribbean Business Club.

The launch of Brand Jamaica, according to Lesley-Ann Thompson, marketing and communications manager for Jamaica Trade and Invest, is intended to leverage the renown Jamaica has achieved as a tourist destination and cultural hotspot into promoting Jamaican business.

"Jamaica is very well known for music, arts [and] culture but people don't really know about Jamaica on the business side. What we want to get across is that the place you've always wanted to visit is also the place to do business," said Thompson.

Jamaica Trade and Invest has set itself some "aggressive but attainable targets" to boost trade and investment in the island, aiming to get up to approximately BDS$6.6 million in Jamaican exports and BDS$13 million in direct investment in the island by 2012.

This ties in with the Caribbean Business Club, which is an initiative of Jamaica Trade and Invest and the National Development Corporation of St Lucia. It is modelled on a similar initiative, Business Club Australia, which was created to coincide with the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

It provides both a physical and a virtual space for businesspeople and entrepreneurs to network and promote their products and services. The physical space, which will exist only during CWC, is hosted in New Kingston and has a conference room, media centre for the international Press corps, and an exhibition area for Jamaican companies.

Over the last fortnight a number of corporate networking events hosted by companies such as the Jamaica Public Service Company and Chris Blackwell's Golden Eye Resort have been held there.

Even after CWC is over, however, the Caribbean Business Club will live on in cyberspace at www.caribbeanbusiness
club.com where entrepreneurs who register can match up with potential business partners and clients.