Glasgow to head new TTPA; call issued for national dialogue on tourism and Carnival

Randy Glasgow, the well-known production company which bears his name and which put on a slew of shows locally every year, has been elected to head the newly formed Trinidad and Tobago Promoters Association (TTPA).

Another four members, including Secretary Colin Miles, were on Tuesday elected to form the Executive Board of the organisation.

Here is the full text of the release:

Photo: Popular promoter Randy Glasgow, recently elected to head the new Trinidad and Tobago Promoters Association.

The Trinidad and Tobago Promoters Association (TTPA) wishes to announce that, during its first election on Tuesday 15 May, 2018 an interim Executive Board was elected and installed to lead our organisation.

The TTPA has been formed by event co-ordination practitioners, whose collective interest is to support the development of their industry and to establish a voice for their industry.

We are pleased to announce that Mr Randy Glasgow has been elected as Chairman, Vice chairman is Mr Dwayne Nobrega, Mr Colin Miles has been elected as the Secretary, Mr Derek Douragh the Treasurer and Mr Atiba Caddle as Director.

In light of this milestone and our introduction to the public, we would like to take the opportunity to begin engaging in the national dialogue about the Event Tourism Sector, both during and outside of the Carnival celebrations.

We note with concern the challenges that are faced yearly by event producers, those they employ and stakeholders, as all seek to continue making their contribution to the economic evolution of Trinidad and Tobago. These challenges range from surmounting regulatory hurdles to managing heavy legal burdens, from the imposition of ad hoc penalties to the lack of access to efficient infrastructure. All of this is severely compromising the ability of those who operate in the eco-system to drive revenue through this important foreign exchange earning industry.

The TTPA recognizes that we make up a valuable part of our nation’s tourism product and want to make clear our commitment to its sustainability. We will advocate to give voice to the needs of our members and to offer solutions, to challenges that are contemporary and that will facilitate growth. We are of the view that the hurdles we face become more challenging to surmount year after year, and they are slowly strangling the once vibrant and dynamic Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. Practitioners in countries where this festival is not indigenous have identified the unique value that carnival attracts and are working closely with stakeholders to develop supportive environments for their event industries.

Photo: Mas with Peter Minshall in his heyday.
(Copyright Repeating Islands)

The TTPA will pro-actively engage stakeholders, so we can build meaningful relationships with those partners. We want to use a series of consultations, which we will commence shortly, to make clear our intentions and share the value of the expertise of our robust membership. We also call on those who believe that we can add value to their endeavours to contact us via our email address: ttpromotersassociation@gmail.com for more information.

We at the TTPA are clear that the time is right for us to contribute to the national dialogue about how our carnival product in particular, is positioned and regulated. We are lovers of our culture; we are lovers of our country and it is our view that Trinidad and Tobago finds itself at an economic crossroads. We want to do our part to ensure that the doors are thrown wide open to give the industry proper room to flourish and thrive. The world is changing rapidly and so must we!

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