The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

ARMED with a love of the culinary arts and equipped with the proverbial ‘sweet tooth’, two Bahamian marketing executives are putting their heads together to present the country’s first ever “Sweeet Fest”.

The Sweeet Fest, coordinated by Khashan Poitier and Keiani Worrell, is expected to be a family-oriented culinary event that will feature small to medium local businesses that specialise in desserts. And it all takes place for just one sweet day, Saturday, May 17, at Pompey Square in downtown Nassau. The event starts at noon and ends at 8pm.

In partnership with the Ministry of Tourism’s Culinary Division, Sweeet Fest’s objective is to promote culinary arts and small businesses through media exposure before, during and after the event, while expanding the customer base of each participating business.

Keiani, who is also the creative director of Anni’s Bubble, a lifestyle blog that journals life as a Bahamian mother, said she shares many common traits with her fellow coordinator, Khashan, principal of the Poitier PR Group. But one shared trait that stands out most is their love of food, in particular all things sweet.

Inspired by their love for desserts and passion for young entrepreneurs, Keiani said Sweeet Fest was created.

“Local culinary businesses that specialise in desserts are on the rise in the Bahamas, but often lack the marketing dollars to promote their craft and services. At the event, be sure to bring your sweet tooth. From cupcakes, to ice cream, cotton candy to island preservatives, attendees can expect a plethora of dessert options to sample, purchase and order for future events, “ Keiani told Tribune Arts and Entertainment.

Keiani said she is hoping that people “come hungry and leave happy” during the festivities. She said kids will be entertained in a special kiddie corner and the tourists visiting will be able to get a taste of the Bahamas as the night ends in a Junkanoo rush-out.

Vendors will see a boost in their customer base even after the one-day event is completed, Keiani predicts.

In addition to the cruise ship passengers who are expected to be downtown that day, Keiani said hundreds of locals are also anticipated to attend this family friendly event.

“What we love most about the culinary scene here in the Bahamas is that it is evolving and more and more young individuals are beingeducated and are also learning new cultures,” she said.

“This can be seen in the variety of choices that will be offered at the Sweeet Fest. We are pumped.”

She said one of the many challenges in the culinary field is limited exposure, as many small business owners and chefs are not able to invest in marketing to increase their presence locally or internationally. This is the biggest complaint they have heard from participating vendors, she said.

However, Keiani said through platforms such as Sweeet Fest and the partnership with the Ministry of Tourism’s culinary division, they are excited to give young Bahamian professionals the stage that they need to showcase their work.

“The benefits are endless.

“A chef is a creator, a master of their future, and as we have seen in planning this event, there are no limits to the possibilities for the young entrepreneurs.

“Many have travelled, studied and enhanced their skills to where they are no longer dependent on a 9-to-5 job and are able to work on further developing the culinary industry within the Bahamas,” said Keiani.So far, she said, the response and feedback for Sweeet Fest from the local community has been awesome. The duo is already beginning to plan next year’s event and will continue to promote vendors and find ways to make them more marketable.

“We have gotten a huge response from our Family Islanders and look forward to expanding to Freeport, Grand Bahama and Abaco,” said Keiani.