On November 12th, the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce hosted the Jamaica/JAMPro leadership delegation for dinner in Chicago ahead of their private Investor’s Breakfast on the 15th. It was an evening filled with casual, cultured and critical conversations alike. For example, on the island, they don’t particularly celebrate Thanksgiving…or even enjoy turkey in that way, which makes obvious sense upon realizing that the holiday is pretty exclusive to the US. That’s only anecdotal but it does present some unique opportunities, from the Chamber’s perspective. It’s also indicative of the wide range of traditional and creative opportunities abounding on the island and throughout the Caribbean.
The creative industries sector is very real and highly differentiated across sub-sectors. Countries such as Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago have a more primed infrastructure and track record in export performance, particularly in music, publishing, visual arts and film but there are several market niches waiting to be explored throughout the Caribbean. Nearly all of these countries are looking to engage in a reciprocal trade liberalization initiative with our stateside constituency.
The Chamber has been developing a direct pipeline of import and export over the last few years and is ready to help businesses learn about and plug into the opportunities relevant to them.
For more information on the ILBCC visit www.ILBCC.org
The Traveler Weekly 