MIAMI – Jamaica’s finest foods and beverages will tantalise taste buds in North America this weekend, as several of the country’s top agro-processors will showcase their delectable products at this year’s staging of the America’s Food and Beverage (AFB) show and the Grace Jerk Festival. Both events will be held in the southern US state of Florida, with AFB scheduled to take place in Miami from November 14 to 15 and the Grace Jerk Festival slated for Sunrise on November 13.
Twelve Jamaican companies will be taking part in AFB, with six of them being chosen from the fifteen companies participating in JAMPRO’s Enterprise Development for Export Growth (Export Max) programme. The six companies are Tijule, Southside Distributors, Central Food Packers, Gray’s Pepper Products, Canco and Southern Fruits. The remaining participants include Grace Foods International, Continental Baking Company, First World Imports (Distributors of Walkerswood and Caribbean Dreams), Coza International (Distributors of Tru-Juice), Belcour Preserves, and Coffee Solutions.
The Jamaican delegation will occupy booths 100-107 at the event. AFB, which is in its 15th year, is a trade exhibition organised by the World Trade Centre in Miami, Florida, and is the only event of its kind dedicated to food and beverage in the Americas.
AFB represents an excellent opportunity for the Export Max companies to receive significant exposure, as the show’s location provides strategic access to the large ethnic and Diaspora community in South Florida, which represents an important market. Additionally, AFB targets buyers from the entire Americas region, which gives the participating Jamaican companies the opportunity for crossover into these target markets.
JAMPRO will also be facilitating Jamaica’s participation of two Jamaican chefs in the Americas Chef Competition, which will be held concurrently with AFB in the Convention Centre. The chefs representing Jamaica are Dennis McIntosh and Conroy Arnold. Chef McIntosh is currently the Executive Chef at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa, while Chef Arnold is the former Executive Chef at the Golden Eye Hotel and Spa, and now an independent consultant.
Jamaican exports will also be on show through a Brand Jamaica basket display at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival in Sunrise, Florida. JAMPRO in collaboration with the Consulate General of Jamaica will coordinate a Meet Jamaica information booth at the event. JAMPRO will not only facilitate this display, but will also be on hand to answer questions on doing business with Jamaica. The Festival, dubbed the “Biggest Caribbean Food Festival in the USA”, has gained the reputation of being a hallmark event for Caribbean food vendors and patrons to come together in the Southern USA -an area that is home to a large Diaspora population and is positioned as America’s gateway to the Caribbean.
JAMPRO is confident that both events will yield significant exposure for local exporters, increase consumer awareness and interest in their products, and generate strong business leads.
