OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Like the late Louis Grant for whom it is named, Sandals Dunn’s River’s newly built smart conference centre will play a significant role in fostering the exchange of ideas.

The 8,000-square-foot facility is also a reaffirmation of Sandals’ commitment to the Meeting, Incentives, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) segment of the market. There was an official ribbon-cutting and naming ceremony on the grounds of the Mammee Bay, St Ann, property Tuesday afternoon.

“Louis was a connector of people and community and that is what this building is designed to do: Bring people here to ideate, come together and connect. So there is no better honour than to put Louis’s name on the side of this building,” said Sandals Resorts Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, during a moving address at the ceremony.

Grant passed away in March 2023, after dedicating more than 60 years of his life to the hotel industry. For a quarter of a century he was an integral part of the Sandals brand, holding leadership positions in both Jamaica and St Lucia.

“He was an icon in the industry. Louis trained more of the leadership of what is Sandals today, step-by-step, by who he was and how he led,” Stewart added.

The luxurious conference centre has three break-out areas — White River, Fern Gully and Laughing Waters — which can be converted to accommodate more than 500 people. There are also board rooms which seat up to 15.

Regional managing director, Sandals Resorts Jamaica Jeremy Jones stressed that the meeting space was built to international standards.

“The conference centre business fluctuates but this centre was built for long-term investment and right now we are laying the foundation,” he said, adding that he welcomes both local and international clients to experience the state-of-the-art facility.

“This is top quality; you’re not going to find anything better,” said Jones. Designed to support a wide range of events and technology needs, the centre features three video walls with both QuickShare and HDMI connectivity, allowing seamless content sharing. It also offers two interactive touch screen televisions to be used for presentations or digital whiteboards for collaborative sessions.

There is also a centralised audio system with the ability to separate audio by room, as well as customisable lighting that can be adjusted to fit the ambiance required for each event.

Jones opted not to disclose the cost but said several million US dollars has already been invested in the project.

Also at Tuesday’s event was Mayor of St Ann’s Bay Michael Belnavis, who applauded the move.

“This is a big thing for St Ann; we are on a new thrust. Almost every week we open a new business and the hotel business is no different, being a part of the growth of Ocho Rios. This is a big move by coming in with this conference centre,” Belnavis said.

Sandals Resorts International Executive Chairman Adam Stewart (third left); Louis Grant’s widow, Debbie; regional managing director, Sandals Resorts Jamaica Jeremy Jones (left); Mayor of St Ann’s Bay Michael Belnavis (second left); custos of St Ann Joey Issa (second right); and managing director at Sandals Resorts International Merrick Fray cut the ribbon to officially open the newly built Louis Grant Conference Centre at Sandals Dunn’s River. (Photo: Akera Davis)

Wife of late Louis Grant, Debbie and executive chairman Sandals International unveil the official name sign on conference centre. (Photo: Akera Davis)

The Fern Gully section of Sandals Dunn’s River’s new Louis Grant Conference Centre. (Photo: Akera Davis)