30 MAY 2018: Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board John Lynch has been appointed as Chairman of the Montego Bay Convention Centre (MBCC). Other members of the board include Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company, Dr Andrew Spencer, Banker, Andrea Lyle, Restaurateur, Robert Russell and Chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Godfrey Dyer.

Today’s announcement by Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett follows Cabinet approval for the ownership of MBCC to be transferred from the Urban Development Corporation to the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Finance and Public Service.

A statement today from the tourism ministry said other senior appointments at MBCC, such as the Executive Director, will be announced at a later date.

Bartlett also noted that MBCC will continue to play a pivotal role in leveraging Jamaica as the preferred Caribbean destination for the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Events market.

“A major part of this arrangement is for the Ministry of Tourism to handle the daily management, operation, and marketing of the facility,”.

“The Ministry’s proposed plans for the centre include the possible development of the facility to house a hotel on the property; creation of retail shops and housing the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation – which just completed its pilot phase with over 150 graduates,”.

The MBCC was first opened in 2011 and has a total of 139, 302 square feet of meeting, exhibition and ballroom spaces. It is also a five-time recipient of the World Travel Award for being the Caribbean’s Leading Meetings and Conference Centre.