As part of its efforts to expand investment in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector to include areas that are higher up the value chain such as software development, JAMPRO has thrown its support behind the inaugural staging of Caribbean BETA – a regional technology entrepreneurship conference that brings together global experts and the best Caribbean minds on the leading edge of the tech business boom.
JAMPRO, the investment and export promotion arm of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), has signed on as a platinum sponsor for the event, which will take place on November 25 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. Vivion Scully, JAMPRO’s Knowledge Services Manager, is scheduled to deliver a presentation on the range of opportunities available to entrepreneurs in ICT, including information technology export services, business process outsourcing (BPO) and the development of ICT space.
Particularly as it relates to software development, JAMPRO plans to use its
Marc Canter
participation in the event to establish links with key players in the local software market and initiate a data collection drive to determine the scope of programming and developer skills on the island. This information, which will be fed into an online database, will ultimately be used in the preparation of marketing collateral for knowledge process outsourcing and to aid potential and existing investors in the decision making process.
Organised by digital communications firm ConnectiMass, Caribbean BETA is
the first event of its kind in the region. Born out of Kingston BETA, the four-year-old networking and start-up pitch event, the conference will feature keynote speaker Marc Canter, co-founder of the billion-dollar company Macromedia, creator of the Flash Player, and current CEO of Digital City Mechanics.
“We’re going to be focussing on helping Caribbean entrepreneurs engage and provide value to their communities and markets to create jobs. Tech is where the future is and we’re going to be talking about growing a Caribbean digital economy and ecosystem,” said Canter in a press statement.
Michelle Messina
The other keynote speaker slated for the event is Michelle Messina, VP of Guidewire Group – a Silicon Valley-based company that provides startups, their supporters and business partners with the tools, data, networks and programmes needed to discover, monitor, benchmark, compare and promote early-stage companies.
One of the biggest highlights of the event will be the PITCHfest, a start-up contest that will see 19 entities presenting their business ideas/projects to a panel of judges and an audience that includes angel investors and venture capitalists. Among the topics that will be covered at various sessions during the conference are developing the entrepreneurial mindset, funding options, Caribbean success stories and understanding the digital economy. Four mini-networking sessions are included on the programme, as well as exclusive product demos.
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