After entering under a bit of a cloud, fete promoters are figuring out how to give the public a proper Carnival experience.
Director of the Lollabee Group of Companies, Sheldon Stephen, was one of several promoters who felt blindsided by the government’s decision to ban the use of the Brian Lara Cricket Academy and other sporting venues for Carnival fetes in November. That decision had prompted the Promoters Association to call for a meeting with government to reconsider the detrimental impact of the ban, but to date the government has not budged, leaving promoters to find new spaces.
Stephen was one such.
In an interview with the Sunday Business Guardian, he said the forced pivot to Skinner Park has come with some unexpected upsides.
“Initially, when we got the information about the change in venue, it felt like a hit. But after getting to Skinner Park and understanding the venue and walking through the venue, Skinner Park is literally a brand new facility. And I feel like, just like myself, a lot of people are not aware that Skinner Spark is literally brand new,” said Stephen.
Skinner Park was reopened in February 2023 after a $131 million refurbishment. It had been closed for renovations in 2019.
The promoter explained that the new venue, which is located closer to the urban centre of San Fernando, has brought about several logistical advantages.
“When I got there, and I started to do my little calculations on placement, and where we were going to maneuver the event and stuff, things just started to work in our favour. The venue is huge and pretty good. The shape of the venue is pretty good,” he explained, adding that it actually complemented the plan to once again erect Carnival’s largest stage.
“We do a 200-foot stage, the length of the field, facilitating the stage perfectly. Our cabana deck is basically parallel to the stage, so you have an absolutely perfect line of sight to the stage. Usually, in Brian Lara, our cabanas are on the side of the stage. But the cabana experience and it would be really nice to see it, because if you own the Cabana, you basically face any stage, like a TV screen if you’re in your living room watching TV.” he said, “Then the food court is massive, because we’re using the entire left side of the venue where the tennis court is for the whole food court. So usually in Brian Lara, we have little challenges with those areas and space and things not being flat, but in Skinner’s Park, everything is flat, paved, perfect and new, so I started to feel more confident about the venue.”
He added, “I feel like after Xperience, a lot of people will sort of be impressed, just like myself, about how new and nice and big Skinner Park is.”
Stephen said he had conversed with San Fernando Mayor Robert Parris about the iconic Calypso Fiesta event, which has traditionally called Skinner Park home. That discussion revealed that the Calypso Monarch semi-final usually attracts 12,000 to 15,000 patrons, further increasing Stephen’s enthusiasm that this year’s Xperience could match its previous incarnations.
“Would it be bigger? I don’t know. Maybe next week, we’ll see. But tickets are selling pretty well. It’s a staple event in the Carnival calendar. So I think we’re not being affected by, all the little negative things going around like Venezuela,” said Stephen, who confirmed that just under 12,000 people attended the event at the car park of the stadium in Tarouba last year.
He also noted that the Skinner Park location could be easier accessed by public transportation. This, he felt, could open the event to more patrons while he also explained the parking lot for the venue was also spacious. However he explained the Xperience team was also seeking to utilise the SAPA car park for the event as well.
‘”It’s a completely different design. But yes, (we’re aiming for the) same size. We’re trying to go even bigger. We have a very flat, nice area to work with this year, and it’s working out. It is working out in our favour. As time goes by, it’s starting to show a little more that this is working out.”
The Lollabee Group also provides stage and lights for other events, and he noted that after a level of uncertainty during the Christmas season, particularly with tensions surrounding Venezuela, there were signs that the Carnival season was beginning to gain momentum.
“We’ve done about four events already to start Carnival. And, you know, so far, people have been coming out. Music is starting to build, and the soca is good this year. So, I mean, I would say, with all the negativity that I think was stirring up, I think everything is starting to flow now. I think we are in full swing of Carnival. I think the energy is starting to build, you know. And I mean, I think everybody is just, you know, Carnival is a spirit,” he said, “I feel during Christmas time, everybody was also on edge about Carnival, but now I’m really seeing everything just sort of starting to flow. I feel we’re in for a really great Carnival. And you know, I think as time go by, hopefully all those negative situations with Venezuela and Caricom, those situations will just sort of pan out, and we could just have a good season.”
Earlier this week, Ticket Federation updated its Carnival calendar with a number of events after several fetes, which had been limbo had finally got confirmation of venues. However there are promoters who note that ticket sales are slower than usual and a few events that have already been executed have commanded smaller crowds.
Stephen could not yet say how much the shift in venue and cost changes due to the increased excise duty on alcohol would impact his bottom-line as he was still awaiting invoices.
He also noted that given Skinner Park’s proximity to San Fernando’s urban and residential spaces, his team would be strictly adhering to guidelines from the Environmental Management Authority.
