Christmas in July tradeshow kicks off today | Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Persons looking to purchase authentic Jamaican-made gifts and souvenir items for the upcoming Yuletide season will, for the first time, have two days to explore the products on display at the annual ‘Christmas in July’ trade show.

The event will be held from July 12-13 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston from 9 am to 5 pm each day.

Director, Tourism Linkages Network, Carolyn McDonald Riley has said year’s staging will feature 180 producers of locally made items in the categories of desktop solutions, aromatherapy, d?cor, fashion and accessories, fine arts, souvenirs, processed foods and products made with organic and natural fibres.

The trade show is being staged under the theme ‘Tropical Wonderland’ and will also celebrate Jamaica 60 through the various items on display.

“It’s going to be a really exciting two days. We will have live streaming on Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) and we will have a number of other media [and] persons on, especially the diaspora. I am looking forward to just another interesting two days,” said McDonald Riley, adding that people may also watch the live stream on the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) social media platforms.

She noted that that there will be an opening ceremony on Day 1, hosted by media personalities Dr Terri-Karelle Reid and Neville Bell, while Miss Kitty and Brithney Clarke will guide the proceedings on Day 2.

McDonald Riley further informed that the public will be allowed inside the venue this year as opposed to the last two years when there were gathering restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She pointed out that persons will be required to wear masks and practise social distancing.

McDonald Riley said that upon entering the venue, persons will receive a buyers’ toolkit or ‘passport’, which they will use to “navigate the space and find persons, in terms of what is being displayed”.

The passport will include the name and contact number of all the suppliers participating in the trade show, so that patrons can follow up after the event.

Christmas in July is a collaborative effort of the Tourism Linkages Network and its partners, Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (JMEA), Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA).

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