The MPE Caribbean Report Newsletter offers travel, tourism, Caribbean and global news weekly. To share stories, information or intelligence, contact us at [email protected].

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Caribbean flair

Marketplace Excellence (MPE) and the Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) extend heartfelt good wishes to our friends in Asia, within Asian communities globally, and throughout the Caribbean, who are celebrating the Lunar New Year, which in 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. 

The Lunar New Year celebration in Beijing is significant to the Caribbean diplomatic corps. Representatives recently highlighted the profound connections between their nations and China, along with distinctive approaches to commemorating this festive period. A notable episode of “The Point”, hosted by Liu Xin and titled “China & The Caribbean: A Spring Festival Special”, featured ambassadors Analisa Low from Trinidad and Tobago, Hallam Henry from Barbados, and Ian Marshallfrom Grenada.

These diplomats showcased the diverse cultural tapestries of their countries, ranging from Trinidad and Tobago’s rich multicultural heritage (Ambassador Low’s paternal grandparents are from China) and Barbados’ unique Fish and Dragon Festival, to Grenada’s famed spice industry and its celebration of Chinese culture through culinary creations and various festivals.

This start to the New Year presents another opportunity for us to celebrate our diversity as well as our unity. We invite you to watch the insightful 30-minute special, available through the link below.

Screenshot Click HERE for video

Tourism leaders align to strengthen sector

CTO Secretary-General Dona Regis-Prosper (center in white attire) with Caribbean ministers and representatives in Saint-Martin last week. Second from right is CTO Chairman Kenneth Bryan, Minister of Tourism and Ports, Cayman Islands.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) recently concluded a productive series of business meetings in Saint-Martin, with tourism ministers, directors, and stakeholders convening to exchange insights on prevailing challenges, effective practices, and innovative solutions.

The assembly focused on crafting a unified vision and formulating a strategic approach to position the Caribbean as the premier destination for warm-weather tourism globally. 

Under the leadership of Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper, along with Cayman Islands Chairs Minister of Tourism and Ports Kenneth Bryan and Director of Tourism Rosa Harris, the CTO’s leadership is in the process of devising a comprehensive action plan that aims to tackle crucial issues impacting the region, including aviation, communication, and training. 

The organization’s upcoming agenda features notable events such as the Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC) in Grenada in April, Caribbean Week in New York in June, and the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in the Cayman Islands come September.

Caribbean-American hotelier Kevin O’Reggio is “Best in Class”

Screenshot Click HERE for video

Hotel executive Kevin O’Reggio

Kevin A. O’Reggio, a distinguished Caribbean-American hotelier with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry wants to see future generations take their place as leaders in the global hospitality arena.

As the strategic account director of global sales for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, O’Reggio has played a pivotal role in leading strategic sales initiatives and managing partnerships with notable event management organizations. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is recognized as the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,100 hotels across more than 95 countries.

A certified member of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the Jamaican-American was honored with the 2023 Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) Leadership Award for his professional achievements and extensive volunteer work. He has contributed significantly to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation in Atlanta, and he has served as Co-Chair of Spectrum, Wyndham’s associate business group focused on empowering and developing African American and Black team members.

In his acceptance speech in Miami in December, O’Reggio emphasized the importance of paying it back. He described his journey as being a result of mentorship and called upon his peers to guide and support the next generation of leaders. 



Click above to watch the video.

Quotable Caribbean

“Together, we can show that Caribbean entities can cooperate and find solutions for our region, holding hands for the betterment of our Caribbean brothers and sisters. We are pleased to work with Doctors Hospital Bahamas, who share Health City’s vision of advancing health care in the Caribbean by positively impacting people’s health journeys. Through partnerships like this, we can continue to bolster the Caribbean as a global hub for health care excellence.” – Shomari Scott, Chief Business Officer, Health City Cayman Islands

PR Tips

The Power of Personalization

When it comes to public relations, standing out from the crowd is critical to making a lasting impact. Amidst the noise of competing messages and attention-grabbing campaigns, one strategy reigns supreme: personalization.

Personalization is not limited to addressing recipients by their first name in an email pitch. It’s about understanding your audience on a deeper level and tailoring your communication to resonate with their unique interests and preferences.

The better you know your audience, the more effectively you can personalize your messaging. Once you’ve taken the time to identify, research and understand your target your audiences, craft messages that speak directly to them.

Personalization is also about building genuine relationships. Engage with your connections on social media, respond to questions and comments, and show genuine interest in their feedback and opinions.

By embracing the power of personalization, you can cut through the noise, capture attention, and build meaningful connections with your audience.

Digital Digest

Social Media: Two-way communication is key

The real power of social media lies in connecting a brand with its consumers on a human level instead of a sales and commercial level. Connecting with the audience starts with content production focused on generating two-way communication and then moderating to build an active community. Here are a few ideas to consider.

• Talk with your audiences on social media instead of talking to them. Leave captions open-ended, ask for people’s opinions, and leave room for a response.
• Respond to all questions/comments on social media. Comments that don’t require an action can be closed with a reaction instead.
• Not all comments are good comments; be strict with spam and negativity. Repeat offenders should be removed from the page.
• Reach out to Meta to remove spam reviews from your page or report them. Leave room for authentic reviews.

These are just a few steps that can increase the value and outlook of your brand’s social media profile. Remember that every person who interacts with your brand is a potential conversion, brand advocate or someone of interest. Don’t lose them.

Gearing up for International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day takes place on March 8, 2024.

This year, the theme “Invest in women: Accelerate progress” focuses on five key areas:

• Investing in women – a human rights imperative and cornerstone for building inclusive societies. Progress for women benefits us all.

• Ending poverty requires immediate action. It is estimated that more than 342 million women and girls will be living below the poverty line by 2030. 

• Implementing gender-responsive financing for improved women’s access to essential public services and social protection in the future.

• Shifting to a green economy and care society using alternative economic models that amplify women’s voices. 

• Supporting feminist change-makers by providing financial assistance to tackle women’s poverty and inequality.  

Ensuring women’s and girls’ rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure prosperous and just economies and a healthy planet for future generations.

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