The Tribune

Baha Mar executives said the two-hour Atlanta Discovery Day Mixer, at which the $2.6 billion project was introduced to more than 100 Bahamians, exceeded their expectations.

The developer teamed up with officers at the Bahamas Consulate in Atlanta for the event, which took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. It not only drew Bahamians from Georgia, but also saw those from Tennessee, Alabama, the Carolinas and Oklahoma head to Atlanta to take part.

The event was designed to help fill an estimated 8,000 positions at the Baha Mar development when it opens in December 2014.

Bahamas consul general, Randy Rolle, said of the event: “It was excellently executed. The staff in the office did an amazing job, and I must commend them on their efforts.

“We were inundated with phone calls and e-mails from those within the 10 states of our jurisdiction. Even at the actual mixer, we were thanked for getting the word out so that they would have enough time to plan their trip. They also said they appreciated the efforts of the office and Baha Mar in coming to Atlanta as a direct approach to show them what is being offered, while providing them with the opportunity to network with other Bahamians in the area.”

Baha Mar associate, Vonya Ifill, said: “We saw a wide range of candidates, some with hospitality experiences in Atlanta hotels and others who were in other industries, but were willing to transition if we offered them an opportunity to work with us.

“Overall, the presentation definitely got them excited, and they expressed gratitude with us coming to them to get to see them instead of having to e-mail a resume` over. We’ve had similar mixers in Toronto, London, New York, and we are also going throughout the Family Islands to seek potential employees.”

It was just last year that Ms Ifill herself was a college graduate in Chicago, who turned down a position in New York to return home as a part of team Baha Mar.

“I opted to go home and I have no regrets because I am a part of a multi-million movement that is about to make history,” she explained. “It’s a special feeling you get when you are a part of a team that is building something from the ground up.”

“Baha Mar, the largest single-phase resort development in the Western Hemisphere, has become a powerful driver of the Bahamian economy, and accounted for an estimated 5 per cent of the Commonwealth’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2011 and 2012, according to a comprehensive updated economic impact report (EIR) by Oxford Economics,” Ms Ifill further explained.

“The report shows that since 2005, Baha Mar has accounted for an average of 3.2 per cent of the Bahamian economy. This accounts for a total of $2.1 billion between 2005 and 2012. Once the $3.5 billion integrated gaming resort is up and running, it is expected to account for 12.8 per cent of Bahamian annual GDP on average.

“From 2005 to 2012, Baha Mar has generated $719 million in additional employment income. Through direct and indirect impacts, Baha Mar has supported an average employment count of more than 3,000 jobs on a full-time-equivalent (FTE) basis.”