THE National Commercial Bank (NCB) will invest just under $10 million in a two-year partnership with promoters of the Dream Weekend, with the long-term focus of growing its SME client base.

Julian Patrick, manager, sponsorship and promotions, NCB told Sunday Finance that NCB’s involvement in the party series, which takes place in Negril over the Independence Weekend, is geared towards providing the business platform on which this event and other businesses owned by the organisers can grow.

“For the first year, our main concentration is on the organisers themselves as a collective of business persons. We will look at the peripheral in more detail after this year’s event but our first point of entry is really within the collective of the organisers… to say, we know you have other SME businesses outside of the Dream events and outside the parties,” said Patrick.

“Some are engineers, some are media planners etc… so what we have said is, ‘bring together everything under the NCB umbrella and we will facilitate a seamless integration of all your businesses, plus the party side of your businesses’,” Patrick noted.

NCB’s initial partnership with the popular entertainment event will run for two years beginning this year, after which it will be reviewed and renewed going forward. Patrick said in addition to the cross-selling opportunities that are apparent in the partnership, the Bank was satisfied that the organisers were committed to the success of the event for the long term.

“One of the reasons we aligned with the Dream promoters is that they presented to us a very, very comprehensive and detailed package of where they want to take it over the next 10 years. So with that kind of visionary look and number crunching and plans, we felt comfortable in aligning with them,” Patrick said.

He said, however, that within the first year, partygoers should not expect to see any branding by NCB on the ground in Negril during the event, but should experience the ease, convenience and safety that the NCB platform can facilitate through automated transactions.

Patrick added that the organisers will get a chance to focus on their core operations while NCB takes care of the logistics of the event in terms of security and managing cash and credit transactions. The promoters hire approximately 500 persons, including caterers, security, and persons on the ground over the weekend of the event. NCB, through its ATM will make payment of these employees simpler and safer for all involved.

“It takes a lot of trouble out of them logistically and it gives them more time to focus on creating the package they want to create,” Patrick said.

Each August, the Dream Weekend attracts over 15,000 partygoers to Negril, many of whom spend between $10,000 to $15,000 for the season bands alone. Promoters estimate that the event generates approximately $500 million in revenues for the area through hospitality, food and beverage, fashion and merchandising industries. This year the Dream Weekend will take place July 29-August 1.