As the curtains came down on the second staging of National Baking Company ‘A Jamaican Made Christmas”, first time exhibitors were singing its praises. A Jamaican Made Christmas, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Ballroom on November 27 and 28, saw a steady stream of eager shoppers looking to grab their christmas gifts early, much to the appreciation of the almost 70 small businesses on display.
As busy shoppers bustled along ‘Eggnog Avenue’ and across ‘Ham Highway’ to stock up on the wide range of Jamaican products on sale, exhibitors were on a high and made every effort to capitalize on the heavy traffic. “It was simply amazing,” commented first time exhibitor Sheri-Ann Topping, proprietor of The Artsy Trail. “It was a very good experience for me. The exposure that it brought me and all the other businesses was overwhelming,” Topping said, indicating that she made over $300,000 in sales over the two days.
The Artsy Trail’s collection includes handmade pouches, greeting cards, wrapping paper, tags, labels and gift boxes. Topping said the handmade pouches were her biggest hit among shoppers, selling “like hot bread”.
The event was a big success for another first time exhibitor, Gianna Fakhourie, owner of The Original Arm Candy. Fakhourie said she made over $200,000 in sales over the two days but that was not her ultimate goal for being at the event. “It was a huge deal for us as a new business to be here. We’ve been in business for less than a year and this event really did a lot to increase our visibility and get our brand out there, which was our main reason for participating”
The Original Arm Candy stocks locally manufactured handmade bracelets from all sorts of interesting materials, natural gemstones, wood and charms, packaged in signature candy boxes complete with “Nutrition Facts” on the back.
“What I was really happy for was the fact that I got to talk to people about my brand and they were willing to listen with the possibility that they could become a customer who potentially could spread the word about my brand,” Fakhourie said. With sales not necessarily being her ultimate goal for exhibiting at A Jamaican Made Christmas, she noted that some of her signature pieces, such as the Lava Stone Bracelet for men, were sold out at the event.
A Jamaican Made Christmas is the brainchild of National’s Chief Executive Officer Butch Hendrickson, who, over the two days, was seen getting to know each exhibitor and the stories behind their projects. “The double aim of the event was to give small and medium sized manufacturers an avenue where they could interact directly with potential customers and to encourage consumers to buy more Jamaican products, especially during the high spending Christmas season,” Hendrickson said.
About The Desk at 13 West
Market Me Consulting Limited is a Jamaican owned and operated communications company.