Burris: 'Aggressive marketing' for Tobago carnival

WITH a month to go until the Tobago October carnival, THA Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris has said plans are moving full steam ahead.

Burris spoke on the Tobago Updates morning show on September 4.

The island’s third annual carnival officially takes place from October 25-27.

“We are in the third year of the Tobago October carnival and plans are heading full steam ahead to ensure that this year's staging is bigger than last year and more successful than last year's.”

The marketing, she said, continues.

“We have been marketing aggressively. In Trinidad, we just wrapped up our tour...to market and hype up the Carnival. We’ve done activations in New York, we have an activation coming up in Toronto, we’ve done some marketing in Grenada.”

She said she is currently having discussions with the National Carnival Commission (NCC) and other stakeholders to see how they can assist in marketing the event in new spaces to take advantage of some of partnerships formed over the years.

Burris added: “The Tobago October Carnival has become a staple on our events calendar and its one of those activities that has really taken off, and people are looking forward to a safe hosting of the Tobago October Carnival this year.

"We are just doing our part to ensure that we can welcome our visitors, ensure that they have a great time and that when they’re ready to leave our shores that they can only have good things to say about Tobago.”

Before then, the Tobago Blue Food Festival is scheduled for October 20. She said work continues at the site, where a permanent facility is being built.

“That is a project that started last year and it’s also being managed by E-Idcot."

This year is the 27th edition of the festival and every time it is hosted, she explained, "We have to go in with infrastructure, we have to bring everything into the space basically. It was felt...it was time for us to graduate from just an event to creating experiences value-added around that festival.”

Meanwhile, Tobago October Carnival Association (TOCA) interim chairman Dexter Sandy is predicting that this year’s event will have a larger turnout of participants.

Sandy told Newsday, “Definitely, we are seeing an increase in interest across the majority of bands. We are seeing where band registration has increased across J’Ouvert, night mas and the parade of the bands. So we expect that this carnival will have a larger turnout of domestic and international participants.”

In terms of band registration so far, Sandy said the Tobago Festivals Commission has confirmed there are 30 J’Ouvert bands, 13 night mas bands, 17 contemporary bands and five traditional bands.

He added bands have been doing heavy marketing.

“I know that bands are all out in a gear doing their marketing and advertising all their costumes and offerings for sale as we speak.”

Tobago Carnival calendar of events:

September 14 – First Wave Boatride

September 28 – Colortopia

October 5 – Dream at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex

October 10 – Junior Calypso Monarch

October 12 – Ride Along – the ultimate excursion

October 13 – Kids Soca City at the Buccoo Integrated Facility

October 17 – Keyz Studios Film Fest

October 19 – All Fours Carnival Cup 2024

October 23 – Soca Titans

October 24 – Tobago Love All-Inclusive

– Soca Bus

– Bougie

October 25 – Payntin Bago: Revel and Release in Colour

– FAWW – Premium breakfast inclusive

– Duck It

– Tequila Sunrise

October 26 – Water You Doing?

– Vale Vibe Tobago

– Kaiso Night Mas

– Nirvana Tobago