From New York Daily News

‘Caribbean Week in New York’ returns this week with events for New Yorkers with roots in the region, persons who travel there and folks planning to visit

International VIPs and everyday people prep for high level sessions and public happenings.

Caribbean Week in New York returns to the city on Saturday and the Caribbean Tourism Organization-sponsored celebration is truly better than ever this year.

For individuals and their mobile devices, there’s a new app to help navigate the week’s activities, which run from June 1 through 7. Available for Apple and Android devices, the app can be downloaded from the Apple store or Google Play. There is also a link to Google Play on www.onecaribbean.org.

For the entire city to see, the Empire State Building tower will be lit in festive and diverse colors of blue, turquoise, orange, green, red on June 5 in honor of Caribbean Week.

Organizers have created a Caribbean Week program which has virtually something for everyone — for persons whose roots lie in the region, for travelers who want to relive or redo their Caribbean visit and loads of enticements for prospective tourists.

The week starts Saturday with the benefit “Gospel Celebration” concert at the Bethesda Healing Center, 167 E. 98th St. in Brooklyn. The show, which starts at 6 p.m., features a region of talented performers. Admission is $20.

Throughout the week there will be special sessions for government officials, tourism industry representatives and the media and investors, such as the Avalon Invest Caribbean Now! investors’ forum on June 5 at the Radisson Martinique, 49 W. 32nd St. (at Broadway) in Manhattan, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

There are also several free events for the public to attend, such as the Students’ Colloquium, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on June 4 at the New Yorker Hotel, 481 Eighth Ave. , where Caribbean students present sustainable tourism projects; and the Celebrity Chef Program, which serves up food demonstrations by culinary experts. Sessions will be held at Bloomingdale’s and other sites.

Also, the CTO will again give the city’s large Caribbean community the opportunity to get valuable information and updates, at the Caribbean Diaspora Forum on June 6 at the New Yorker Hotel, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., co-sponsored by the New York-based Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The free One Caribbean Vacation Mart and Caribbean Romance Pavilion, on June 5 at the New Yorker Hotel from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., is a Caribbean Week favorite for the public, featuring tantalizing specially-priced Caribbean holidays and the chance to win a Bahamas wedding travel package.

There are more events, but the food-and drink-filled “Rum and Rhythm” benefit and auction on June 7 at Tribeca 360, 10 Desbrosses St. in Manhattan, at 6:30 p.m., ends the week.

For information and a full schedule of events, visit www.caribbeanweekny.com.

Invest Caribbean Now! forum makes (business) sense

Whether it’s the growing Chinese investment and influence in the region, the latest on Caribbean tourism development or what’s on the minds of minsters and heads- of-state regarding business, the June 5 Avalon Invest Caribbean Now session has a notable lineup of participants to satisfy the appetite of firms and individuals seeking to invest in the region.

The forum will be held at the Radisson Martinique, 49 W. 32nd St. (at Broadway) in Manhattan, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., featuring a lineup of government officials that take advantage of the many dignitaries coming to New York for Caribbean Week activities.

The Avalon Invest Caribbean Now is organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Hard Beat Communications firm.

The depth of the Avalon Invest Caribbean Now forum’s expertise is evident from the inclusion of key Chinese business experts from the public and private sectors including Xiaoguang Liu, consul in charge of economic and commercial affairs of the China consulate in New York.

For registration and information, visit http://investcaribbeannow.com.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Representatives of St. Martin and Barbados talk to members of the press at the Media Marketplace during Caribbean Week in New York in 2012. While the marketplace was open only to journalists, many of the Caribbean Week events are open to the public. Source Caribbean Tourism Organization

Dancers perform at the 2012 Rum & Rhythm event during Caribbean Week in New York. And there was plenty of food (below) at the affair in addition to the rum and other beverages. (TWO) Source Jack McElroy

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