Ultra++ Black Tie Awards

Kingston's young and trendy socialites are to don their formal wear in honour of the inaugural Ultra++ Black Tie Awards and Charity Launch on Friday, February 21, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel. The Ultra team who are better known for the popular weekly Ultra++ Inclusive Saturdays series event held every Saturday night at Fiction Lounge, are once again set to expand their brand through the creation of the Ultra++ Black Tie Awards.

Under the theme 'Highligh-ting and Rewarding Excellence in Event Management and Execution' the awards will recognise persons and groups who have contributed to the development of nightlife entertainment in Jamaica. The event will also feature a silent auction which will seek to assist in raising funds for what is dubbed the Ultra++ Internship Programme, which will see inner-city youths being selected and trained to be placed in leading entertainment companies such as Dream Entertainment, Main Event Entertainment, Blueprint Consulting, and Wright Image.

Category development

A panel of leading event and entertainment gurus will assist in developing the categories to be highlighted, which will include Outdoor event Excellence, Catering Excellence, Media Excellence, Sponsorship Execution Excellence, Excellence in Production, Excellence in Club Management, and the Ultra++ Team Awards, which recognises the work of the team behind the Ultra++ brand.

Speaking on the initiative, Deane Shepherd, one of the directors, said, "This is our inaugural year, and so we are aiming to bring as many categories to the fore in an effort to raise the standard of execution, planning and promotion for an industry which is such an important part of the Jamaican spirit."

All invitees will be required to make a contribution, with all the proceeds going towards administering the internship programme. Guests are expected to include promoters, club owners, decorators, sponsors, execution agencies, event planners, socialites, and public-relations agencies.