Phillip Palmer - A born entertainer
Published:Monday | June 27, 2011 | 12:00 AM
The names Paul Matthews, Scott Dunn, P.J. Wright, Ron Burke, Solomon Sharpe and Philip Palmer are synonymous with entertainment of the finest quality. This young, vibrant group of entrepreneurs aims to satisfy the mind, body and soul, and come July 29-August 1, will take this year's Smirnoff Dream Weekend into Negril where guests can expect everything fantastic.
As the event's sole print sponsor, The Gleaner, through its publications will take you along for the exciting ride, and today, Flair introduces you to the guys behind the Dream.
Phillip 'PP' Palmer could easily be termed a born entertainer. From as far back as he can remember, he has been the one to organise events, plan the birthday party or host the get-together. "I have always been involved in party planning and I am always seen as the life of the party," he disclosed.
Majoring in engineering at the University of Technology, it was no surprise that he became the one in charge of putting the fêtes together, so he, naturally, became the entertainment coordinator. "I was not even consciously seeing this as a career," he said, even as he arranged a bottle party for his 18th birthday. These events saw up to 400 guests attending, so a friend suggested that he start charging. His first named event was dubbed 'Bottle and Bills' - a resounding success that earned him enough money to cover his summer expenses.
That was the turning point; Palmer realised he could put on parties not just for fun but for a livelihood. By then he was employed in the family's electrical engineering business and he juggled his time between the job and parties.
"But the parties started to take up most of my time, so it was a natural segue, not a plan, just me being me, always entertaining; I simply took advantage of it and made a business of it," he said. The business has grown to eight events for the year: Yush is three times, Osmosis is twice a year, Smirnoff Exclusive happens twice a year and there is a weekly club series called Uber.
Does he get tired of it? Palmer said no. "It's natural for me, it's my passion; the process is hard, interesting work and very tiring, so I am exhausted at the end, but I am never tired of it. After each major event, I take a break for a couple weeks and return refreshed," he disclosed.
Sponsorship decline
The current economic downturn saw corporate sponsors being asked to do a lot, leaving Palmer and others like him with many challenges. He disclosed that when budgets are cut, marketing is usually the first area where spending is reduced. "This is unfortunate because with the type of events we stage, we need sponsors who play a pivotal role for us by lessening the burdens on patrons. But he remains grateful to those who still support their events.
The hectic schedule makes one wonder whether Palmer has time for a private life let alone a relationship. He told Flair that at the moment he's single, but his ideal partner would have to be someone who is understanding, flexible and not necessarily in a nine-to-five job. "She has to be able to understand why I have to go out, have many late nights, be away from home often and support events other than mine. She has to be secure, love music and know that I am not just being absent for fun, but it's my business."
For the upcoming Dream Weekend, Palmer wants it to further solidify the vision of redefining the entertainment industry in Jamaica. He wants the industry to be seen as a money earner for the country. "The private sector has to take it seriously, realise it's a resource, work with it and support it. Jamaica should be like the region's Las Vegas, because we are great at entertaining, so my vision is that Dream Weekend's success lets people realise this," Palmer said. He noted that the weekend in Negril accounts for more heads to hotel beds than Reggae Sumfest and the annual Jamaica Jazz Festival, and is happy that the Jamaica Tourist Board is also recognising this.