No Gatekeeping

“EPIC,” he says, eliminates the gatekeeping of an expanding industry. “The book is important because the next event planner has to have this Caribbean ideology. Caribbean promoters have to plan differently from international event planners. It’s not the same cut and paste that an American or an Australian event planning team can plan with. Our products are different- items are imported etcetera,” explained Brendon. He is very aware of it all. Having served in the event and entertainment space in T&T, first under the stewardship of Island People’s Dane and Derrick Lewis, working alongside industry leaders like Sean Burkett and Tanya Gomes, from 2006 to 2010, before pursuing a Master’s Degree in Sports Management and even teaching an event planning course of study at the Arthur Lok Jack School of Business, for a decade, Brendon Brathwaite knows the game. “With my business, I had to navigate a lot of areas that there was no context, book, schooling, trainer to provide the guidance – you couldn’t sit down in a class and learn to do the things that I had to do. You couldn’t even go to a mentor- you had nobody to talk to. I had navigated this space by myself. I wanted to quit in 2016,” he said, expressing the frustration that is born out of that feeling of uncertainty where there’s no real guidance.

In 2022, amid the pandemic’s effect on numerous lives and industries, Brendon faced a decision. He had been offered a job in the Cayman Islands and was prepared to relocate. One week prior to leaving however, he was offered an event planning opportunity. He took it and, in that year, he managed to secure 30 jobs in the space, eliminating all consideration of taking on a job elsewhere. “Today I employ 60 young people. I am the breadwinner for these people. I take care of these people. A lot of painstaking work went into this book. This is a tried and tested testimony,” he explained, reiterating that most event planners and promoters will never share their secrets. “You can’t go and talk to major promoters locally and ask them how to host a fete. “I believe the reason they’re unattainable is because they have to protect their secrets. The events industry is very competitive. Because of that, most feel they should hold on to their magic,” he said.

Competitiveness His Superpower

As dyslexic as he might be, Brendon is very competitive and, in this space, he has mastered a set of skills that he knows are needed. “The practical part of event planning and the theoretical side of event planning are vastly different. Theory in event planning is like reading a recipe and not getting it exactly as it should have come out. The practical side of event planning is where you truly learn to execute,” he shared. What he has done with ‘EPIC’ however, is provide a real step by step guide to masterfully navigating the events planning space. “I have a glossary in the book of Caribbean event definitions and examples. This book is your mentor in your backpack,” he assured, explaining that any entrepreneur can benefit from what’s shared. “It includes information on safety and drone technology, risk management, something I call the vehicle driving policy to protect an event planner’s business because I’ve come to realize that casual negotiations often turn into nightmares.”

In addition to guidance on planning for specific Caribbean event models like cricket tournaments, cooler fetes, Creole Festivals, Chutney Festivals and even craft markets, Brendon shares knowledge on dress code policies and he offers guidance on shuttle planning and even delivers a virtual system flowchart and additional business operation guidelines for complete ease of execution. “Many Caribbean defined terms are placed intentionally in the book. We can study ourselves for the first time. We know what a party is. We don’t need to look to another territory’s definition of a party,” he emphasized.

Buzzconcepts, is a successful brand built with blood, sweat and tears, Brendon Brathwaite is a champion when it comes to event planning. “My success is defined by so many people. It’s not about me anymore,” he says. His parents, both extremely successful, credited professionals have seen him rise above the label of being dyslexic, and now, years later, he stands confident with an arsenal of knowledge in an industry that he has added significantly to. “The reason I did well at school was because I was the person that the bright people would study with. I could understand the concepts, but I couldn’t communicate it in words and on paper,” he explained. Looking back on his early school years, he recalls his struggle, saying that his passion to be the next Ato Boldon, fueled his competitive spirit. That competitive nature has been a blessing and now, paying it forward to others who, he knows, may absorb and learn differently, Brendon is sharing the tried, tested and successful methods to the Caribbean event planning industry.

Epic will go on sale on July 24th for $150TTD.He says his contact information is included in the resource and he will make himself available, for consultations to those who purchase. To purchase on Amazon or pre-order the book, those interested can visit www.epiccaribbean.net. Only a limited number will be printed for a limited time.