The Tribune

The annual Grand Bahama Business Outlook (GBBO) will take place on Thursday, March 14, at the Grand Lucayan Resort in Freeport. This year’s theme is ‘Discovering the Opportunities in this Challenging Environment’.

This speakers include:

* Obie Wilchcombe, minister of tourism

* Dr Michael Darville, minister for Grand Bahama

* Ian Fair, chairman, Grand Bahama Port Authority

* Barry Malcolm, president, Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce

* Gowon Bowe, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

* Merrit Storr, managing partner, Chancellors Chambers

* Christopher Russell, director of forestry, Ministry of Environment

* Sarah MacDonald, president and chief executive, Grand Bahama Power Company

* Marlon Johnson, senior vice-president of marketing and communications, BTC

* Eleanor Phillips, director, The Nature Conservancy

* Robert Myers, president, V Trade Company.

Joan Albury, president of the TCL Group and founder and chief organiaer of the five-island Business Outlook series, said: “Our choice of topic and speakers has been quite deliberate.

“For the Business Outlook series we make these selections to [link] with the economic and business climate the host island and the country as a whole are experiencing.

“Grand Bahama has been going through some very challenging times in many sectors, so it is important to reflect the total package— tourism, port, environment, communications, energy and business.

“Grand Bahamians are fighters, however. In paying tribute to this strong character, we wanted to assemble a group of presenters who could talk of real opportunities they can run with,” Mrs Albury said.

“There are some really hopeful signs for our big island to the north. Some key factors are coming together at last. For one thing, Grand Bahama has a dedicated Ministry for the first time.

“Dr Michael Darville is a long-time, contributing member of the Grand Bahama community. He brings to the table a wealth of skills from two professional areas - medicine and engineering.

“Obie Wilchcombe has a similar profile. He is a long-time representative of West End, Grand Bahama and Bimini and, as the present Minister of Tourism, is making strides in reinvigorating the industry on these islands.

“It is essential to have the input of the current chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, the president of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, and also of the chief executive of Grand Bahama Power Company. All of the other speakers are highly appropriate for exploring opportunity for Grand Bahama.”

For registration and more information on Grand Bahama Business Outlook, interested persons may contact Mercynth Ferguson at the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce (tel: 352-8329, Hazel McKinney at Deloitte (tel: 373-3015), or Eileen Fielder at The Counsellors (tel: 322-7505). Registration may also be made on-line at the website: www.tclevents.com.