MoBay Nite Out loses steam

Karrie Williams, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:Designed to revitalise night-time entertainment in Montego Bay, poor patron support in recent months is posing a serious threat to the survival of the once popular 'MoBay Nite Out', leaving its main facilitators, the St James Parish Council (StJPC), concerned about its long-term future.

Ricardo Rhoden, director of administration at StJPC, which is host of the monthly event, says that after a strong start when the event was reintroduced in December 2012, support is now dwindling. According to him, the downturn is as a result of factors such as a reduction in sponsorship and inadequate support from the business community,

"Unfortunately, we have now lost some of the original sponsorships," said Rhoden. "We had hoped that, ultimately, the businesses would take it over and continue it ... . That has not been happening, so we at the parish council will continue to facilitate it as best we can."

According to Rhoden, when the MoBay Nite Out project was reintroduced last year, the city's renowned 'Hip Strip' (Gloucester Avenue) was all but devoid of any nightlife as Margaritaville, which suffered damage from a freak storm, was out of operation.

"We wanted to bring back some activity along Gloucester Avenue, which is the entertainment capital of Montego Bay, so we forged a collaborative effort with businesses along the Hip Strip and other sponsors to make the event happen," Rhoden said.

In the most recent staging of MoBay Nite Out on Monday of this week, less than 50 persons were present at the event's epicentre, the Old Hospital Park, which in former times would be buzzing in the 9:30 p.m. to midnight period.

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For persons familiar with the day-to-day operations on the hip strip, the only clear indication that something out of the ordinary was supposed to be happening was the fact that shops along the strip had closed their doors at 7 p.m. and that a stage and several tents had been erected inside the Old Hospital Park.

While the handful of persons who were milling around patronised the few vendors who were out selling jerk chicken and jerk pork, there was nothing else happening to suggest any serious attempt to make the event a commercial success.

The Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which was expected to be StJPC's partner in the venture, has seemingly slipped off the radar and it would appear does not have an established position in regards to supporting the venture.

"I am not in a position to make any statement on MoBay Nite Out at this time ... . I would have to first consult my board of directors," chamber president Nathan Robb told the Western Focus when asked to comment on the fluctuating fortunes of the event.

When MoBay Nite Out became a part of the Montego Bay entertainment landscape two decades ago, it enjoyed excellent support, especially from top flight businesses such as Diageo, Digicel Jamaica, and Caribbean Producers Jamaica. At the time, it was deemed both a catalyst to revive the city's nightlife, as well as a vehicle to support small-business operators.

With the event seemingly losing its focus, Montego Bay's mayor, Councillor Glendon Harris, has established a committee comprising government departments and agencies, as well as political and business representatives, to review and revitalise the event. Councillor Suzette Brown will chair the committee.