The upcoming second annual Rum Bahamas Festival will shine a much-needed spotlight on the country's entrepreneurs and microbusinesses at a time when small businesses continue to have serious difficulty securing financing, according to a festival organizer.

Alexa Ray-Smith, vendor coordinator for Rum Bahamas, told Guardian Business that the upcoming festival has attracted 15 microbusinesses to date and is extending last minute invitations to additional interested businesses. Ray-Smith noted that most of the businesses featured at the festival would be handicraft vendors, largely due to the cooperation between the Rum Bahamas Festival and the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC).

"It's extremely important for a better economic future if The Bahamas wants to see any kind of financial stability in a different sector. Other countries in the region are seeing that this is where we need to invest now because 10-15 years from now we're going to see growth and profits.

"Who's going to give these people chances? It's festivals that we need in order to get some sort of income for microbusinesses. We'd love to see festivals hosted in this country once a month. With that happening, you'd definitely see an economic turnaround. If affects us all, but there's a group of people who it affects tremendously," said Ray-Smith,
Speaking with Guardian Business.

Rum Bahamas Festival event organizer Catherine Chisnall-Mitchell stressed the importance of promoting these businesses through festival tourism in difficult economic times. Rum Bahamas Festival organizers have been engaged in training participating microbusinesses in branding and other soft skills ahead of the event.

"We truly believe that The Bahamas is filled with creative, vibrant, welcoming people who have so much to offer as the Caribbean market becomes more competitive.

"We made a conscious decision not to partner with charities and not to offer handouts, but rather to enable entrepreneurs to promote their own products. We want to strengthen real Bahamian businesses. We should have a culture of festival tourism that creates an environment in which people can benefit socially and economically and rediscover what it means to truly welcome people, offering products made with love," said Chisnall-Mitchell.

The Rum Bahamas Festival will be held on February 27-March 1 at Fort Charlotte.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian