The Everything Vincy Expo made its long awaited return 10 am on Monday 24th with an opening ceremony, with the goal of generating increased interest in Vincentian culture, merchandise and sporting heritage.
Executive Director of Invest SVG, the organizers for the festival, Annette Mark, emphasized the necessity for the return of the Expo following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and explosive eruptions of La Soufriere.
Mark said that planning for this year’s festival began in June following the relaxing of the nation’s COVID-19 protocols. She said up until that time it was thought there was not going to be an expo this year due to the COVID-19 restrictions that were in place.
“The moment that the restrictions were lifted, or relaxed, it was decided “listen, we have to do this”, we’ve come through way two very rough years of covid and the volcano eruptions and everything else that has happened. We needed to create this platform for our entrepreneurs, our small business, microbusiness, medium businesses, to just come out and showcase their products and services and we could not just let the year go by without this happening,” Invest SVG’s Executive Director said.
She said there is a need to bring awareness to the Vincentian public and beyond as to what is being offered here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
First implemented in October 2017, the ‘Everything Vincy’ Expo is spearheaded by Invest SVG, the initiative fits in line with one of the investment agency’s mandates of furthering export development within St. Vincent and the Grenadines – an essential component in SVG’s overall economic growth.