W. Dave Dowrich, VP of Investment at Goldman Sachs, 2nd from r., with Chairman of the CTO, Ricky Skerritt, l; Minister Minors of Bermuda, 2.d from l., and Brian Lilly, r., CEO of Lilly Broadcasting and owner of WSEE TV and One Caribbean Weather, premier sponsors of the event. (Sharon Bennett image)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. June 10, 2011: The Caribbean is being urged to compete for the global “wallet share” and step up the promotion of “its investment story.”

That’s the advice from W. Dave Dowrich, vice president of investment at Goldman Sachs and the keynote speaker at the inaugural Invest Caribbean Power Forum, convened by digital media solutions company, Hard Beat Communications and the Caribbean Tourism Organization in New York City on Thursday, June 9, 2011.

Dowrich, addressing a packed room at the New York Marriot Marquis Hotel in Times Square, insisted that the Caribbean’s investment “product” stacks up against most other regions of the world, including the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and China) on several fronts, such as political stability, accessibility and ease of doing business.

But “where we fall down is in selling and telling our investment story, i.e. the ‘Promotion – P’ of the principles of marketing,” he said of the CARICOM region, whose combined Gross Domestic Product is put at US$90 billion.

Comparing the Caribbean to private companies going public and the need to ensure that their story continues being told to their existing and future investor base, Dowrich said the Caribbean and its leaders must see investment in a similar vein.

“We therefore need to be sure that at every opportunity, our story is told on a consistent basis and told by credible and trust worthy folks such as our senior ministers, and then reinforced by our teams on the ground, who can ‘talk the talk’ of those that need to hear it,” he said.

Dowrich was one of four speakers who addressed the event yesterday. Others included Minister of Business Development & Tourism of Bermuda, Patrice Kimberly Minors; Martin Mohabeer, the Guyana-born Managing Director of Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital and David Brillembourg, CEO of the Brilla Group.

Minors for her part insisted that Bermuda remains open to doing business while Brillembourg advised that attention be turned to Latin American pension funds as potential investors in the Caribbean region.

Mohabeer announced the SEAF Caribbean Growth Fund, insisting that the Caribbean small business market is “tremendously underserved.”

“With this fund we hope to change that,” said Mohabeer, while adding that the fund will make investments in small to middle enterprise firms specializing in IT, media and technology and construction among other sectors.

Among the over 120 attendees at the event were several money managers from the New York’s investment community as well as top tourism officials from the Caribbean including the Hon. Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Minister of Tourism and International Travel for St. Kitts/Nevis, Ricky Skerritt; Hon. Richard Sealy, Minister of Tourism, Barbados; Hon. Ed Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica; Commissioner of Tourism of St. Eustacius, Clyde Van Putten; Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Hugh Riley; Sylma Brown Bramble, director of CTO North America; Alec Sanguinetti, Director General of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Josef Forstmayr, President, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, and other top CTO officials as well as  Caribbean directors of tourism.

“This event surpassed our expectation,” said Felicia Persaud, CEO of Hard Beat Communications, which conceptualized and co-presented the event with the CTO. “We look forward to making this an annual part of Caribbean Week in New York.”

“The Caribbean Tourism Organization was proud to team up with Hard Beat to present this event, since in these tough economic times, investment in the Caribbean is critical and the CTO believes strongly in continuing to boost the tourism sector of this vibrant region by presenting investment opportunities for its members,” commented Brown-Bramble.

The Bermuda Department of Tourism and the Pennsylvania-based WSEE TV and OneCaribbeanWeather.com, both part of Lilly Broadcasting Corporation, were the official sponsors of the ‘Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast.’

Additional sponsors included the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, News Americas Now and the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

ABOUT HARD BEAT COMMUNICATIONS

Hard Beat Communications brands itself as a Digital Media Solutions Company. The company does this through its Digital Content Creation and Dissemination and syndicated digital newswire – New Americas Now, formerly CaribWorldNews, its CaribPR wire release dissemination section, part of the PR Newswire; its Media Buying and Event Promotions arm and its New Media Solutions department.

ABOUT THE CTO

The Caribbean Tourism Organization exists to increase significantly the inclusion of the Caribbean region in the set of destinations being considered by travelers. The CTO, with headquarters in Barbados, comprises 32 member countries, including English, French, Spanish and Dutch countries and territories, as well as private sector allied members. Every year, the CTO presents “Caribbean Week In New York,” which Caribbean Week in New York is a celebration of the sights, sounds, colors, culture and unique vacation attributes of the Caribbean.

Martin Mohabeer, Managing Director of Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital is among the panelists.

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, May 20, 2011: They are collectively responsible for managing billions in assets daily and on June 9, 2011, a trio of U.S.-based investors and money managers will share their expertise and discuss opportunities they’ll consider for investment, at the inaugural Invest Caribbean 2011 Power Breakfast.

