Sponsors step up to the plate

Startime, formerly Heineken Startime, was a constant on the entertainment calendar for authentic Jamaican music. The concert series had 140 stagings up to 2006.

The much-beloved event will be held on July 14 at Mas Camp in Kingston. We asked some of the sponsors to say what's in it for them and this is what they said:

Ting - Cornelia Nathan, marketing coordinator, Pepsi-Cola Jamaica

An authentic Jamaican product paired with an authentic Jamaican event, that's the reasoning behind Pepsi Jamaica's sponsorship of the Startime event through its Ting brand.

"Startime started with the roots of Jamaica, and that's what Ting is - an authentic Jamaican brand that Jamaicans can relate to," said Cornelia Nathan, marketing coordinator for Pepsi-Cola Jamaica. This opportunity allows Pepsi-Cola Jamaica to also highlight the added options provided by the well-known beverage.

"We want to be top of mind with Jamaicans as a great mixer, and of course, we have our Pink Ting as well," said Nathan.

The Startime event allows Jamaicans to remember a long-established product with the fitting tagline - My Jamaica, My Ting.

Seals and Engravables - Charles Sims, owner, managing director

"We think it represents what this company represents - quality. It's a quality event," said Charles Sims, owner/managing director of Seals and Engravables, which produces awards and recognition items such as trophies, stamps, etched items and manufactures embossed seals.

The second time sponsoring the Startime event Sims emphasised that his knowledge and association with the event before becoming a sponsor has reinforced his belief in the event.

"It's a family-style event that I would have no problem taking my children to," said Sims, explaining he raised them to listen to such music and he does not have to worry about safety issues.

Other sponsors of the event include J. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum/Stone's Ginger Wine, Kool FM, Interlinc Communications, CVM TV, Christar Villas Hotel, CABCORP(Ting), Juici Patties, Starlight Productions, Bourne's Texaco, Kingston Hireage, Happy Ice, Onstage TV, Securipro.