KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaican government has promised a delegate-friendly atmosphere for the Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, scheduled for June 14-18 at the Montego Bay Conference Centre in St James.

It will be held under the theme, ‘Diaspora Patnerships: Re-Building A More Climate-Resilient Jamaica’.

Alando Terrelonge, state minister in the ministry of foreign affairs, said technology will play an even greater role in the conference, which attracts Jamaicans from major Diaspora markets in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.

Addressing Diaspora figures on March 22 at Miramar City Hall in South Florida, Terrelonge said the new www.altix.app/bidc will guarantee easier communication between delegates.

“With AlTix Connect, we are making it easier than ever to engage. Simply add your social handles or Linkedin profile to your registration and attendees can instantly exchange information by pairing their RFID wristband with a mobile device,” he said. “And that’s just the beginning. This year, we are taking the conference to the next level with seamless cashless payments, end-to-end exhibitor management and smarter point-of-sale solutions designed to make every moment effortless.”

Terrelonge added that delegates, sponsors, and exhibitors, “can look forward to cashless payments powered by Near-field Communication/ Radio Frequency identification (NFC/RFID) wristband pairing at entry, enabling seamless tap-to-/transactions across all vendors”.

The junior minister visited South Florida one month after the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council elections in the US, Canada and UK. He touted achievements of the Jamaican government since the previous conference in 2024, which was also held in Montego Bay.

Terrelonge pointed to a 43 per cent decline in homicides in 2025, and positive reports on Jamaica’s economy from rating agencies such as Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, as the main areas of improvement.

Eddy Edwards, a Miramar City commissioner, spoke to the Observer Online about meeting with Terrelonge.

“One of the biggest takeaways from the minister’s speech was the positive impact contributions from the Jamaican Diaspora played in contributing to the rapid recovery of the island from Hurricane Melissa,” he said. “Improvements I would like to see are the Jamaican government begin to utilise the expertise of the Diaspora to assist in improving various sectors of the economy and infrastructure.

Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025, causing extensive damage in the parishes of St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny.

The Jamaican Diaspora has donated millions of dollars in relief items to the recovery process.