Barbadian companies will get an opportunity to showcase their goods to a captive audience of approximately 6,700 cruise passengers when The Barbados Uh Come From Marketplace returns to the Princess Alice Highway this Thursday from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.

The event, the second to be held this winter tourist season, is being hosted by the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC) in collaboration with the Barbados Manufacturers Association, the Barbados Tourism Product Authority and the National Cultural Foundation.

The marketplace will stretch from the entrance of the Bridgetown Port along the length of Trevor???s Way and into the Pelican Craft Centre on the Princess Alice Highway.

It is expected that the seafront location will not only allow Barbadian companies to showcase their products to the cruise passengers, but also to the many Barbadian bargain hunters who are expected to patronise the event. The one-day gathering is intended to promote and generate sales of Barbadian made goods through local purchases and onshore exports.

Chief Executive Officer at the BIDC, Sonja Trotman said: ???This second installation offers an all-inclusive package of food, entertainment and arts and has brought together four major partners, in promoting products of Barbados, who are all keen on taking our best brands beyond these shores.???

She added, ???We are constantly looking for opportunities to expand the market space for Barbadian companies…home turf is always a good place for companies to start building their competitiveness and appeal to international consumers particularly if they wish to explore export markets. For some companies, this marketplace could be the first step toward international marketing.???

The marketplace will highlight several local food and beverage products in a Sweet Tooth Corner, a Sampling Station and a Bajan Food Fair. Those on the lookout for something more artistic can visit several of the local shops at the Pelican Craft Centre, hand crafters and small boutique businesses lining the outdoor venue.

In keeping with the 50th anniversary celebrations of Barbados??? Independence, the marketplace will offer patrons a view through time, with the installation of a Heritage Museum at the Bagnalls Point Gallery, highlighting pieces from the collection of Barbadian artist, Fielding Babb.

An estimated 60 companies are expected to participate in the marketplace which is being hosted as part of the Going Global initiative. Going Global is an export expansion initiative intended to grow Barbados??? exports by a margin of 10 per cent or BDS$55 million by the end of 2016.

theresa.blackman@barbados.gov.bb

Author: Theresa Blackman/BIDC

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