The Cayman Islands Centre for Business Development (CICBD), in the Ministry of Investment, Innovation and Social Development, has been praised for the successful staging of its inaugural Small Business Expo, which was held at the Marriott Resort last Thursday.

The all-day event, which was held under the theme, “Ignite, Innovate, Elevate: Empowering Cayman’s Small Businesses for a Thriving Future” highlighted the innovation, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit shared by small businesses across the Cayman Islands.

Attendees at the event participated in panel discussions and a number of workshops that covered topics such as Futureneurship, Embracing Technology and Change in the Modern Era, Building Blocks for Financial Success and Creating a Compelling Brand Story. During the featured panel discussion, “Tales from the Trenches”, well-known entrepreneurs Woody Foster, Jason Butcher and Tony Williams shared their stories of risk, resilience and resourcefulness in building their businesses.

Premier Hon. Wayne Panton, who spoke at the event, highlighted the importance of passion for those who wanted to enter the world of entrepreneurship. “This opportunity to me, is about collaboration, it’s about working together, and it is about finding ways to ignite that passion and keep that going. Keep it going so that you can elevate the level of your opportunity, elevate the level of your business activities and succeed at the end of the day.”

Chief Executive Officer of Cayman Spirits and President of the Cayman Islands Chamber Nelson Dilbert, in his keynote address, emphasised the importance of resiliency within small businesses. He shared stories of the growth of his company from its first location on the George Town waterfront to their own facility as well as how the company adapted to produce and distribute sanitisation products during the COVID-19 pandemic

Director of the Cayman Islands Centre for Business Development Althea West-Myers stated that her team was pleased with the number of individuals who attended the event, “We had hundreds of people coming through at the Expo, young entrepreneurs as well as more seasoned professionals, there were over twenty exhibitors as well as students from various schools. We are grateful for the support and look forward to a bigger event next year.”

The event ended with a networking reception for the organisers, exhibitors, and attendees to connect, discover, and be inspired.