TurnKey turns the page

• Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival under new governance

TurnKey Productions, the producer of the critically acclaimed Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, is signalling a strategic shift and the growth of the entity with a new name and corporate structure.

Walter Elmore, the principal behind TurnKey, renamed the entity Art of Music Productions (AMP), transferred the reigns of the company to new CEO Stephen Dear and set up a new governance structure, which includes eight board members, all with the aim of capitalising on the growing multi-billion-dollar entertainment market across the world.

"AMP will provide a renewed platform for the new company to carry out the exciting projected plans," Elmore said of the emotional decision which started five years ago.

Elmore noted that after years of successfully programming, producing and managing the premier music festival of the Caribbean on his own, it was time to enlist the additional expertise to take the company and entertainment experience it is known to deliver to the next level.

Repositioning

The impressive board of directors includes Elmore, Ewan Simpson, Martin Elmore, Jerome Hamilton, Oliver Mair, Carol Bourke, Winsome Minott and Leo Williams.

However, Elmore is not just passing on the responsibilities to the new board, he will act as chairman, overseeing all the creative aspects of the new entity, while relinquishing control over the day-to-day running of AMP to Dear.

"It has grown to a point where I no longer can handle it by myself," said Elmore, who has hosted more than 380 musical artistes over the 16 years of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival.

The transition is part of the plan to grow the business and reposition it for a greater role in the entertainment landscape across the region within the next 12 months.

The growth plans include planning and staging a wider range of entertainment events in addition to the flagship production, the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival which, under his leadership, grew to be the premier music festival in the Caribbean, attracting crowds of more than 30,000 to Jamaica each year and contributing significantly to the economy every time the event is held.

Dear supported Elmore's point, "AMP has an opportunity to continue the tremendous legacy of TurnKey. The potential that is there is totally untapped and we at AMP intend to actually realise that potential through the exciting future of doing multiple events in different territories on an ongoingbasis. With the flagship production, the Jamaica Jazzand Blues Festival, we will continue the euphoric feeling that it delivers year after year to the patrons."

"I want to continue to stage premier events not only in Jamaica, but across the region as well," continued Elmore. The events will be as varied as monster truck shows to large-scale music festivals. AMP will leverage its expertise to stage multiple musical events across the region using the same headliners, family events, theatrical productions and motor show events, and will further diversify into the world of talent management, multimedia services, ticketing and box office services and equipment rentals.

A more efficient model

The model, said Elmore, will be more efficient and cost effective, while the production and promotion will remain of the same high quality. It will all lead to better returns.

The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, slated for January 26-28, 2012, has also proved a very valuable tool in the marketing mix of destination Jamaica, playing a key role in the country's calendar of events that fills hotel rooms during the soft period in January.

However, Elmore's repertoire extends further than 'Jazz' and includes the production of the world-famous Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica and Miami along with several festivals and major events across the region.