BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND

Observer staff reporter

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Jamaica Observer team members from Mandeville and Kingston recently spent an evening expressing gratitude to the newspaper’s advertisers in this town.

Managing Director Danville Walker, Advertising Manager Natalie Chin-Watkins, Marketing and Communications Manager Avadaughn Sinclair, and Jodian Ebanks of the Marketing Department journeyed from Kingston to this South/Central town for the third staging of the ‘Mixer’.

Mixers were also held in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay where the Observer has business and news bureaus.

The two-hour early evening event unfolded at OMG Restaurant and Coffee Bar at the Cobblestone Professional Centre on Brumalia Road.

Business managers were able to interact and introduce their services to other guests.

Observer managers also reinforced their commitment to the partnership provided through the support of advertisers.

“You are the ones who keep us in business. We are here to help you develop your business. There is no budget too small or too large to help you get your customers through the door. We are committed to you… you are standing here tonight because you are part of our family,” said Chin-Watkins.

Walker said businesses needed to identify different approaches to be able to better serve customers.

“What we have to find ways to do is grow our businesses in Jamaica. As business people we will have to find different ways to reach customers,” he said.

Added Walker: “If we don’t do the work now we will be right here when 2030 comes. The day after you sign the IMF (International Monetary Fund) agreement it will be the same Jamaica.”

The Observer, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, has cemented its place in the media landscape and has grown into one of Jamaica’s important and influential institutions.

Walker highlighted the reportage of “indigenous” stories as a feature of the offerings by the Observer and alerted guests to the fact that a radio station is on the horizon.

He assured the audience that going forward there will be similar opportunities to meet.

“We will have more of these mixers,” he said. “We definitely want to do more to network. If the Observer is anything we have to be pro-business. Business is the best social programme you have.”

1590: Kathryn Henry (left), Jamaica Observer branch co-ordinator in Mandeville, with Alex and Deana Chung of Bamboo Gardens Restaurant.

1617: Simone Spence-Johnson (left) of Blue Ember Concepts with her guest Eva Forde.

1603: Michael Gottshalk, marketing manager at Manchester Co-operative Credit Union, with fiancé Shaalyn Thompson at the Mixer.

1606: People’s Co-operative Bank representatives Marsha Messam (left) and Netesha Davis.

1570: Alvin Murray, general manager at the Christiana Potato Growers Co-operative, with Jamaica Observer staff members Jodian Ebanks (centre) of the Marketing Department and Advertising Manager Natalie Chin-Watkins.

1608: Beauty experts Keeshan Collinder (left) of Simone’s, Celeste Tyndale (centre) of Bellissima Spa and Salon, and Jennifer Groves of Athena Salon in discussion at the Mixer.

1583: Jean Anderson (left) of Global Travel Service, Lilieth Cameron (seated) of Brides ‘N’ Fashion, Natalie Chin-Watkins (2nd right) Observer advertising manager, and Avadaughn Sinclair Observer Marketing managers seem quite entertained at the Mixer.

1614- Danville Walker, Jamaica Observer managing director, assuring the advertisers that there will be more opportunities to meet and network. (Photos: Gregory Bennett)