MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Thirty-nine women received a major boost for the development of their businesses following the eighth staging of the annual Made in Manchester Expo recently.

Event conceptualiser Annette Salmon told the Jamaica Observer that the expo was aimed at boosting business visibility for women.

“Highlighting, celebrating, showcasing them, so Made in Manchester is a platform that we are using to bring more visibility and awareness to a group of women,” she said during the event held in the Scotiabank parking lot on Caledonia Road.

Salmon reflected on the success of the event, which originated from the recognition of 200 women at another event in 2015.

“Out of that event itself I realised that most of the women who were in the room, more than 90 per cent of them, had no knowledge of each other even though all the women were from Manchester,” she said.

She said it brought about an opportunity to host an event that would get the women together on an ongoing basis to raise their visibility. Salmon said Made in Manchester was conceptualised from that idea.

The event has grown over the years with over 30 exhibitors showcasing their products at this year’s staging.

When asked if she plans to expand the expo to other parishes, Salmon said she remains focused on Manchester.

“It is a question we get all the time [but] right now my heart is in Manchester and that is what I am able to do right now,” she said.

Raquel Chambers, proprietor at Spa Blu in Mandeville, lauded Salmon’s efforts.

“We think it is a wonderful event. We like networking and being able to meet other small business owners and specifically other women business owners,” said Chambers.

Spa Blu opened its doors in Mid Way Mall last December offering an abundance of skincare services.

“We chose Mandeville very specifically because we wanted to be here and Mandeville is not a huge tourist area and our brand really is for [everyone]. We are trying to get people in the community to be more invested and more aware of self-care and skincare, so that is why we chose Mandeville as our first location,” said Chambers.

She added that Spa Blu is in conjunction with a French franchise.

“We are collaborating with a French franchise called Epilation Beauty, so they are all over the French islands. They are in Guadeloupe, French Guiana, St Martin, so this is the first in the English-speaking Caribbean. We are really happy to bring this level of products and service to Jamaica,” she said.

Sadra Madonna Lindsay, proprietor for Garden Gold Cosmetics, whose business specialises in natural haircare, also commended Salmon for hosting the expo.

“In terms of women going out there in business, it is a little bit different from our male counterparts. They kind of have a clout that we are still working on developing and I figured, if we should come together as a female body, then we can really pull something off and I wanted to get the exposure in Mandeville,” she said.

“Generally, I think it is good for any start-up business and I have been following Miss Salmon for a little while and I had wanted to be here last year, but it didn’t materialise. This year when I saw the opportunity I was, like, I’m pushing at it, because it helps to send your business out there,” she added.

Brittany Thompson, business development executive at Meet Studio.Co.

“I think it’s a good initiative as it is bringing out females in business, so highlighting women who have a company or business in Mandeville is good marketing for each of us, it helps with business and helps the community to grow, so [we] have to appreciate something like this,” she said.

She added that the Mandeville-based company has been in operation for the past six months.

“The concept behind Meet Studio.Co is a creative hub. We want Mandeville to have a space where creatives can come and experience what people in Kingston are experiencing. Like, we don’t want people here to feel limited to the outdoors, but to be able to access a studio space where they can come and have an elevated experience,” she said.

Shellena Reynolds, owner of SR Training and Consultant Services, applauded Salmon for the expo.

“I think it is a wonderful initiative. We have so many women who are trying at businesses in Mandeville and across Jamaica and this is indeed a plus, so I applaud the organisers for this,” she said.

Reynolds is a training partner with the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCO) focused on facilitating the Team Jamaica Programme.

“The programme which is offered through TPDCO, is a 28-hour programme [available] online via Zoom or face-to-face… It covers 11 courses,” she said.

Reynolds told the Observer that tourism on the south coast is rapidly growing.

“It is actually being developed, if you even look at St Elizabeth a number of smaller properties are coming upc— the guest houses and the villas — so we want to continue to capitalise on that. We want people to realise that it is important to understand the industry,” she said.