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Premier Event Services to Organize 2013 Cohobblopot: There Is Still Meat On the Fatted Calf!

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Faye Wharton-Parris
Jerry Ishmael

The minister [Stephen Lashley] said for the much talked about Cohobblopot, there were two tenders for the hosting of the event, which was won by Rihanna’s Loud Concert and Barbados Food, Wine and Rum Festival organisers Premier Event Services – Barbados Today

The news that the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has awarded the right to organize Cohobblopot, one of the premier Crop Over events,  to Premier Event Services with just over one month to go  is interesting. Has anyone bothered to ask who are the directors of this company? What is their history of staging cultural shows? Is there enough time for this company to execute one of the biggest shows in Barbados? How much money is tagged to this arrangement? It is all about demonstrating transparency which is (was?) promoted by this government when it assumed office in 2008.

The two people behind Premier Event Services are Jerome (Jerry) Ishmael and Faye Wharton-Parris. The company has a rich record of hosting high profile events. Of interest to BU is the fact that Jerry Ishmael is Chairman of the St. Michael South Constituency Council and Faye Wharton-Parris is the wife of the beleaguered former president of CLICO Holdings Barbados Limited. For some reason this arrangement has left a sour ‘aftertaste’ in the mouth.  It seems when the two political parties are in office the party faithful are always the first at the trough to suckle from the udder of the fatted calf. Will we ever change the way we do business in Barbados?

Is it not sad that the Creatives who make the festival what it is are the ones who continue to wait for crumbs to fall from the table of the Minister of Culture? Why is it we see the same names every year clutching the manna? The Chetwyn Stuarts, Dorsie Boyces (DB Productions) et al. The Creatives must see the opportunities which abound to play a leadership role in Crop Over and other national events?

The members of the yardfowl brigade will all chime in to sing the same old song. We like it so!

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156 responses to “Premier Event Services to Organize 2013 Cohobblopot: There Is Still Meat On the Fatted Calf!”

  1. Paul Barnes Avatar
    Paul Barnes

    Calves are too young to give milk David…just so you know…anybody sucking from a calf’s udder (even a fatted one) is bound to just get a bellyful of air… 🙂

  2. David Avatar
    David

    @Paul

    In Bajan parlance the calf will do just fine.

  3. Silly thee Avatar
    Silly thee

    Parris & family got billions,last body to have a need for a plate of chicken necks tomorrow or a tank of gas to get to 3 days work next week. Why this is the ultimate slap in the face for Crop Over.

  4. David (not BU) Avatar
    David (not BU)

    i don’t think anyone can question Premier Event Services ability to pull of a show like that. what i would love to see is the tendering process. With i think we can then set the cats from the dogs.

  5. David (not BU) Avatar
    David (not BU)

    With that..

  6. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    ….the epitome of political gluttony…..friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me thy ear….. black bird soup for peasants, venison for the kings….can you stop it ?

  7. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    David

    When I read this piece, I did not visualise anyone feeding off a fatted calf: the persistent image that kept flashing in my mind was that of several pigs feeding from a small trough. When I was a boy my family kept pigs and you would see at feeding time bigger pigs attempting to gain an advantage over the others by putting both front feet in the trough.

    When will this corruption stop?

  8. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    And to think Our Dear Leader is a man of Integrity keen to uphold high standards in public office.
    You were told the man is a total fraud and deceitful hypocrite!
    What has been said about the man is not any lie, ya hear!
    The truth will out!

  9. PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926-2013 AND SEE MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS Avatar
    PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926-2013 AND SEE MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS

    When will this corruption stop @ When the PM get balls to tell the truth and then start the clean up,Put things in place , Get On the news , radio, tell the people the truth , We are sure the People will work with him to clean up Barbados and move forward.
    But to keep the lies alive will kill us all,

    police came today , We gave them a class on DEEDS and show them what they never saw. They asked about the land they live on ,
    We said yes , we have an APP for that ,,, sorry a deed for that,
    they also saw 54 million a month in rent the govt owes the Estate and all the name of the people in this mess,
    On their way out they said keep fighting and dont give up.’

    SATURDAY SUN OCTOBER 4TH 2004 FRONT PAGE
    BY DEED ALONE , court moving against land fraud, now to page 4 ,
    by ANTOINETTE CONNELL
    DISHONEST PEOPLE will not be allowed to steal land by using the court anymore,,,
    Well we ask how many did so far and still to this day ?

