Ebuzz News
An Epic Guide to Everything That No Promoter or Event Planner Will Share, Until NOW.
The big guns in the entertainment and promotional space in the Caribbean hold close, the keys and secrets to the event landscape. According to super event planner, Brendon Brathwaite of Buzzconcepts, expecting them to share those secrets is delusional. Brendon says he understands exactly why they won’t and while it may make some sense, he says he feels it’s necessary to pay it forward as an event planner in an industry that has built him from the ground up.
A new desktop resource called, EPIC, Event Planning in the Caribbean, written with event planners in mind, but certainly not exclusive to event planners, is available on Amazon and for local delivery this July.
EPIC was written by Brendon, with the encouragement of his sister, Tamara. Pre-Covid, he had begun an Instagram series, sharing short tips on the do’s and don’ts of Event Planning, to his followers. The idea seemed like one that should be expanded on, his sister had shared, and with that, the journey to creating the perfect resource for Caribbean event planners and business people, started.
Dyslexia Just Can’t Stop Him.
Brendon Brathwaite was diagnosed with Dyslexia when he was a child. He’s the Marketing and Public Relations go-to at the Trinidad and Tobago Dyslexia Association. “One of my good friends asked me if he’d have to read the book backwards,” he recalled jokingly. He makes it clear that his superpower is not writing but says, thanks to his sister’s writing and editing abilities the finished product, which delivers 11 chapters of informative, region- specific, solid answers to questions that every event planner needs, was completed in June.
It’s his first time on this side of the marketing fence. In fact, Brendon’s mastered the art of executing events with his BUZZconcepts brand over the past 20 years, securing major corporate jobs and employing over 60 people – all of whom he thanks for their support as he took the necessary time to get the book done. “I’m using this book as a catalyst to firstly, wake up the event industry so that we can form one community of associated people. I hope this can trigger us, so that we can pull together as local event planners, and possibly have an active voice, in the space” he explained.
Highlighting that while there is an active promoter’s association in Trinidad and Tobago, of which he is a part, event planning companies focus on much more than promoters do. “There are corporate events, private events, government events, civic events, annual events, bi-annual events, and so many other categories. When we think of promoters, we think about major entertainment events for the most part,” Brendon rationalized, highlighting that event planning goes hand in hand with the Tourism and Hospitality industries.
Ebuzz News
Patrice Roberts Pulls 10K Plus Crowd At Flava Village in Port-of-Spain.
The national Carnival Commission says more than 10,000 patrons came out to Flava Village at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Thursday night to see female Soca artiste, Patrice Roberts.
An event dubbed, ‘Always Us,’ held as a free showcase for Carnival lovers, delivered a number of truly entertaining soca stars, among them, Shal Marshall, Shurwayne Winchester, Nadia Batson, Farmer Nappy and Mical Teja. The NCC, in a media statement said, “an estimated 8,000 people filled the popular Carnival venue, with an additional 2,000patrons enjoying the show from viewing screens along The Drag, creating an electric Carnival atmosphere despite heavy rainfall earlier in the day.”
With her usual high energy performances, Patrice held the attention of fans throughout the night.The concert was described by the artiste as a heartfelt “thank you” to her fans and
supporters. NCC’s Chief Executive Officer, Keiba Jacob-Mottley, said the organisation welcomed the opportunity to partner with Roberts. “We commend Patrice for her decision to give back in this meaningful way and applaud her commitment to ensuring that high-quality local entertainment remains accessible to everyone during the Carnival season, Mottley said, adding, “Our collaboration reinforces the NCC’s focus on creating memorable Carnival experiences that celebrate our artistes while removing financial barriers for the public,” she added.
The NCC CEO noted that the Flava Food Village, one of two signature Carnival villages at the
Savannah, alongside the John Cupid Carnival Village, is offered as a vibrant, inclusive space
where patrons can enjoy food, culture, and nightly performances free of charge. She added
that other NCC events, such as “Welcome to the Gayelle” represent the continuing work at
delivering a successful Carnival 2026.
David Baptiste, President of the Carnival Entrepreneurs Association, described the night as a milestone for vendors at the Savannah. “Last night was truly beautiful and something I have never seen before – an event of this magnitude in terms of crowd size, and people supporting the vendors. Many vendors sold out last night. We need more of this, and I am looking forward to the next event. Events like these boost business for our vendors at the Savannah and make them truly feel like they are a part of the Carnival festival,” Baptiste said.
Ebuzz News
Squeezy Rankin’s Pivot. Artiste Goes Hard into Calypso to Change Mindsets.
From dancehall music with rough lyrical content to social commentary that aims at changing mindsets, East Trinidad native, Squeezy Rankin says he has found his true calling in Calypso music. The entertainer is on the road to the preliminary round of the Calypso Monarch Competition later this month, with a single called ‘Rat Race’ – this, one year after ‘Justice’ influenced younger audiences to take a stronger look at the Calypso genre, something that he hopes he can continue to do as his journey in music continues.
In a recent radio interview, the reigning Young King, whose real name is Anthony La Fleur, said prior to 2025, he had not done music professionally in 13 years. Jumping back into the spotlight, he said, was a bit intimidating, but the exposure last year has prepared him for 2026 and the artiste is expected to confidently claim his space in the Calypso Monarch competition this year.
As real as it gets, Squeezy Rankin- a man on the ground, has always fought for his place in the music industry locally. Now, as Calypso music embraces him even more, he says he believes he’s found his place. “I plan on releasing two songs during the year because I want to change the narrative that Calypso music is old people music,” he said, adding that his hope is that urban radio stations see the value in sharing topics of social commentary, such as ‘Justice’ and ‘Rat Race’- songs deep in meaning and valuable beyond measure, in the greater scheme of things.
Determined to change mindsets one song at a time, Squeezy Rankin says his strong suit is certainly social commentary and he will not, at any time, delve into political commentary. “I was advised by someone who is deep in politics to stay out of it and I literally listened. You know sometimes we hear people, but we aren’t listening. I thought about what he said, and it made sense. I literally listened, even though they say I don’t listen,” he said with a laugh.
‘Rat Race’ was written by Squeezy and Angelo Pantin with production by Q-Ban Production.
NEW MUSIC
