Linkages forum opens doors for small business owners
Published:Saturday | March 14, 2026 | 12:09 AM
Western Bureau:
Small business owners, manufacturers, service providers and other stakeholders with links to the local hospitality sector got a chance to connect with the sector’s decision-makers at Thursday’s Tourism Linkages Network’s (TLN) speed networking forum in Negril, Westmoreland.
The event, organised by the TLN in partnership with the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), provided a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services directly to hotel representatives.
Carolyn McDonald Riley, director of the TLN, said the decision to host the event in Negril was influenced by the town’s strong recovery following the hurricane, noting that this is the first of its kind held in Negril.
“Normally, we would have had one in Montego Bay, that includes everyone, but given the fact that a number of the rooms in Montego Bay are not open and Negril is bursting at the seams, we decided to come to Negril,” she said.
McDonald Riley said the initiative allows suppliers and hoteliers to form valuable business relationships.
“The idea is that people are open and therefore people want business. So we brought the business people here to have meetings with the hoteliers,” she said.
She added that the event had already produced encouraging results.
“It’s been going very well so far and, as we speak, there are more hotels coming on board,” she said.
In the meantime, Kathryn Silvera, president of the JMEA, said the event plays an important role in helping Jamaican businesses to access new markets.
“What it does is it provides manufacturers and service providers an opportunity to meet with several purchasers or decision-makers in the hotel and tourism industry,” she said.
Silvera noted that supplying hotels can also create export opportunities for local producers.
“What we hope this will do is it would open the purchasers’ eyes to the wide variety of goods and services that are manufactured in Jamaica that they can then offer to their guests, both local and international,” she said.
Silvera added that when tourists purchase locally made products, more foreign exchange remains in the Jamaican economy.
ENABLING INVESTMENTS
“When it stays within the Jamaican economy with a local manufacturer or service provider, it’s enabling that manufacturer to invest more in their business,” she said.
Among the participants was entrepreneur Kimboley Parkinson Poyser, owner of Kimboley Kollection, who manufactures natural haircare and skincare products in Ocho Rios, St Ann.
“The event today, it’s been good so far. Only had one meeting but it’s giving good prospects and we’re looking forward to great things,” she said.
Parkinson Poyser said networking events like these create valuable opportunities for entrepreneurs.
“It’s always good when you can find atmospheres like this where it’s curated for us to specifically come and meet with the people in business who specifically know what we’re here for,” she said.
Business and life coach Lorraine Givans, of LG Coaching JA, also attended the event, describing it as an important platform for exposure.
“Exposure, I mean, I’m quite big on that overall,” she said.
Givans also noted that the event highlights the potential for Jamaican small businesses to showcase their creativity and products to a global audience through the tourism sector.
“If we don’t put ourselves in certain places we can be missed, so to speak.”
She added that the tourism sector provides an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to gain international recognition through visitors who experience their products while in Jamaica.
Meanwhile, businessman Aswad Morgan highlighted the long-term value of the initiative, noting that his company’s growth has been supported by networking opportunities within the tourism sector.
“Speed networking for us has been a very, very, very effective platform for us to help us to grow our business, grow relationships within the hospitality sector,” he said.
Morgan encouraged other entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity to build lasting partnerships.
“Business is all about relationships,” he said.