Innovation conference opens with emphasis on networking

CHAIRMAN OF THE Barbados Investment and Development Corporation Benson Straker is placing a lot of confidence in the art of networking to build relationships.

He was speaking last night at the opening of the Innovate Barbados 2016 conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

He said “relationships are an invaluable commodity. Our ability to develop and nurture them is what can potentially make or break us in our effort to grow and develop personally and in business”.

The theme of the conference is Transforming Tomorrow Today and according to Straker,  it is a declaration of the need for change in Barbados’ social and economic environment.

“When we meet ten years from now, the nature of business and the work many of you now do will be quite different. That may be unsettling, but that is the reality. If the work is still the same, we should not take comfort and should be worried as well, because it would mean that changes are happening elsewhere and we are at risk of becoming irrelevant,” said Straker.

The chairman said the task of bringing about change did not rest with government only.

“Even as the Government steps in to provide more support, you as leaders within your enterprises and as individuals also have a role to play.  I am very happy to see that we have with us so many who have committed to sharing their knowledge, expertise and resources to groom a new generation of products, services and enterprises so necessary to kickstart and drive the transformation of our economy,” he said.

The conference, officially opened by Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development Donville Inniss, is intended to ignite new engines of economic growth, enhance entrepreneurship development and drive innovation.

The working sessions began today at 9 am. (JS)