Entertainment industry faces growth but grapples with high costs, labour shortages

The entertainment industry is booming with a surge in events during the Crop Over season, but industry leaders warned on Tuesday that crippling costs and a lack of skilled workers threaten to stifle its potential.  

President of the Entertainment Association of Barbados, Rudy Maloney, speaking to Barbados TODAY ahead of what is anticipated to be one of the most well-attended Crop Over seasons in recent years, acknowledged the enthusiasm surrounding the festival.  

“I can say one thing for sure, there are plenty this season,” Maloney said. “Again, we’re going to [end] up in the same position again where we are not going to have enough manpower to service all of these events; there are only so many people that are in the industry that are service providers, so that is gonna be one of the main issues.”  

He noted that while some service providers are attempting to bolster their teams by hiring and training new staff, the extent of their success remains uncertain.  

“I know from talking to some of the service providers, they were trying to train people and trying to hire more staff. [However] I can’t tell you at this point how successful we have been so far, but I know service providers have been reaching out to persons,” he said.  

He added: “What we need to do is diversify a little bit with the types of events we are doing because most of the events end up being garden parties or something like that. What I can say is that a lot more events are culinary-based, which is good for the chefs and mixologists.”  

But even as new event concepts emerge, the high cost of doing business in Barbados continues to weigh heavily on organisers, he said.  

Maloney explained: “I think one of the things we need to look at is the high cost of doing events in Barbados; Barbados is one of the most expensive places to put on an event, and I think that needs to be looked at so that we can put on quality events. For instance, our withholding tax on artists, etc., paying VAT on complimentary tickets – these things affect persons from really being able to have a good cash flow and being able to put on proper events.”  

Despite the challenges, Maloney, who is also behind the popular Soca ‘Pon De Hill event held annually, hinted that some local organisers would also be seeking to launch a new event at the conclusion of this year’s Crop Over season to capitalise on growing interest from patrons in the summer event calendar.  

He said: “We are also looking at launching a new event; a group of event producers, we are looking at launching a new event in early August, so look out for that. [It will be] something different, something that is cultural, culinary, and a true experience – a true Bajan or Caribbean experience.” (SB)