Last-minute push to hit Diaspora Conference target

With just four days remaining until the commencement of the 10th Biennial Diaspora Conference, the ambitious goal of attracting 1,000 participants from the diaspora appears increasingly elusive.

Compounding the challenge, prospective attendees are voicing concerns over the conference’s steep financial burden, prompting some to reconsider their plans to attend.

Moreover, the absence of a formal agenda at this advanced stage adds to the apprehension surrounding the event, and reports of inadequate communication from organisers exacerbate the growing unease among potential marketplace participants.

Gleaner checks with organisers revealed that so far, just 240 persons from the United States have registered for the conference. Of that figure, just over 70 will come from the Northeast Region, which is home to the largest number of Jamaicans in the United States.

Up to last weekend, fewer than 400 participants overall had registered for the conference, The Gleaner was reliably informed, with key organisers not expecting it to reach the 1,000 overseas participants target outlined at the launch in April.

The conference, which is the first in-person staging since the COVID-19 pandemic, is to be held at the Montego Bay Conference Centre from June 16 to 19, with June 20 set as the Diaspora Day of Service.

Last-minute efforts are being made to increase the number of people at the conference. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs slashed the registration fee from US$160 to US$99 for a 24-hour period. It also extended the deadline for the US$160 special registration fee, which covers attendance for all three days of the conference.

The Gleaner understands that efforts are also being made to have Jamaicans in the island shore up numbers at the event, and one overseas sponsor said he had been asked to sponsor others to the conference, a cost that he said is not feasible for him.

Junior Foreign Affairs Minister Alando Terrelonge, who has responsibility for the diaspora, is holding out hope, however.

He told The Gleaner that registration is going well but did not provide figures.

“People can register for the conference at any time, even throughout the conference,” he added.

Michelle Tulloch-Neil, the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council member for the US Northeast, told The Gleaner that she anticipates a delegation of 10 individuals from her region to attend the conference.

Peter Gracey, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council member for the Southern region of the United States, said that so far, he knows of roughly 25 people who have registered or said they would be attending the conference but added that he did not have an overall figure for the region.

The Jamaican Consulate in New York has been seeing an increase in persons interested in attending the event.

“We have seen an increase due to our efforts, and we will be pushing to have even more people registered for the conference, but at this point, we cannot say what the final numbers will be,” a spokesperson told The Gleaner.

The consulate is also pushing to get a number of young people sponsored to attend the conference, but so far, it has only been able to secure sponsorship for one person. The sponsorship is around US$1,500.

The consulate in Miami has also stepped up its efforts to register participants but could not say how many Jamaicans would eventually attend.

“We will be seeking to sponsor a number of young people to attend the conference,” a spokesperson for that mission said.

The Gleaner was informed that one factor contributing to the low attendance figure is the high cost of hotel accommodation. The nightly cost at the partner hotels are in the region of just under US$250 per night (double occupancy) and US$177 per night (single occupancy).

The partner hotels in Montego Bay, St James, are not reporting any significant bookings at this time from potential attendees at the conference.

Several people with whom The Gleaner spoke, however, said they would be securing alternative accommodations.

“Why am I spending all this money to stay at the hotel, and I will not benefit from being at an all-inclusive hotel as I will be at the conference all day for the three days?” Terry Andrews asked.

CHEAPER COST

She, along with two others, have opted to stay at an Airbnb, where the nightly cost is much cheaper.

A platinum sponsor of the conference also alluded to the high cost, noting that he had been unable to get accurate attendance figures.

Another issue plaguing the conference is the lack of timely responses to entities in the diaspora that want to participate in the marketplace.

At least three such entities – Manhattan Community College, Caribbean Weekly, and KIC Ventures – told The Gleaner that they filled out all necessary forms on the conference’s website but got no response from the organisers.

It took the intervention of Jamaica’s consul general in New York, Alison Wilson, to get them registered for the marketplace.

Sources associated with the event said some entities seeking to obtain table space are being quoted booth space prices beyond their expectations.

Looking ahead optimistically, Terrelonge said participants at the conference will hear from a number of people from the diaspora who will share their knowledge. They include Dr Trisha Bailey, head of Bailey’s Medical Equipment Supplies and Pharmacy; David Mullings of Blue Mahoe Capital; Byron Dixon, out of the United Kingdom; a deputy commissioner of police from the United States; and other prominent diasporans.

“We will be placing emphasis on how Jamaicans in the diaspora can invest in Jamaica for themselves as well as build generational wealth,” he said.

The conference sessions will kick off on Monday morning, June 17, and run throughout the day with several plenary and break-out periods under the theme ‘Jamaica is Open For Business’.

Investments, healthcare, education, crime and security, agriculture and agri-business will be among the topics covered during the conference, including a fireside chat with Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness will deliver the keynote address on Tuesday.

editorial@gleanerjm.com