Montego Bay, Jamaica, will play host to Outsource2LAC Global Digital Summit, the largest outsourcing showcase in the Western Hemisphere, next month, June 14 and 15.

The event will be organised by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, through Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Government representatives from 20 trade promotion agencies across Latin America and the Caribbean will also be in attendance.

A long-standing initiative by the IDB’s Integration and Trade Sector, Outsource2LAC highlights the significant benefits that outsourcing can bring to the economies of the region, including creating high-value jobs, technology transfer, a surge in foreign direct investment, and a diversified export market. The IDB is expecting approximately 400 entrepreneurs to attend the summit, which “will focus on cutting-edge knowledge and promoting business”.

Commenting on Jamaica’s selection for hosting to the conference, Fabrizio Opertti, manager, Integration and Trade Sector, told the Jamaica Observer, “Jamaica’s impressive growth in the global services sector and its emergence as the Caribbean’s leading nearshore global services partner make it an ideal location to host the 9th edition of Outsource2LAC. With its English-speaking and multilingual workforce, Jamaica is a hub for global services and has established itself as a key player in the industry.”

According to a report from Avasant, the global services sector in Jamaica has grown at an average annual growth rate of 20 per cent over the past five years, driven largely by business process outsourcing firms (54 per cent), with information technology outsourcing (30 per cent) and knowledge process outsourcing (16 per cent) also making significant contributions.

“This rapid growth is a testament to the country’s commitment to digital innovation and knowledge-based services and reinforces Jamaica’s position as a leading nearshore global services partner in the Caribbean. Also, the country’s special economic zones have attracted more than 15 international corporations, making Jamaica an even more attractive location for business and investment,” Opertti explained.

“By hosting Outsource2LAC in Jamaica, we are providing an opportunity for industry leaders to explore the potential of this vibrant and growing market, while experiencing the country’s unique culture and business-friendly environment,” he added.

Global corporations, SMEs, entrepreneurs and government entities from Latin American and the Caribbean can expect to learn about the latest tech trends for knowledge-based services. They will also have access to global experts, suppliers, investors and digital services start-up.

But while the conference will offer participants an overview of back-office, knowledge-based and digital outsourcing services available throughout the region, as well as engage them in discussions on timely themes and trends, it will also “allow the global digital services sector stakeholders to showcase all of what Jamaica has to offer”, Gabriel Heron, vice-president – marketing at Jampro, informed of Caribbean Business Report. He pointed out further that the conference will highlight the country’s ecosystem advantages, the digital acceleration of our economy “as it relates to tech services available”, the strength of our telecommunications infrastructure to support outsourcing.

Moreover, the Jampro VP said the conference will expose Jamaica’s services further up the value chain in terms of the KPO and ITO capabilities resident in companies such as Starapple Analytics, Knightfox App Design and KPMG. This, he continued, will change the narrative of the Jamaican global services sector being limited to business process outsourcing (BPOs).

“We’ll be launching a global awareness campaign for the new brand that will represent the global digital services of Jamaica,” Heron shared, adding that the campaign will be similar to the tourism’s sector Visit Jamaica promotion.

“And that brand positioning is more of the value-added orientation…further up the value chain.”

Jampro will be targeting 600 overseas participants who are either investors who wish to set up operations in Jamaica or are buyers looking for outsourcing services. The agency will also be looking to match small business companies with niche outsourcing services.

Another programme that Jampro will launch at the summit is the Technical Innovation District Accelerator.

“We’re pulling together, through the Global Services Sector [of Jamaica], 20 local tech firms to showcase their services from an outsourcing perspective to the globe and that’s an activation that will happen at Outsource2LAC as well,” Heron outlined.

On Wednesday, founding chairman and CEO of itel Yoni Epstein revealed to Caribbean Business Report that his company will be a “major sponsor” of Outsource2LAC Jamaica 2023.

Commenting on the significance of the event coming to the country, he noted, “Outsource2LAC is the largest conference for BPOs [business process outsourcers] held in the region. It is usually held in Central or South America, and for it to be in Jamaica is a testament to what we have achieved as being a market leader in the region. We want to thank the IDB for choosing Jamaica and Jampro for executing it.”

The event will also allow participants to explore new business opportunities through business-to-business and business-to-government matchmaking sessions covering areas including software development, automation, e-commerce, video games, agricultural technology and financial technology. They will also discuss trends including artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and cloud computing, among other emerging technologies in workshops and panel discussions.

Among the speakers at the summit will be Senator Aubyn Hill, minister of industry, investment and commerce; Anand Biradar, president of Global Services Association of Jamaica; Kadion Preston, CEO, Caribshopper; Mariame McIntosh Robinson, managing director of Qenta; and Shullette Cox, president, Jampro.

Preston, who will be a part of a panel discussion titled ‘Disrupting the Retail Landscape: Navigating the Future of E-Commerce in a Post-Pandemic World’, told the Caribbean Business Report that the summit is “absolutely timely as the Jamaica has been showing the world that we are more than the best place to vacation. Our nearshore possibilities for trade and expertise are ideal to host a conference of this magnitude.”

Since 2011, Outsource2LAC has been held in Montevideo, Uruguay; Medellin, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Guatemala City; Guadalajara, Mexico; and San Jose, Costa Rica. From the over 11,000 B2C and B2G meetings, business deals totalling US$310 million have been generated,

The last staging of Outsource2LAC in 2019 in Argentina saw over 900 business leaders attending.