KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Some 351 entertainment practitioners and 45 companies have already been registered with the National Entertainment Registry of the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment.

This was revealed by State minister in the ministry Damion Crawford at a press conference held at the offices of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) in Kingston Monday, to highlight the achievements of the Entertainment Advisory Board (EAB) and the Entertainment Division in the Ministry.

He said that the registry, which was established in August 2014 to certify and register local entertainment practitioners, will be made available online in the next two months.

Crawford informed that in addition to being able to access benefits as it relates to their tools of trade, entertainers stand to gain from having their profiles immediately accessible to operators seeking to book their services.

The National Entertainment Registry seeks to provide a central portal for listing Jamaican entertainment services and companies, including their key profile and contact information.

It seeks to legitimise the entertainment industry for greater economic benefit; facilitate efficiency and transparency; and provide for the free movement of creative skills internationally and across the region.

Meanwhile, the State minister noted that it would soon be mandatory for all event promoters to be registered.

He said this would serve to facilitate the rating of all entertainment events. This event rating system was approved by Cabinet in July of last year.

“It’s an important step because we want to protect not just our children, but the audience, so that we can know what to expect from this event (beforehand),” he said, adding that it will also allow the artiste to know what is expected of him/her and prepare accordingly.

Additionally, Crawford said the rating system will create increased opportunities for commercial sponsorship.

“(It) will allow for an NCB (National Commercial Bank), for example, to sponsor a particular event if it feels so inclined, knowing that its brand is not going to be negatively affected and that there are repercussions if the promises are not upheld,” he pointed out.

The rating will be done by promoters in line with the specifications of the ministry.