  10. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @David the blog master “The two people behind Premier Event Services are Jerome (Jerry) Ishmael and Faye Wharton-Parris…. Jerry Ishmael is Chairman of the St. Michael South Constituency Council and Faye Wharton-Parris is the wife of the beleaguered former president of CLICO Holdings Barbados Limited”…Leroy Parris, the non-leper friend of Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.

    Meanwhile the tens of thousand of Bajans who invested their money in CLICO, wait and wait and wait while Leroy’s wife is granted the opportunity to earn even more money.

  11. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    As the organisers of the 2013 Barbados Food Wine and Rum Festival, I am frankly surprised the dedicated website has not been updated for this year. The event is just five months away, and possible attendees don’t want to leave it to the last second to book and pay for the highest airfares.
    Also it has not been co-ordinated with the BDS$11 million Barbados Island Inclusive promotion which has a booking deadline later this week (22 June 2013).
    This seems yet another lost opportunity and a dismal failure to capitalise of piggyback marketing possibilities.

  12. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    I knew that woman’s face looked familiar, will it never end? I am sure there is a company or organization who could do just as well and better and in need of the money……….on any given day one just has to drive into the ursuline school and see how many different cars she drives in one week. This government is definitely not helping the situation, and the opposition would not do any better, same nepotism and useless favoritism.

  13. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Plantation………let’s see if the courts in Bim allows Sandy Lane to rob these two black women of their land..

    http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/land-conflict/

  14. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    David et al;

    I think that Leroy Parris should be made to repay all the rumoured millions that he appears to have diverted from CLICO. I do not know his wife. Never met her. I also have little regard for Jerry Emptage since he always came over to me as a stuffy big shot who had little time for ordinary folk.

    But to be fair, since everyone thinks that Premier Event Services are eminently capable of running the event, it just seems like a dog-in-the-manger attitude to be accusing the Government of malfeance in the award of the contract without any evidence of such so far.

    I know that this Government has certainly surpassed the past Arthur one in corruption (It will all come out sometime) but give us some more facts before you set the hounds baying for Faye Wharton – Parris. If it is found that there were any infelicities in the award of the contract then by all means do what is necessary to either revoke it or ensure the proceeds go into the kitty for the CLICO sufferers but at this stage the general tenor of the blog leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

  15. David Avatar
    David

    @checkit-out

    We need fix the current system. It is too lopsided. This not about whether Premier is the better company f the two who tendered. But for crying out loud!

  16. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    David;

    I agree wholeheartedly that we need to fix the current system. I also agree that, given the track record of award of lucrative projects by Barbadian Governments, that this contract looks fishy, especially since a Parris is involved. But, to me, most of the comments on this blog seem premature.

    Just for argument’s sake, since we don’t know the facts, suppose that the other company which tendered, does not have a good track record in organizing events of this magnitude, suppose there are other problems in the tender. Would you wish to (illegally) award the tender to the worst tenderer and perhaps have the cohobblopot event this year turn out to be the worst on record?

    I don’t know the facts in this matter and I think most who commented also don’t know. I still think this blog is a knee jerk one that condemns the Government and the Parrises without any evidence.

    It may be right but it is premature.

    The current system must be fixed but this is not the way to do it.

  17. David Avatar
    David

    @checkit-out

    In the circumstances BU would have beefed up resources at the NCF before awarding this contract. BU understands the other company does not have good optics either.

  18. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    One sided and lopsided are really polite terms being used to describe the awarding of any contracts on the island………one wonders why there were only 2 (bidders?) involved and not 5-7 companies trying to get the contract, this would have made the process appear to be fair and also were other entities even aware of what was being offered.

  19. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    David;
    An excellent point. Was the contract really necessary? Was the development of the contract a ploy to top up the resources of some entity for previous favours? That is the slant I would have preferred. Your saying that the other bidder did not have good optics also is suggestive that there was probably no need to change the methodology of the delivery of the cohhoblopot event now. What happens to the pay of the people who normally provide that service?

  20. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Why can’t they be a more equitable slicing up of the contractual pie?Only two event planners are left bidding for the contract cuz they know how the bread is buttered from the start…..We all know how cannibalism and nepotism works…CHOP UP the pie some more….sub-contract even….We often wonder why sometimes even when some are ‘overly endowed’ ..they will take even more if given…shameful indeed

