KINGSTON, Jamaica – General Manager of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) Dr Damian Graham says that all individuals who were displaced by a fire which razed some 18 shops at the Kingston Craft Market last month will be accommodated in retrofitted space within the current facility.

“One thing I can guarantee is that nobody will be left behind. While we are doing the work on the reimaging of the spaces, everybody will have to be accommodated,” Dr Graham told a Business Continuity Meeting between the UDC, the vendors and several interest groups at the Corporation’s Ocean Boulevard Offices in downtown Kingston recently.According to a UDC release, in mentioning developments such as the completion of the Festival Marketplace and Food Bazaar as well as the nearby Victoria Pier, which is being revamped, the UDC general manager told the entrepreneurs that this could result in increased opportunities through visitor arrivals and further urged them to think of fresh ways to present their goods.“It is happening…people travelling and coming into the area must want to come to ground zero…You are selling an experience; you are not just selling craft. That experience is what brings you repeat business,” he said.“On the infrastructure side we want to re-imagine the space that was affected. In all the craft markets (Montego Bay, Ocho Rios) we are building out a concept called the artisan experience, it speaks to culinary art or gastronomy, visual arts, performing arts and creative arts”.He said individuals needed to consider for example, moving from selling just a sachet of chocolate balls with a grater to making the beverage on the spot, pouring it into a branded cup and “selling an experience to the visitor”.“It doesn’t stop with the gastronomy. You need to sell an experience. We believe these 18 shops that were affected gives us a chance to begin this conversation,” he told the group several of whom nodded in agreement.