The Investing In Paradise event, presented by digital media company, Hard Beat Communications and the Caribbean Tourism Organization in Caribbean Week, is set for set for June 9^th from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

The forum will feature Martin Mohabeer, the Guyana-born Managing Director of Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital, who currently helps manage $1.3 billion in assets under management by the Hong Kong-based, privately-held investment conglomerate; W. Dave Dowrich, Vice President at Goldman Sachs, which has over 900 billion under its management; and David Brillembourg, CEO of the Brilla Group, who has founded two successful companies, executed over 30 M&A transactions and has raised nearly $150 million over the past decade from private and institutional investors.

Additionally, the event is also slated to feature New York City comptroller John Liu, who helps manage $646 million in pension funds for New York City.

Mario Gonzalez, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company; Brian Lilly, CEO of Lilly Broadcasting and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and St. Kitts/Nevis minister of tourism, Ricky Skerritt will also address participants while several Caribbean tourism ministers of government, commissioners and directors of tourism as well as officials of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, including Secretary General Hugh Riley and others from the business, travel and investment community will be in attendance.

The Hard Beat/CTO forum will be moderated by Professor Temisan Agbeyegbe, professor of Economics at Hunter College and Graduate Center, City University of New York and a research associate with The Caribbean Center for Monetary Studies, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

“This is no talk shop but its where real capital meets investment opportunities,” said Felicia Persaud, CEO of Hard Beat Communications.  “Entrepreneurs, lenders, developers, hotel chain/management company executives, investment bankers, vacation ownership executives, financial advisors, real estate and financial intermediaries, builders, consultants, lawyers, architects and designers or anyone seeking to do business in the Caribbean, learn about investment opportunities there, raise capital to grow or expand your business or network with top investors and ministers of government should all make it a date to attend this event.”

“The Caribbean is a perfect destination for investment, given its stable governments, its tax incentives, its close proximity to the U.S. and it’s very high literary workforce and its superb beauty and climate,” added Sylma Brown Bramble, director of CTO North America.

The Pennsylvania-based WSEE TV and OneCaribbeanWeather.com, both part of Lilly Broadcasting Corporation, and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, are the official sponsors of the ‘Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast.’

Additional sponsors include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, News Americas Now and the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Tickets are going fast so register today at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=7phqhyn6&oeidk=a07e3p448ple41d4ad3. Or for more information log on http://investcaribbeannow.com/.

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, May 13, 2011: Meteorologist Joey Stevens and his parrot have become the most famous weather forecasters in the Caribbean on OneCaribbeanWeather.com and WSEE TV, the CBS affiliate of the Caribbean region.

It is little wonder then why the Caribbean’s most famous weather channel, with some four million viewers daily in over 25 countries – from Antigua to Puerto Rico, has joined forces with the organizers of Invest Caribbean 2011, to present the inaugural investment power forum.

The Pennsylvania-based WSEE TV and OneCaribbeanWeather.com, both part of Lilly Broadcasting Corporation, is an official sponsor of the Hard Beat Communications and Caribbean Tourism Organization’s ‘Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast,’ set for June 9^th from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Lilly Broadcasting operates a number of enterprises worldwide including 24-hour weather broadcasting in the Caribbean.

The event is being billed as a high powered networking event and not a talk shop and will include Vice President at Goldman Sachs, W. Dave Dowrich, David Brillembourg, CEO of the Brilla Group and several Caribbean ministers of government.

“The Caribbean Tourism Organization is proud to team up with Hard Beat and the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce to present this event since in these tough economic times, investment in the Caribbean and Latin America is critical and the CTO believes strongly in continuing to boost the tourism sector of this vibrant region by presenting investment opportunities for its members,” said Sylma Brown Bramble, director of CTO-USA Inc.

“We’re very proud to team up with a company that’s already investing in the Caribbean and sees the bright future the region holds,” said Hard Beat Communications CEO, Felicia Persaud of the WSEE TV and the One Caribbean Weather partnership. “Anyone serious about doing business in this region or networking with potential investors should book one of a few spots today.”

Additional sponsors include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, and News Americas Now.

For additional sponsorship opportunities log on to: http://investcaribbeannow.com/ or for individual tickets register at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=7phqhyn6&oeidk=a07e3p448ple41d4ad3

David Brillembourg

CaribPR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, May 2, 2011: “

The Caribbean is, now more than ever, a unique investment opportunity!”

That’s the assessment of one top investor, who insists he lives and breathes the Caribbean. David Brillembourg, founder, chairman & chief executive officer of private equity real estate firm, Brilla Group, is adamant that the region is ripe for investment.

Brillembourg will bring this outlook to the 2011 Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast, presented by Hard Beat Communications and The Caribbean Tourism Organization, in collaboration with the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry & Commerce, and set for June 9, 2011 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

 Brillembourg is among the top speakers, who include Vice President at Goldman Sachs, W. Dave Dowrich and will feature top Caribbean ministers of government, investors and entrepreneurs and key sponsors including WSEE TV and OneCaribbean Weather.

 Brilla’s investments are focused primarily on luxury beachfront hotels and resorts in the Caribbean even as foreign direct investment in the Caribbean and Latin American region grew strongly last year, jumping from US$5.5 billion in the first semester of 2009 to US$20.8 billion in the same period of 2010 according to The Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC).

