Industry veteran and former festival director for Xodus Carnival, Pierre Goubault, has been appointed chief executive officer of the organisation.

Goubault, a release stated, “brings a wealth of industry experience and entrepreneurial mindset that will enhance the Xodus Carnival experience for the upcoming season and beyond”.

First getting his feet wet in the entertainment scene as a sound system and disc jock operator, Goubault eventually found his footing as a party promoter. Possessing a deep love for music, dancing and the euphoric effect of a deep bassline and a good rhythm, Goubault became one of the founding members of the then popular Bloodline sound system.

“Operating a sound system really brought forth the opportunity for my sound mates and I to branch out into the promoter realm, finding innovative ways to expand our brand and maximise visibility through the creation of our own market. Transitioning into the promoter field was a natural progression for me and some of my sound mates as we quickly became one of the biggest sound system and party promoters amongst our peers,” he said.

The newly appointed CEO is the engine behind some of the most noticeable projects that have dominated the entertainment scene in Jamaica for decades, including Red Stripe - Red Summer & Smirnoff Summer Experience.

arting in promotions at age of 16, before the advertising [and] promotions agency boom, gave me the opportunity to work with every major alcohol brand and be responsible for the launch of many amazing products and brands that have remained a consumer favourite to this date. The pinnacle of my experience was working on some of my own projects, such as ATI/RTI weekend in Negril, now famously known as the best party series, Dream Weekend,” Goubault shared.

Since its inception in 2017, Xodus Carnival has grown to be one of the most prominent bands that revellers flock to every carnival season.

“Quite frankly, before our official launch in 2017, starting a carnival band was a project the directors of Dream Entertainment had in mind for years. Naturally, we used our knowledge and expertise from our previous festivals to transition into the darnival space. Our Trinidad partners, Yuma Carnival, also played an integral role in understanding the landscape, the flair of exquisite costume designs and how to make the market successful. This allowed us to focus more on the growth of Carnival in Jamaica, which has all the attributes of becoming one of the biggest carnivals in the region,” Goubalt said.

With carnival season right around the corner, many revellers are awaiting the start with bated breaths - from the launch event, to the costumes, costume redemption, lead-up fetes and, most importantly, the road experience.

Goubault noted that Xodus Carnival is on track to launch within the next 60 days and there are plans to introduce “new packages and a better range of costume selections, colours and fitment for everyone including the addition of male costumes”.