In the summer of 2001, Alex Chin envisioned a weekend, one where there were parties non-stop for days with free-flowing liquor, great music and great vibes. That was the birth of what is now known as the ultimate party weekend in the English-speaking Caribbean - Appleton Temptation Isle (ATI).

This year, the event will be held from Wednesday, August 5 to Sunday, August 9, for a total of 11 parties over 74 hours of non-stop partying.

But before 2009, ATI had its berth as Absolute Temptation Isle before liquor giants Appleton came on-board.

"Our first major sponsor was Appleton. That was big for us," said Chin, before adding that the partnership was structured so that both brands could grow together for events that were outside the scope of the ATI weekend.

"When people saw ATI, they thought of Appleton. When people saw Appleton, they thought of ATI. That's the kind of impact we made on the scene when we debuted," added Chin, head of Absolute Entertainment.

First ATI a nightmare

"We parted ways with Appleton for a little while and Red Stripe came on-board."

The first ATI was a three-day event, with six parties on the weekend, and Chin says logistically, it was a nightmare.

"The first year was tough, but we grew from the experience and the next year, we were better able to accommodate patrons, we were more prepared to deal with the problems we encountered in the first year, like the congestion."

Now the weekend is a no-holds-barred, all-inclusive event with shuttles, improved security patrols and the endorsement of organisations such as the Jamaica Tourist Board and Air Jamaica, solidifying the event's status as a true 'Jamaican innovation'.

"This year, we welcome Air Jamaica and the Jamaica Tourist Board as sponsors of ATI. I believe this speaks to and proves the importance of this event, and certainly the potential it has to boost our tourism - domestic and otherwise," Chin quipped, noting that during the weekend last year there was some $300 million in circulation in Negril.

From Kingston, Montego Bay and overseas, people travelled to experience what the party mecca of Jamaica, Negril, had to offer. In no time, the number of patrons who attended soared from 6,000 in 2001 to an overwhelming 20,000 in 2008. In 2001, with no title sponsor on-board, the ATI weekend consisted of Stages, Bikini and Shorts, Beach Bums, Crave and Jungle after-parties.

Good party vibe

According to Chin, ensuring the good vibe of the party weekend was his main goal from inception. "Jamaica had never seen such a party weekend before, partying for 18 hours, so it was crazy. It had people talking.

"In spite of the great weekend that it is, we still had our ups and downs. Traffic and safety were our biggest concerns. We already have total control of the vibes and the infrastructure. One thing we ensure every year is that we cater to more than we are going to expect, so patrons are able to get the most out of our events," said Chin.

The many successes of the weekend, he added, is due in part to many of their sponsors, such as Digicel, Appleton and the TV stations.

"Our support system is like a family and they help us in maintaining our standard as the bigger, better party weekend,"said Chin.