Bridgetown, BARBADOS, November 17, 2020.  Fifty Caribbean companies are getting the chance to network, connect, and trade with potential European partners during the newly-launched ‘Absolutely Caribbean Virtual Expo’, which kicked-off today (17 November).
 
Hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), in collaboration with the European Union, this innovative expo is on from 17-18 November.
 
Over the next two days, more than 380 registered attendees, largely from the European buying community, will engage directly with ground-breaking Caribbean exhibitors who are flying the flag for the region in the competitive consumer goods category.
 
In welcome remarks at the expo’s opening ceremony, Caribbean Export’s Chairperson, Senator Dr. Lynette Holder, said: “We strongly believe in the quality of goods that come from the Caribbean. Products range from award-winning cocoa, innovative ‘free from’ flours, and unique herbs and spices grown in the Caribbean that infuse our local cuisine, and which we are already exporting globally.”
 
In addition to the expo, visitors can participate in informative and educational live webinar sessions involving pioneering entrepreneurs, business leaders, and organisations from around the world.
 
Some of the sessions on day one included ‘Caribbean Flava’ featuring highly regarded Caribbean chef influencers Craig and Shaun McAnuff of Original Flava; ‘Food Trends after COVID-19’ hosted by the International Trade Center (ITC)- Alliances for Action and an enlightening discussion on the array of plant-based ingredients and natural products from the Caribbean, ‘All Things Natural,’ involving Dr. Damian Cohall from the University of the West Indies and Michael Hughes from FMCG Gurus.
 
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in several webinars on day 2 which include uncovering of insights and opportunities for Caribbean businesses in the UK with Category Wins.  ITC – Alliances for Action will host two sessions focused on the Caribbean coffee and cocoa industries; and the day rounds up with a focus on one of the Caribbean’s oldest industries, rum and spirits, which will be hosted by the Rum and Spirits Academy of Europe.
 
All sessions are available on Caribbean Export’s Facebook Live stream and on the event platform for 30days.
 
The ‘Absolutely Caribbean Virtual Expo’ is a follow-up event to the successful 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum which was held in Frankfurt, Germany in 2019. The expo is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA).

About Caribbean Export

Caribbean Export is the only regional trade and investment promotion agency in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group. Established in 1996 by an Inter-Governmental Agreement as the regional trade and investment promotion agency, it serves the 15 states of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM), namely: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The agency carries out numerous programme based activities designed to enhance the competitiveness of regional small and medium sized enterprises, promote trade and development amongst CARIFORUM states, promote stronger trade and investment between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic, CARIFORUM states and the French Caribbean Outermost Regions (FCORs) and the EU Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) in the Caribbean.

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