  21. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Well Well.Good morning hope you are well.To get to the subject at hand; 1. There seems to have been a process where persons or companies were invited to apply to manage an event; matters not what the event is. One company with a good track record was awarded the contract over another one that is known to be worse at organizing events. The management of the company that was awarded the contract are Barbadians; that is the most important point. From what I know, Mr. Ishmael is from a well known Barbadian who have all played a part in benefiting Barbados. Mr. Ishmael’s father was a tennis champion and used his own money to build a tennis court on his property, that has benefitted many Barbadian youth, teaching them to play tennis, and many of these youth have gone on to represent Barbados in International Tennis championship. One of the
    Tyrone Mapphas represented Barbados with distinction in the Davis Cup among others and rieht right now Young Moseley is still representing Barbados at the highest level. Mr. Ishmael of Premier Events services served on the BTA for many years when the BLP were in office. How is it that now they want to put the hammer on his head. Mrs. Parris is a Barbadian lady. She is married to a person who has not been charged for any crime, who has no criminal record and who has worked for his money. I keep saying allegations and rumours are not grounds for viciousand vindictive actions. Wveryone has a right to make a living and to try to deny this lady the opportunity to work, becaus people don’t like her husband is unkind, andWRONG.

  22. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Alvin….my issue is with only 2 bidders being allowed to bid, how fair is that, I am sure there are more event planners on the island and now that you have mentioned it is Ishmael not related to the doctor who treated Thompson before he died? correct me if I am wrong…………and if he is………this just proves my point about the unfair distribution of contract on the island. educate me more if you thing there it could not be handled better than it is being handled.

  23. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Alvin……. that should read- unfair distribution of contracts on the island AND if you think it could have been handled better than it is without all the nepotism involved.

  24. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ Alvin
    Why is it that you always read with that one myopic eye ball half closed…If a glass is full , why do you pour in even more?..Bdos has a lot of excellent event planners who work all ova the Caribbean…point is why not SHARE the pie….why one person is getting the whole hog every time….So much for who build what tennis courts…..

  25. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Check it Out.
    I hope Jerry Emptage sues you for slander. You are so anxious to condemn that you did not take the time to read the information provided to see that it is Jerry Ishmael and not Jerry Emptage. Do you still hold the same view? @Well Well, The event has been run by Premier Event Services before and he results were good. What is the problem now? Nothing prevented others from appling rot eh contract. There is no evidence that the process of awarding the contract was flawed. The contract was awarded to a registered COMPANY. We have got to STOP THIS NONSENSE. This country will never progress until this attitude ends. We are too small for it.
    What is the matter with you petty envious people.?

  26. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Alvin……look at it from my point of view, just like I am looking at it from yours, the economy is in really bad shape, every one is affected including event planners, would it not have been more fair, prudent and practical to award the contract to more than one bidder therefore upping the ante to bidders who is also now in financial dire straits and who would benefit from the money being paid to people who are not hurting for money but just being greedy…………and you know i don’t care how much they have or how rich they are, it is commonsense to share the wealth with those who are now hurting, not with people who do not need the money.

  27. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Well Well. Dr. Richard Ishmael, the doctor who treated David thompson is Jerry Ishmael’s brother. Dr. Ishmael is a paediatric heart specialist, and has had a relationship with
    David Thompson, going back to school days. Because of his association with the Institution in the united States that treated David Thompson, he was Thompson’s physician. Anything wrong with that? Should he be pillioried because he was David’s personal physician? Should his brother be denbied the right to work because of that? How petty can we get/ @Old Onion Bags, re the “full glass”. Is Rupert Murdoch still making money? Is Bill Gates still going to work every day? This attitude of yours is the epitome of small mindedness that pervades your(and a lot like you)psyche.Nothing prevented other Event Planners from applying. And Well Well, you are a business person and you would know that in business the contract is awarded to the one who has the best track record of success. When a contract is awarded it is up to the winner of the contract to subcontract. And at Old Onion Bags. Wasn there a famous case some years ago when a certain DLP Minister tried to “Redress the imbalances” who was sued by COW all the way to the Privy Council, and who lost the cawe?I keep telling you people I don’t forget. Don’t tangle with me. I can sounter you each time.

  28. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    Sorry correction, typographical error. Dr, Ishmael is a Heart Specialist, not head specialist.I typed too fast.When the brain gets cooking the dexterity suffers. Gues that’s what happened with Check it Out, when he missed and called Jerry Ishmael Jerry Emptage.

  29. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Alvin…..my point still is that more than 2 bidders should have been given that opportunity to be awarded the contract, there are quite a few event planners in Bim, not just only 2……..that is what i keep getting back to, event planners who are now hurting for cash would have had an equal opportunity to bid as well.

  30. David Avatar
    David

    This company gets all the big ones in Barbados. The World Heritage bash was done by these people as well. It is just not right that one company should be crowding out the space for others. DB Productions is another. No room for others to grow. We need to stop this nepotism and crynism, it is killing Barbados.

