Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

From left: Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, Red Stripe's Grace Silvera and Diageo's mid-Atlantic sales director, Dave Blask, at a reception for 150 Diageo North American distributors at the Half Moon hotel last Thursday night. - Photos by Janet Silvera

WESTERN BUREAU:

What better place to fête, charm and reward Diageo's wholesalers whose volume for 2007 was up 20 per cent, than on an incentive trip to home of Red Stripe, Millennium Man, Bob Marley and the elegant corridors of Montego Bay.

Well that's exactly what the Irish company, owners of Red Stripe, did with 150 North American distributors last week. They slept in the comfortable posturepedic beds at Half Moon, sampled Jamaican bush bath at Fern Tree, hit golf balls at the 18-hole White Witch championship golf course and partied on a catamaran cruise.

"The people who are here do a really great job in hitting their targets," Dave Blask, Diageo's sales director in the mid-Atlantic division, said as he praised the high achievers at a special reception at Half Moon last Thursday night.

Red Stripe Ambassador-at-large, Grace Silvera, who was on hand to welcome the group, along with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, said they could have chosen many other destinations, but selected destination Jamaica.

Red Stripe Ambassador, Dorrel Salmon, a Jamaican residing in the United States, officially hosted the large group.

Red Stripe Ambassador Dorrel Salmon (second left) and chef Steve Sowa (centre) are surrounded by ladies of the beer (from left) Keneisha Williams, Donna Marie Hinds, Michelle Wallace and Trudy-Ann James at a reception for 150 Diageo North American distributors at Half Moon last Thursday night.

President of Woman Inc, Joyce Hewett (centre), makes a point to Maria McLaughlin (left), vice-president of facilities, at the association's public forum on 'Emerging Trends Part II', held at Courtleigh Hotel, New Kingston, last Monday. Seated beside them is Toni Gaye-Cawley, educator/legal reform coordinator at Woman Inc. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer