Ready, set for Soca Monarch

All systems are go for this year’s Soca Monarch competition and Minister of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports John King is confident the new venue is well equipped to stand up against any weather.

Dozens of workmen were today busy placing the finishing touches on the stage, the grounds and the structures at the National Botanical Gardens ahead of this weekend’s event.

In addition to his ministry, representatives from the Ministries of Transportation and Maintenance along with the Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification were also in attendance.

Workmen placing the finishing touches at the National Botanical Gardens. Inset, Minister of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports John King

According to King, the delegation’s mission was focused on ensuring the venue’s drainage systems, supported by a number of wells around the venue were working well. But he has also promised that the droves of Barbadians expected to attend the event will be extremely impressed with the aesthetics and atmosphere at the new venue and the level of safety.

“I think it’s going to be an experience everyone will want to tell further generations that they were here on the first occasion…like most things we take opportunities to learn what we can build on and improve on. Not knowing what to expect for the first time, we have learnt a lot of things. But I am happy with what my team at the NCF has accomplished so far.

“The response has been excellent…we are talking 25 to 30,000 people and in the future we are really talking double that capacity.

On the issue of security, he said: “There’s lots of security if you’re talking security in those terms. We were recently doing this on a much larger scale at the East Coast before, so you have already got a blueprint as to how to deal with that issue.”