BASSETERRE – With support from the Ministry of Trade, the St Kitts and Nevis Coalition of Service Industries, has selected Zhavier Shaw to represent the Federation at an upcoming Global Services Exporters Conference in Chile.
The Caribbean Network of Service Coalitions (CNSC) collaborated with ALES (Latin America Association of Service Exporter) to bring together the videogame developers from the Caribbean, Latin America and international firms at the ALES to the 6th Annual Conference.
Zhavier, 17, who attends the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), has tapped into the Videogame and Mobile Applications Industry Sector and was chosen out of six additional candidates in the Federation. This is a niche sector of the Creative Service Industry and ICT (Information and Communications Technology).
He began developing games eight years ago. He expressed that he is excited to go to the conference.
“Being from here (St Kitts), I have always seen that they have those game development conferences and I never thought I would be able to get the opportunity to go. So, I am really appreciative of this,” said Shaw.
During his trip, he plans to network and promote his business Leeward Games. Zhavier also hopes to bring more awareness to this niche market in the Caribbean. He also endeavors to teach what he has learned to other aspiring game developers.
This opportunity will allow him to take a look at the latest trends, as well as identify business and investment opportunities in the services sector and network with top CEOs and international leaders.
Zhavier imparted sound advice for those who want to venture into game development.
“Go ahead of time and learn. That is the key thing,” said Shaw. “Even if it is a prototype, put in the best you can put in because the market is very saturated. There are millions of games now. You need to be able to know what people want in a game; you need to be able to market it. Read and study and mess with anything you can mess with.”
The Videogame and Mobile Applications Industry Sector is a booming economic sector worldwide that has generated more revenue than the film and music industry together, growing 30 percent annually.
The CNSC, of which St Kitts and Nevis is a member, has championed the initiative to develop the niche sector in hopes of developing the videogame and mobile application industry sector as a viable export sector within CARIFORUM.
The conference will be held on October 12 and 13, and will be fully funded by the EU through Caribbean Export Development Agency. (SKNIS)
