BRT is in no competition - Organisers says Jamaican debut was largely requested
Published:Saturday | January 25, 2020 | 12:00 AMShereita Grizzle/Staff Reporter
While Beach Road Trip (BRT) Weekend gears up to make its debut in Jamaica, organisers are making it clear they are not here to start any competition with the other party weekend that already exists on the island.
In an interview with The Gleaner earlier this week, creator and organiser of BRT, Hans Mullings, said his team is simply acting on the request of their patrons and have no desire to set up shop full-time in Jamaica. “We are not and will never be interested in competing with any other party weekend in Jamaica. We are coming to Ocho Rios because there was nothing major going on and we made sure to choose this time of the year. Most events similar to ours are held in Easter or summer. We are not trying to come into a territory to prove that we’re better than anyone,” he said. “We’ve always been getting calls about bringing the event to Jamaica but we purposely avoided it all these years because our event was to show people different parts of the world while still giving them that Jamaican party vibe. But we can’t skip over anymore. We’ve been getting so many phone calls, so many texts, we knew it was the right time.”
Best party experience
With over 2,000 tickets sold from the United States for the party weekend set for March 13-15, Mullings said he and his team are pulling out all the stops to ensure patrons get the best party experience. Addressing issues of food and liquor shortages at BRT events past, Mullings sought to assure patrons he has fully sorted through those issues. “I’ve heard the reviews that sometimes towards the end of the party, food or liquor would run out, but what was happening most of the times was a communication issue. I don’t want to make excuses but we were hiring bad so when something moving fast, instead of saying it to a manager, ‘We’re getting short’, they tell the patrons they’re out when the truck is full of alcohol,” he explained. “We have the supplies, it was just to get it from where it was stored, and to do that we have to know when it’s running short and that wasn’t always communicated. Within the last year or so, we made sure that has changed, and so we’ve got rid of the people that were causing that problem even on the management level. We’re gonna make sure that the food don’t run out, the alcohol is the best and the company is great.”
Speaking of offering the ultimate party experience, Mullings revealed that a few things will be different about the BRT package this year. “We’ve changed up a couple of stuff. We’ve taken our glow party off and we’ve added brunch on the river and yacht club. Yacht club is a party where everyone dresses in polo shirts and slacks. It’s very laid back but still very chic as everyone will still be in their name-brand stuff. It will be like going to a polo match or an exclusive yacht club,” he said. “To me, giving patrons maximum enjoyment for their money is paramount. We have to ensure that our people are happy because they take time off work to spend it with us. Dedicating three to five days to us and to this event is not something we take lightly. We don’t want to disappoint and so we want to provide an excellent event all round.”