 China’s Ministry of Commerce alone reported that foreign direct investment in Caribbean countries by Chinese firms totaled nearly $7 billion in 2009, a more than 300 percent increase from the 2004 foreign direct investment of $1.7 billion.

 Brillembourg sees the opportunity. “The Caribbean is a unique and long-lasting investment,” he added, insisting that anyone serious about investment should get on board.

 He reiterated that the region looks solid throughout with lots of opportunities out there.

 “For example, Turks and Caicos is coming out of the crisis well. But there is more than one location to look out for; all are maturing and diversifying. This is a wonderful time to be in the Caribbean,” said the seasoned entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in investing also in South Florida, Mexico, Central America and Colombia. “As a result of the global financial crisis and dislocation of real estate markets, the hotel sector was seriously affected due to the lack of funds and financing available for this sector. This macroeconomic situation caused the expected supply for new luxury coastal properties in the Caribbean, which were at different development or building stages, to rapidly drop (approximately 72%).”

Sponsors of Invest Caribbean 2011 include silver sponsor, WSEE TV and OneCaribbeanWeather.com; the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, and News Americas Now.

For additional sponsorship opportunities and breakfast tickets log on to: http://investcaribbeannow.com/ or call 646-820-5694.

Comfort Inn Hotel Will Be First Global Hotel Brand for Haiti in More Than a Decade; Island will Also Be Home to Ascend Collection Member Hotel

 SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ — While hotel development across the globe has slowed, leading lodging company Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is pleased to announce the future addition of two new Caribbean hotels to its portfolio of more than 6,000 franchised properties worldwide. The new Comfort Inn hotel and Ascend Collection member hotel mark the first-ever Choice-brand properties for the island of Haiti, further expanding the great Choice Hotels lodging options for travelers across the Caribbean. The Comfort Inn hotel which will open in 2010 will mark the first global hotel brand that the island of Haiti has hosted in more than a decade.

“Choice is extremely proud to take a leadership position in revitalizing Haiti’s tourism product,” said Brian Parker, vice president of emerging markets and new business development for Choice Hotels. “We are equally excited to work with a company the caliber of SIMACT to bring two of our brands to the island.”  

 Both hotels will be located in Haiti’s historic township of Jacmel, known as the island’s cultural center thanks to its popular carnival festivities and arts, music and film festivals. The Comfort Inn hotel will feature 32 guest rooms with breathtaking views of the shores of the Caribbean Sea, featuring all the amenities travelers can expect from Comfort Inn hotels, including free breakfast and free high-speed Internet access.

 The newly-built luxury Ascend Collection member hotel will offer 120 elegantly-appointment guestrooms and is planned as part of the area’s new Belle Rive development project, which will also include a residential community, retail, dining, entertainment, recreational and marina facilities. This Ascend Collection member hotel will be the second Caribbean location for the membership program after its first location in the region — Le Consulat hotel of San Juan, Puerto Rico — opened in late 2008.

 ”Our Ascend Collection program is an excellent membership opportunity for upscale independent hotels and we are thrilled that the Caribbean is at the forefront of our international expansion,” said Kevin Lewis, brand president of upscale and extended stay for Choice Hotels.

 ”The new collaborative relationship between Choice Hotels and SIMACT will have a significantly positive impact on the burgeoning tourism industry of the southeastern coast of Haiti,” said Lesly Kernisant, president of SIMACT, owner of the new Comfort Inn hotel and Ascend Collection member hotel.

 Choice Hotels currently boasts 9 Caribbean properties, a total of 815 guestrooms, in the Bahamas, Cayman Island, Curacao, Puerto Rico, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Ascend Collection is an elite network of Historic, Unique and Boutique member hotels that made its debut at the end of 2008 and now has more than 30 hotels throughout the United States, Canada and now, the Caribbean. For more information on Choice Hotels, visit choicehotels.com.

About SIMACT

SIMACT, Inc. is a New York-based company with a range of investment interests that are focused upon the Republic of Haiti. SIMACT (Societe Immobiliere d’Agriculture, de Commerce, et de Tourisme) was founded in 1996 by a group of Haitian professionals, initially focusing upon real estate development opportunities. The company, which began with six investors, now has 51 shareholders. It has expanded the original vision of the founders and now encompasses investment and ownership in several key areas of enterprise – tourism, mining, financial services, and agriculture. With a capitalization investment in excess of $5,000,000, the company is now poised to take full advantage of its position as one of the most dynamic and progressive American companies engaged in business undertakings in Haiti. SIMACT is currently engaged in several exciting new initiatives in the areas of tourism, mining, and financial services that are based upon the platform of development and success that the company has experienced to date.

 About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,000 hotels, representing more than 485,000 rooms in the United States and more than 35 other countries and territories. As of September 30, 2009, more than 700 hotels are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 59,000 rooms, and more than 100 hotels, representing approximately 9,400 rooms, are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 20 other countries and territories. The company’s Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands serve guests worldwide. In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels.

 Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.

 Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

(C) 2009 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.