President's Office cancels international food fair

THE Office of the President (OTP) has announced the cancellation of an international food fair that it planned to host at Queen's Hall, Port of Spain on April 27.

The event was called Corps and Friends can Cook.

An advertisement for the event on the OTP's Facebook page said the fair would feature cuisine prepared by representatives of diplomatic missions of several countries, including India, China, Germany, Argentina, Nigeria and the US.

Other participants included the Hyatt Regency, Hilton Trinidad, Radisson and Courtyard by Marriott hotels, local restaurants (Amara and Krave), the Tobago Tourism Agency and Tourism Trinidad.

Proceeds from the event were to be donated to charities such as the Alzheimers Association, the Coalition against Domestic Violence, Women of Substance (a Tobago-based charity) and the St Margaret's Anglican Primary School Steelband Orchestra.

A post on April 23 announced the event's cancellation. Queen's Hall posted the cancellation on its website as well.

The OTP said President Christine Kangaloo deeply regretted any disappointment or inconvenience caused by the cancellation, saying, "Underwhelming ticket sales (have) led the OTP to make this difficult decision."

No information was provided about the number of tickets sold before the event was cancelled.

Tickets cost $555.56.

The OTP said online ticket purchases will be refunded within three-five business days.

People who bought tickets from the box office at Queen's Hall were told they could get their refunds there on April 29 from 10 am-6 pm.

There was only one public comment about the cancellation on the OTP's Facebook page.

That comment said the event was not advertised properly, 99 per cent of the population knew nothing about it, and event management failed.