ROSE HALL, St James — Cabinet maker Jason McCook already has an impressive résumé of clients including a former Olympian; now he has his sights set on securing clients within the tourism industry.

McCook was one of several first-time suppliers attending the Tourism Linkages Network’s Speed Networking event held on Thursday at Montego Bay Convention Centre.

The networking event offers suppliers a 15-minute window to pitch their products to potential clients, and the lure was too much for MCook to resist.

“I was on social media the other day and I saw where Jamaica has earned just about $1 billion in revenue and the year has just started in tourism. I said to myself, ‘Yes, I have other clients but we definitely want to get into the tourism sector’,” McCook told the
Jamaica Observer during the event.

He is hopeful that his unique offerings will lead to opportunities in the industry for him and his team.

“What makes us stand out is that we have leveraged technology to be able to produce cabinetry,” he said, explaining that he uses precision tools that are similar to robotic arms.

“Once we come and we do a measurement and a design and we export that design, the CNC routers will be able to cut out all of the shapes, all the items that are needed and trained carpenters will come in at that point and do the assembly and installation,” McCook continued.

This, he explained, significantly reduces the time it takes to complete a project, something he thinks many potential clients would find attractive.

“A kitchen that would take a carpenter three to six months to do, we can produce within two days because of the technology that we have,” said McCook.

He said there has been positive feedback from potential clients he spoke with at Thursday’s event.

“The experience so far has been pretty good, the hotels are very receptive. They are open to hearing what you have and everybody seems very excited about cabinets and cabinetry and I can understand why,” he remarked.

For Shauna-Gaye Hart, another first-timer, she too has been pleased with how receptive some of the buyers were as she displayed her offerings to the various tables.

She is a creator of Jamaica-themed puzzles and is now looking to go full steam ahead in an industry that she believes is ripe for her product.

“Getting into the hotels would be very important because I want Puzzles by SG to be that go-to gift or that go-to keepsake that people want to do over and over again or frame it as an art piece. It’s just a beautiful piece of Jamaica,” said Hart.

“The buyers are liking what I have so far; in fact, we don’t have to sit through the full 15 minutes because they are sold as soon as we sat down, which is great,” she stated.

Unlike McCook and Hart, Donovan Julius of Julius Estate was not starting from scratch in his attempt to tap into the tourism market. He has already supplied his wood-based furniture to at least one hotel. The Trelawny native now wants to expand his footprint in the sector and encourages others to do the same.

“Tourism is our bread and butter; this is our land and, if we can, we should try to see how we can benefit from it,” he stated.

Julius said a number of the hotels have indicated that they will contact him for further discussions.

“I know from experience that if they are not interested, they will not tell you something like that,” he said.

About 111 suppliers turned up on Thursday, all attempting to match services and products to about 35 hotels. Director of the Linkages Network Carolyn McDonald-Riley said the yearly approach to building these sort of relationships has been bearing fruit, especially for suppliers.

“[About] $1.5 billion has been done in business so far according to surveys that we have done,” she said, adding that it is proof that the event continues to work.

“It is substantial and significant, especially for those parties who continue to return each year,” McDonald-Riley remarked.

One of those firms that has attended since the first staging and continues to return is Therapedic Sleep Products. Group Marketing Manager Aswad Morgan explained why they keep showing up year after year, since 1999.

“It has always been an effective platform for us. We have credited Speed Networking over the years to the major successes we have experienced,” he explained.

“When the first RIU came here at Tropical Bay, they built 396 rooms in Negril and we were able to get the contract for that,” he disclosed.

Morgan noted since then there have been deals struck with other major hotels such as Secrets and Melia. He partially credits that to work done at the Speed Networking sessions each year.

“There is never a better opportunity than to sit down in one room with 40, 50 hoteliers and over a day’s period you get to sit down and interact with everybody in those 15-minute sessions and get to network,” said Morgan.