The Dancehall Week Business Of Entertainment Expo, held on Wednesday at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St Andrew, highlighted the importance of dancehall culture and its growth over the years while seeking to foster corporate support for the industry’s continued expansion.

The expo, which preceded a Magic Malt dance workshop hosted by Shady Squad, saw representatives of sponsors beaming with pride at being part of such an impactful event for dancehall. Among them was Magnum Brand Manager Brandon Wallace who noted that his team was thrilled to be a part of the movement from its 2024 inception.

“We’ve been doing this for a second year, as a sponsor, and we really look forward to continuing the support of Dancehall Week in the future. We want to know how we can make Dancehall Week appreciated more by Jamaicans— that’s the goal. I think that will really help people to have a different perspective on dancehall, more than just the parties and the music but the other aspects such as creativity, fashion, food and all the other art forms,” Wallace said at the expo.

Also in attendance at the official Dancehall Week Village were Double Seven Brand Manager Bobette Bolton; CEO of Clearsound Production Services Kelvin Osbourne; as well as Mishika Silvera, Destination Manager for Kingston at the Tourism Product Development Company. Representatives from Sagicor, Kingston Creative, Headline Entertainment, the Business Development & Consulting Institute at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, Jamaica Association of Composers Authors and Publishers Ltd, and Jamaica Intellectual and Property Office (JIPO) also participated in the day’s activities.

Audley Simmonds, a director of Dancehall Week 2025, lauded the efforts of this year’s partners, while noting that further support is welcomed as the organisers aim to cultivate the recognition of dancehall on a global scale.

“We want to underscore the importance of everyone here. Despite all that is happening in the space, we try to push the positive side of dancehall. While we’re doing this, there are many other nuts and bolts that need to be adjusted, so, through these partnerships we need the continued support. There are a number of things that go into putting on a good event the right way, and with this being our second staging of Dancehall Week, we’re still learning how we can make each experience better than the last. We’re encouraged by the support that we’ve seen so far, and want to implore these brands, and others to play their part in the music industry on a whole as we seek to maintain our culture,” he said.

Friday will see Dancehall Fashion Frenzy with Boom Boom and Stone Love hosted by D’Angel. Foska Oats will be hosting the Fitness Boot-camp on Saturday between 6am-9am, while Sunday will see the Double Seven Dancehall Week Street Parade at 5pm followed by Magnum Carousing, the official after party with performances from Pamputtae, Jah Vinci, Jamal and Tommy Lee Sparta, starting at 7pm.

-Kediesha Perry