By Adrian Frater, News Editor 
Patterson (left) and Dyer (right)
WESTERN BUREAU:
WHILE THERE is still uncertainty as to how soon the facility will become a reality, members of the Montego Bay business community are overjoyed with the news that the western city is now on track to get the long promised convention centre. Speaking during Sunday's official opening of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) Caribbean Marketplace 2005, Prime Minister PJ Patterson disclosed that the government was successful in securing funding for the project, clearing the way for the construction of the much-needed facility.
"This is extremely good news for Montego Bay because if we had such a facility here, we would not have had to spend so much money on the tent we were forced to set up to host marketplace," said Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) president Godfrey Dyer. "With this convention centre, we will now be able to host many more events on the scale of marketplace."
GLOATING
But even as the members of the city business and civic community are gloating over the Prime Minister's announcement, at least one government spokesperson has made it clear that construction is not imminent as there are additional factors to be addressed before the plans can move into the construction phase.
"We have to put all the funding and planning in place before we can move into construction stage," said State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism Wykeham McNeil, while fielding questions on the issue at a press conference in Montego Bay. "Once the plans are completed and the funding secure, we will then be in a position to announce the date when construction will commence."
Over the years Montego Bay has failed in its bid to host numerous major international events because of the absence of a suitable facility to handle an event of the magnitude of a Caribbean Marketplace, which features over 1,500 delegates and over 400 booths. "Hosting major events is an ideal way to advertise a country, so getting this major convention centre can't come too soon," said Montego Bay businessman Errol Lamey.
"If we host a convention of 5,000, it will be 5000 voices out there to tell the world about Jamaica and what it has to offer." The 42,000 square feet fully air-conditioned tent, which was used to host the delegates from the 46 countries that were represented at Marketplace 2005, was rented from an overseas supplier at a substantial cost.
