Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

The organisers of the West Affair party series slated for March 29-31 in Negril have distanced themselves from reports they are affiliated with the Negril Escape weekend, scheduled for the same time as their event.

Gregory Senior, head of the Canada-based promotions group, Papernote Entertainment, said, "West Affair is a separate three-day event from Negril Escape. There have been reports of confusion as it relates to the dates, and I want our patrons to know that our event is from March 29-31 along various locations on the Negril strip".

West Affair will feature Beach Madness on March 29 at Bourbon Beach, Pre-Fantasy Boat Cruise in the afternoon on March 30 and Burn VI later on the same day at Chances. The final day, March 31, will see Splaash at Ray's Water Sports in the afternoon and Bikini Malibu Bourbon Beach in the night.

"Our event continues to grow from strength to strength and the support from last year is indicative of West Affair's ability to be a permanent staple in the entertainment landscape of Negril," said Senior.

"While our event may be seen as competition to other events that will be taking place around the same time, we would like to see it as offering diversity to the entertainment activities over the Easter weekend," Senior highlighted.

Early-bird drink-inclusive season bands cost $4,000. Regular pre-sold tickets will go for $5,000, while gate prices attract a $6,000 price tag.

Season bands without the drinks are priced significantly lower.

Very Affordable

"We understand the dynamics of the economy, where many may not have the disposable income for entertainment, and so we wanted to ensure that the West Affair weekend party series was very affordable. Our rates are lower than they were last year, so we encourage locals and tourist to participate in the events," the Jamaica-born promoter stated.

The team rebranded West Affair from a single-night event to a party series in 2012. Since the staging of the event, the team of western Jamaica promoters has pumped more than $5 million into the local resort town to stage the events.