NEW YORK, NY – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has announced a stellar lineup of speakers for Caribbean Week in New York 2024. This year’s event will feature a diverse array of leaders, including a Deputy Prime Minister from the Caribbean, a leading airline executive, a renowned music producer, a world-class Caribbean communications specialist, and a cutting-edge data engineer at the forefront of artificial intelligence developments.
I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister of The Bahamas, will speak during Caribbean Week in New York.Rosa Harris, Chairman of the CTO Board of Directors and spokesperson for Caribbean Week, noted the strong interest from speakers and panelists. Among the confirmed speakers are I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism of The Bahamas; José Freig, Vice President of International Operations, American Airlines; music producer Evan Rogers; Lisa-Ann Joseph, Managing Director of the Trinidad and Tobago-based Reputation Management Caribbean Ltd.; and data engineer and solutions architect Femi Anthony.
“We are delighted by the interest expressed in this year’s event, not to mention the rapid pace of registrations for our program,” said Harris, noting that the InterContinental New York Times Square room block is almost sold out.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary under the theme “Connecting the Globe, Celebrating Diversity”, Caribbean Week 2024 will showcase a dynamic lineup of events and business meetings. These sessions will involve the CTO Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Ministerial Council. Discussions will focus on the critical issues shaping the evolution and growth of Caribbean tourism, providing an opportunity for robust and strategic dialogue.
The week kicks off with a church service and a Business and Tourism Marketing Symposium. Returning this year are the Caribbean Media Awards and the much-anticipated Media Marketplace.
In keeping with its commitment to fostering innovation, CTO will host a special session dedicated to artificial intelligence, underscoring the organization’s forward-thinking approach. Additionally, the impactful work of the CTO Scholarship Foundation and the recently launched Jean Holder Memorial Scholarship will be in the spotlight along with the highly anticipated Women’s Leadership Breakfast Awards.
Speakers confirmed for the sessions include:
Leveraging Data for Marketing: Stan Ivankovic, Vice President, Business Development, Environics Analytics
Caribbean Travel Trends: Bonnie Borkin, Sr. Director, Tourism & Enterprise, Adara - A RateGain Company
MICE Marketing: Danny Cohanpour, CEO/Founder, Trove Tourism Development Advisors
The Latin America Market: Jackie Santiago, Senior Strategist, CIIC PR
Unlocking Cruise Potential: Claudine Pohl, Founder & CEO, Lemoneight; Wendy McDonald, Regional Vice President Government Relations, Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Group
Caribbean Service Excellence: Barry Collymore, Proprietor, Mount Cinnamon Beach Resort and Founder, West Indies School of Hospitality (WISH); Bill Clegg, Regional Director of Development, BW Hotels & Resorts; Kashmie Ali, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sailrock South Caicos; Marcia James, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Kimberly Hotel; Joan Leacock, Human Resource Development Consultant, CTO
Artificial Intelligence: Femi Anthony, Solutions Architect and Data Engineer; Nan Marchand Beauvois, Hospitality Strategist; Jennifer Bisram, Reporter, CBS2 News
Caribbean and African American Marketing: Melissa Noel, Contributing News and Politics Editor, ESSENCE Magazine; Elinor Tatum, Publisher, New York Amsterdam News; Irwine Clare, OD, Founder, Team Jamaica Bickle; Jacqueline Nwobu, CEO, Munaluchi Bride Magazine
Airlift Forum: Rosa Harris, Chairman, CTO Board of Directors, and Director of Tourism, Cayman Islands; Dave Appleby, Director, Air Service Development Consulting ASM, Aviation Week Network, Informa PLC; José Freig, Vice President, International Operations, American Airlines; I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, The Bahamas; Valérie Damaseau; Commissioner of Tourism and Culture, Saint-Martin; Hadyn Hughes, Minister of Tourism and Infrastructure, Anguilla
Gateway Connections: Mark Walton, Associate Professor of the Professional Practice in Media Management, The New School; Evan Rogers, Music Producer; Frederick A. Morton, Jr., Chairman & CEO, TEMPO Networks, LLC; Christopher Browne, CEO, The Buckler Group
Public Relations and Crisis Communications: Lisa-Ann Joseph, Managing Director, Reputation Management Caribbean Ltd.; Jennifer Maguire, President, JMCPR; Cessie Cerrato, Founder, Cessie C. Communications; Marie “Driven” Theodore, Managing Partner, Playbookmg
Caribbean Media Awards: Kenneth Bryan, Chairman, CTO, and Minister of Tourism and Ports, Cayman Islands
Jean Holder Memorial Scholarship Luncheon: Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of Tourism, U.S. Virgin Islands
Smart Destination Management: Nicola Madden-Greig, OD, President, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association; Jeremy Jones, Corporate Director, Resort Operations – Jamaica, Sandals Resorts International; Josephine Connolly, Minister of Tourism, Turks and Caicos
Travel Trade Marketing: Ruthanne Terrero, VP/Editorial Director, Questex Travel Group
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation is the headline sponsor of Caribbean Week in New York. Gold sponsors include the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Experience Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Sandals Resorts International is a silver sponsor. Additional supporters include Caribbean Media Exchange, Diamonds International, and Marketplace Excellence.
For further information on activities, visit https://www.onecaribbean.org/caribbean-week-new-york-2024.
