KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) has planned a slate of activities for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), which will be observed from November 17 to 22.

The GEW is recognized as the world’s largest celebration of innovators and job creators, who launch start-ups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.

Themed: ‘Shaping the Entrepreneurial Mindset’, the Week is aimed at inspiring the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Jamaica, through local and national initiatives designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators, using the MSME & Entrepreneurship Policy as a benchmark to success.

Highlighting the planned activities for the week, Corporate Communications Manager at the JBDC, Keneshia Nooks, said that the islandwide activities will include a business dialogue forum, open house and exhibition, business start-up expo and seminars to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

The week begins with the Business Dialogue Forum at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, on Monday, November 17, at 5:00 pm.

Throughout the week, the JBDC will host ‘Biz Connect’ networking events across the island to share information about current business opportunities, resources and programmes available to potential and existing entrepreneurs.

The first ‘Biz Connect’ will take place in Montego Bay at the Impact Plaza, 4A Cottage Road on Tuesday, November 18.

Other sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) office in Mandeville and Thursday at the Lucea United Church in Hanover. All ‘Biz Connect’ events will last from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Also on Wednesday, the JBDC will be staging an Open House at its Incubator and Resource Centre, at 76 Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston.

Nooks explained that the open house is specifically set up to provide technical support to all levels of entrepreneurs.

“Product development specialists; food technologists; graphic, fashion and jewelry designers; engineers and business development support agencies will be available to assess products and provide well-needed technical assistance and information to aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners,” she highlighted.

The main event for the Week is the Business Start-Up Expo, set for November 21 at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The expo, Nooks informed, will bring together approximately 10 exhibitors from a variety of industries, including banking, accounting, transport, business and technology, with discussions being led by local and international business leaders, successful business owners, brand and marketing experts, lecturers, wealth advisors, accounting gurus as well as specialists in the various business regulatory organizations in Jamaica.

The week will culminate on Saturday, November 22, with the Scotia Bank/Branson Centre Innovation workshop at the UWI, Mona.