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A jazzy time in the booths

Published:Friday | February 4, 2011 | 12:00 AM
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Basketball player Earl Barron, formerly of the Phoenix Suns, cuddles with his girlfriend Kelly Brisbane at The Wexford Hotel skybox. Photos by Janet Silvera
From left: President of Scotiabank Bruce Bowen; his centre director - private client group, Debra Lopez; and new man in the west, Michael Shaw, district vice-president, at their booth at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival. - Photos by Janet Silvera
Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett (left) is being entertained by a very animated Thompson Chin from Flow. Looking on are (from second left) Niall Sheehy and Andrew Fazio, also from Flow. - Photo by Sheena Gayle
Chair of Rose Hall Developments Limited, Michele Rollins (left), with her son, Ted, and his wife, Holly, at the development's skybox.
From left: Chairman of LIME, Chris Dehring, makes a point to Minister of Energy and Mining James Robertson, and chairman of the Jamaica Public Service Company, Tommy Fakuda, inside the LIME skybox. Contributed Photos
The Johnnie Walker hostesses were a sight to behold. Here they sandwich Alan Barnes, managing director of Red Stripe.
The Palmyra Resort and Spa's Frank Perolli (left) and Maurice Aronow (right) with Gail Moe at their skybox.
Minister of Water and Housing Horace Chang (left) with Brian Pengelley, sales director at Red Stripe, inside the Johnnie Walker booth. - Contributed
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Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Johnnie Walker booth provided a journey steeped in whisky, Flow and HBO announced a major coup, Riu's ackee and salt fish attracted the stars, and LIME was the place to party; all at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival 2011.

As the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium played host to thousands of patrons last weekend, the corporate skyboxes circling the venue created the perfect oasis for savouring three nights of the art of music. Johnnie Walker stood out with its black-and-gold double-deck façade and a giant striding man was the epicentre of the 15th staging of the festival.

Patrons got a unique opportunity to not only 'taste' the world of Johnnie Walker, but to sample the whisky. Under the 'Taste More' campaign, led by regional brand ambassador Arturo Savage of Venezuela, patrons learnt about the many flavours of Johnnie Walker Black Label.

While Savage gave lessons, Flow and HBO were busy announcing that Jamaica will be exposed to an astounding 300-million viewers in 23 countries across the Caribbean and Latin America as they team up to produce and release a special programme - the Making of a Jazz Festival. The HBO-produced programme will not only feature vignettes of the festival, but will also spotlight places of interest in Jamaica.

The booth, flocked by the international and local artistes, was Riu Resorts. Immediately after their performances, artistes converged there, many of them hearing about the Mexican executive chef's conversion of the Jamaican national dish - ackee and salt fish. Tarrus Riley, Diana King, Natalie Cole's band members and Paul Peress all dropped by.

Over at LIME, that's exactly what Grace Silvera, Garry Sinclair, Chris Dehring and the man of 'Scotch', Don Creary, spent their waking hours doing - lyming! LIME has found a new lease on life and they weren't about to keep quiet, LIME Mobile TV and all.

But despite all that, the most inviting booth was the eye-catching Jamaica Tourist Board edifice.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com