  31. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Old Onion Bags again. Re. Sharing the pie. Who performs the greatest amount of road building etc in barbados?Which company is awarded the greatest percentage of such contracts/ is there a famous name associated with these?When SSS was awarded the contract to build the ABC highway extensions what happened? Talk to me.

  32. David Avatar
    David

    @Alvin

    Your last comment makes the point stronger that we need to share the cake. Because COW and the others have benefited over the years so what? It is like JADA/PRECONCO getting all the work in Barbados and we have so many small contractors. Can’t you see things except through a jaundice eye all the time?

  33. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @David
    Is the major requirement excellence or mediocre? Is it better to have shoddy workmanship leading to unsatisfactory resulots or not?

  34. David Avatar
    David

    @Alvin

    We are discussing issues here which you are not prepared to acknowledge. IF BU had a company which served the public (CLICO policyholders included and pending Court cases) and the wife of Leroy Parris was a Director we would have to pass on ethical grounds. This is BU ok? Ishmael is the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s CC which means he is a rank DEM. BU will not post what he was overheard to say about the PM during a certain election. This is one big mess and if you are not prepared to acknowledge the issues here you should sit this one out.

  35. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @David
    A case of the pot calling the kettle black? Selective choices? Can you tell me how many other companies applied to host the even? Have you seen their applications and bids? Were the prices competitive? A show like Cobbholopot that havs been heavily criticized in the past as being of deteriorating quality, run by other event planners, and where there are international audiences and world press must be of a high standard. Premier Events has shown the quality of their work. Are you looking at the quality of the product or the prsonalities involved? Are the personalities of good character or is it guilt by association and punishment based on this. I don’t care how you put it, you are not looking at the quality of the product, but the personalities. In putting on an event such as this lots of others will have to be contracted (sub-c0ntractors) becaus the two people alone cannot do it. So the pie will be divided, common sense tells us that.

  36. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @David
    Old onion bags accused me of myopia. What is happening here with you? your statement:”IF BU had a company which served the public (CLICO policyholders included and pending Court cases) and the wife of Leroy Parris was a Director we would have to pass on ethical grounds.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Alvin

    We are looking at the fact one company in Barbados is getting all the business from government. We are looking at the fact that Leroy Parris is laughing all the way to the bank. We are looking at the fact that Ishmael is the President of the St. Michael South Constituency Branch, an arrangement you know only too well. We are looking at the fact that from a ethical stand point this arrangement has lousy optics on it. This is not about the skills of the two individuals why can you acknowledge the issues? In a nutshell you are saying because Premier is the better of the two tenders they get the job. The government could have refused both of them and manage inhouse for the time being. We have to change the way we do business where only a few gorge at the trough. If the BLP were in office it would be the same so no need to be defensive.

  38. David Avatar
    David

    @Alvin

    BU is entitled to our opinion like you ok? We have to stop this bullshit in Barbados it why nothing changes whetehr B or D. Leroy Parrisis sitting down on millions as a result of managing CLICO, a company a fraction the size of Sagicor and his better half continues to rake in the dollars from taxpayers ad you see nothing wrong with it. BULLSHIT! Does Dowridge Miller earn Parris like salary?

  39. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @david (continued) What ethical grounds. Has there been any case judged? Is Premier Events guilty of any malfaesence? Have they preformed creditably in the events they have been awarded? What is the case against Premier Events Planners? are you saying that because of the individuals at the had of the organization they should NEVER be awarded any contracts in the island? What am I hearing? Where are the ethics involved? What are the ethical grounds you are talking about? What does Premier events services have to do with CLICO? How does Jerry Ishmael because he is chairman of the constituency branch; of the Prime Minister’s constituency, whose office rents and has rented for decades, space on the property, should not bid or be awarded contracts because of this? Convince me that it is unethical for them to be awarded a contract.This pettiness and small mindedness haas to stop. It has nothing to do with ethics, it has to do with crab-in-the-barrel mentality.

  40. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    David wrote “we need to share the cake”.

    The cake is being shared but the problem is that small contractors do not have start up capital and equipment and administrative staff to do the major construction jobs in Barbados.

    With regards to this blog, Jerry Ishmael is a qualified event manager with a proven track record.

    However he should have done like GP and go and work where his competence would be appreciated instead of living in the political cesspool called Barbados.

  41. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Alvin…………..for how many more years do you think it is fair for one group of people to be awarded contracts to the detriment of others on the island, we are not talking politics here, cause i really do hate politics our discussions are ample proof of the rot, decay and destruction politics causes………….how many years should one group of people be awarded contracts, enriching themselves and leaving others poor constantly and consistently? how many years do you think is fair?

