Organisers of the third annual Atlanta Georgia Relays International are hoping to bolster the image of meet by courting this country's top tier athletes.
Triple Olympic medallist Richard Thompson and sprinter Khalifa St Forte have competed at the event, which next year is scheduled to take place from May 27-28, at the Langston Hughes Stadium.
At Tuesday's media conference held at the Radisson Hotel on Wrightson Road in Port-of-Spain, Pan American and CAC Games gold medallist Maurice Smith, brand manager of the event, described it as an international track meet that focuses on the development of the youths.
He said it provided opportunities for athletes in the Caribbean to display their talents on an international stage.
On his whistle-stop-tour of the Caribbean, Smith left local shores and travelled to Grenada and was confirmed to travel to St Lucia and Canada for further promotional engagements.
Apart from his native Jamaica, Smith has been to the Bahamas, too, garnering interest in the relays.
"We really want a strong Caribbean presence for 2017. We had seven Caribbean islands for 2016 and now we are looking to make it even bigger and better. With the Caribbean athletes being on a high now in track and field, we want to use that to attract other teams as well, because it's an international competition. Teams from the US, from different states will be present in the Stadium, as well for 2017," he said.
Smith continued, "I'm a Caribbean athlete, from Jamaica. It's four of us as partners and we are all Jamaicans.
I am not comparing us to the Penn Relays, but the success of the Penn Relays over the years came from the spectators that come to support. When you look at the dominance in the crowd at the Penn Relays, it's really the Caribbean colours you are seeing, mostly.
With Atlanta not having a major track and field event since the 1996 Olympics, I saw where we could capitalise on that opportunity. In Atlanta, Georgia, it's a growing population of over 60,000 West Indians. I think we can capitalise on that population."
Curt Stewart, president and coach of Genesis Athletic Club, said citing the developmental success his five athletes benefitted from at last year's meet, he was eager to avail himself of all the requirements and logistics for participation at next year's event.
"I took five young ladies. Out of the five, three of them made the finals competing with top Jamaicans...Americans, ages 13-14 and 15-16, in the 100m, 200m and 800m," he said.
Asked how the experience changed his athletes for the better, Stewart replied, "Those athletes are a lot more focused and they are actually looking forward to next year. In the next two years, I see them vying for a spot in the Carifta Games. This is the whole motive and direction. This is the preparation...the mindset."
He addressed the dynamics related to funding for such an undertaking and saluted Genesis Track and Field's strong parent support group.
Despite the present state of the local economy Stewart was focused on raising funds and taking a larger contingent to the Relays in 2017 at which he hoped to record championships results.