LESC nominated for global award

The Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) has been nominated for a 2025 World Travel Award, in recognition of its significant work done over the past few years to revamp its image.

The team at the LESC sees the nomination as more than just a nod of approval, executive consultant at the Barbados Conference Services Limited, Omar Kennedy, told Barbados TODAY. He said it was also a validation of their team’s tireless work to modernise the island’s flagship venue.

“This nomination is a big salute and global acknowledgment of our team and partners for a year of successful events,” Kennedy said. “LESC won as the Caribbean’s Leading Meetings and Conference Centre in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009. We are actively pursuing our first win in 16 years,” he said.

Long a pillar of Barbados’ conference and events landscape, the centre has hosted several international events over the past year, including the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 24-hour Media Centre (a whole-centre 24/7 operation), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s first global Supply Chain Summit with 1 000 attendees, the opening ceremony for the 48th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government with 800 global attendees, and most recently the 2025 Sustainable Energy for All Conference with 1 300 global attendees.

LESC has undergone a strategic transformation focused on three key areas: modernisation, service excellence, and diversification. Once a traditional conference venue, it has evolved into a multi-use, client-centered space that caters to everything from high-level political summits to cultural festivals and wellness retreats.

“We continue to upgrade our infrastructure to meet client needs,” Kennedy said. “The modern client requires increasingly sophisticated needs and vehicles to differentiate and accentuate their events. Management is also implementing greener, more sustainable practices, and has placed a renewed focus on hospitality and client support for both new and existing customers.

We have also and continue to reimagine how we use our spaces—embracing not just traditional conferences and expos, but also weddings, wellness events and other niche events.

“Client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive…and this reinvention has positioned LESC as more than just a venue; we’re now seen as a dynamic partner in the success of every event hosted here,” Kennedy said.

As LESC builds on its recent successes, it anticipates further significant events in 2025, which include expanded in-house services, along with catering and technical support, as well as new family-friendly and community-based activities designed to make the space more inclusive.

(SB)