It’s a blistering hot Friday afternoon on the West Coast of Barbados. It’s one of those days when the sun takes precedence over any other element in nature and the wind is nonexistent. As Bajans traverse along the west coast navigating through the cacophony of the sweltering heat and Friday afternoon traffic, we make our way to Limegrove Lifestyle Centre to sit down with the creator and founder of Barbados Connect – Jeremy Davis . Known for its modern, posh aesthetics and undeniable association with affluence, Limegrove Lifestyle Centre is quite an enviable location for Jeremy to have hosted his first three stagings of “First Wednesdays.” The location is befitting for the incredibly ambitious, creative entrepreneur. Upon arrival to the centre, the Barbados Connect team and I head up to Platinum Coast Cigars / Oceans 2606 Bar & Lounge to chat over Don Tomas cigars and a few beers.
Jeremy’s cigar etiquette is equally as spot-on as his vision casting ability. Jeremy, who was born in Barbados moved to Trinidad & Tobago when he was seven years old; then, to Guyana in his pre-adolescent years. Jeremy cites his multi-cultural upbringing as one of the fundamental reasons he is so passionate about socio-cultural growth in the region, specifically in Barbados. Jeremy asserts that: “It’s all about just being open-minded to the world and understanding that every country has a different perspective. Even within the Caribbean, there are many different sub-cultures. Even though there is one Caribbean identity, there are many sub-identities and subcultures.” After his time in Guyana, he moved to New York and worked as a teacher, while also owning a digital marketing agency and hosting formidable events on the lively entertainment circuit of the Big Apple. His time in New York paired with his multi-cultural Caribbean upbringing gave Jeremy an insatiable desire for success and upon his return to Barbados, he decided to create the platform Barbados Connect.
Apart from the social connectivity component which can be easily derived from the name of the platform; Jeremy impresses upon us that the fundamental purpose of Barbados Connect is deeper than being an arbitrary conduit for networking: “The whole idea in addition to networking is to showcase talent. Yes, we want you to shake hands and meet people, but we also want to showcase Bajan talent to the world in a new dimension. When people work with Barbados Connect, we want them to feel like the persons and opportunities they are granted access to are unique and exclusive.” The first three First Wednesdays have encapsulated the holistic vision Jeremy has for the platform and it is quickly growing into a reputable event on the Bajan entertainment calendar.
Undoubtedly, the planning and execution of an event can be tremendously stressful and overwhelming. IJeremy acknowledges the value of his team and how they help to combat the various challenges in event planning that often go unspoken. He holds in high regard the Director of Entertainment for Barbados Connect, Xavier Jhon-Clair. Jeremy extols Xavier as an “integral part of the development of curated experiences and specific partnerships within the arts and entertainment sectors.” Xavier, or “Xavi” as he is affectionately called by his peers, shares the core commonality with Jeremy of possessing an insatiable desire for success. Xavi, who is also a masterful guitarist and music producer, is a stickler for timeliness, order and attention to detail; that, to some, may seem inconsequential. Similar to Jeremy’s time spent in New York, Xavier spent time in London and Toronto pursuing his tertiary education and this exposure has granted him the capacity to curate events at a standard of international quality.
The Barbados Connect dream team would be incomplete without divine, feminine presence in the squad – and that is exactly what Brand Ambassadors Monet Fraser, Tamina Whyte and Danielle Hall bring to the table. To complete the team is the Art Director for the event- Brandon Best, an audaciously talented painter who is being acclaimed as one of the island’s fastest-rising visual artists. When asked how Barbados Connect can make an indelible cultural impact on the creative industry in Barbados, Jeremy re-iterates the importance of showcasing talent. He postulates that: “A lot of times, emerging creatives may not have the opportunity to be showcased in a structured and professional environment. We are giving them a platform that will sensitize them to the lucrative possibilities that comes with being a creative, but also (we will be) inspiring them.” This movement has all the makings of becoming a revolutionary, cultural collective in the Bajan entertainment space. To keep up with them, follow them on Instagram at @barbadosconnect or visit the website at www.barbadosconnect.com for more news on upcoming events.