  42. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @David,Of course BU is entitled to its own opinions and I agree with that. I am also entitled to my opinions which happen to differ. What you have stated is exactly what I am talking about. What does Parris’ management of CLICO have to do with sagicor, and what does what Parris made have to dowith Doderidge Miller? He would have negotiated his own terms of employment and Parris would have negotiated his own terms with his boss Lawrence Duprey.
    Whether or not his contract was more lucrative is a mtter for the two companies. As I said before and will continue to say; Parris has not been convicted in a court of law of ANY OFFENCE. Unail that time he has to be treated like any other citizen; gear box , Ding Ding, any of th esimmons’ OSA, or any other person who has been implicated by rumour and innuendo.Leroy Parrisis sitting down on millions as a result of managing CLICO, a company a fraction the size of Sagicor and his better half continues to rake in the dollars from taxpayers ad you see nothing wrong with it. BULLSHIT! Does Dowridge Miller earn Parris like salary?

  43. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    This whole blog is a waste of space.
    There is no basis for complaining about the contract just because of who the Principals are…..

    The whole issue is pure emotion.

    Fact of the matter is that Leroy Paris should have been arrested long ago and made to answer for the Clico mess, his ill gained assets should have been confiscated and his wife should, all like now so, be working to support him and to raise legal fees.

    In the absence of the above, our ire should be focused on the following persons…
    The COP, DPP, AG, PM, ..and the 15000 little lambs who have so meekly accepted their fate……they should be FORCED to explain why this man could have scammed so many Bajans and continue to live like a king….
    …LP and the above are just lucky that Bushie did not have a single cent in Clico……

  44. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    BU will focus on ALL and sundry. Because Parris has not been convicted it does NOT mean that decisions cannot be taken to show our displeasure at the whole affair. Innocent people are hurting (CLICO policyholders) so if he and his wife got to hurt too so be it. More than one way to skin a rabbit.

  45. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    David wrote “there were two tenders for the hosting of the event,”

    So who stopped other companies from bidding?

    Was the other company that bid on the event more competent than Premier Event services?

    David in the interest of transparency please name the other bidder.

  46. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Hants:”With regards to this blog, Jerry Ishmael is a qualified event manager with a proven track record. The pint I am making. Here we have a person who is qualified in the area, and has shown this by the quality of the results. Selfich jealous, envious people would lije o deny him the right to work and put his skills to work in his own country because of an association with an innocent (innocent until proven guilty) person. It is small minded and despite what David says it is this that is holding the country back. Remember on an earlier blog Miller said that people would not invest in Barbados as long as certain parties are in power? How can we ever progress with this type of attitude?
    And David I keep reminding you and others, CLICO is part of CLFinancial which is many times bigger than Sagicor, so If Parris negotiated morefavourable terms of employment why hold it against him. why? Why?

  47. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    David wrote “if he and his wife got to hurt too so be it.”

    And Jerry Ishmael is guilty by association.

  48. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Well Well. There really is no answer to your questions until the whole ethos of Business in the world changes. The most efficient companies always get the contracts and this is based on the fact that their size allows them to me more efficient than the others. Think Boeing, Think Lockheed< etc. Isn't there a big discussion in Canada now about the purchase of the fighter jets/ If you want to know about unfairness in big countries check back in canadian history (relatively recent) and see what happened to the Arrow, the Canadian developed fighter that was years ahead of anything the Americans had. What happened to it? We never have found out what the negotiations were that took place suffice it that not only was the development abandonded, but everything connected with it was destroyed; drawings, plans, scale models, aven thetesting models were cut up.

  49. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Well Well. Re your query, Did you see the quarterly statements of the Banks last month? RBC profits 1.7 Billion, CIBC around 1.3 or 4 Billion, Scotia Bank, not too far behind. Having lived back here again, the answer is competition. Now that Bell has competition from all over they have had to swallo the bulllet
    ; not just bite it, and lower their rates, offer better service and compete. as a result the consumer benefits. Just last week the CRTC mandated cell phone companies to stop requiring three year contracts and limited it to two years. That is the purpose of regulatory bodies, and the FTC should follow their example and make just decisions.

  50. David Avatar
    David

    @Alvin

    You continue to post a one sided position. What about the companies which get contracts because of kickbacks? Think the Pentagon. You can have the last word on this point.

    And how do you know Parris worked for CL Financial? Based on public info he was the President of CLICO Barbados Holding Limited a company incorporated in Barbados. The Forensic Auditors also confirmed that he refused to make his Terms and Conditions document available to them.

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