Village vendors say poor festival planning caused fewer sales
As the BVI’s 70th emancipation festivities draw to a close, some vendors who set up shop inside the festival village in Road Town have expressed concerns about the event’s overall organisation, suggesting that it could have been better managed by the festival committee.
Following the final paid night of the festival on August 7, vendors noted that while big-name artistes attracted large crowds, their respective profits fell short of expectations due to fewer patrons than anticipated.
Several vendors, speaking anonymously to our news centre out of fear of victimisation, remarked that last year’s festival had brought in more significant profits and larger crowds. They also raised concerns about the cost of renting booths, including a $500 deposit that was collected.
“The price of the booth could be lower considering the expenses involved in building it,” one vendor commented.
Nearly 30 vendors set up shop inside the village a BVI News was told that they had to pay a deposit along with the booth fee. The deposit would be refunded if their areas were cleaned after the festival concluded.
Poor planning?
One vendor shared that discussions among fellow vendors led to the consensus that the committee’s poor planning might have resulted in fewer sales than expected.
Some speculated that the high ticket prices on popular nights might have affected patrons’ ability to spend freely.
Two vendors expressed dissatisfaction with their booth locations inside the village, noting that a lack of clear views of the stage caused potential customers to drift away.
Additionally, some vendors reported that the August Monday Parade did not bring as many patrons as anticipated.
“Usually, after the parade, the troupes and everyone come into the village, bringing their food and hoping to make some sales. But this year, it felt like the village was empty,” one vendor told our news center.
The festival village opened on July 14, featuring performances by big-name artists such as Machel Montano, Patrice Roberts, Shenseea, and Dexta Daps. Local band VIBE and Virgin Islands native Monea also took the stage.
Celebrated under the theme, “Celebrate Our Freedom and Live in Unity as BVI Festival Turns 70!”, the event not only marked 70 years of cultural festivities but also commemorated 190 years since the abolition of slavery in the BVI.
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BOY YO REALLY CANT PLEASE THESE GREEDY PEOPLE
MORE PEOPLE WILL COME AND SPEND
ALL WHO COMPLAINING STILL WANT BOOTHS EVERY YEAR
Yall have yall prices so sky high and really said to yourself yea mehson all these expensive stuff will sell out in no time bcuz is rich people coming village lol. Ain no way those vendors are local consumers bcuz how can you see our cost of living so high and still want to sell your products even highher
did you expect the premier and drug men with big gold chains to come and buy out everything?
Aint this the truth! Well them will wait cause all the big chain man them gone into hiding after that piece of action.
You guys cannot be serious. The cost of food and drinks was outrageous. You guys were robbing people with those prices. Stop the complaining, you the vendors were wrong for those prices.
without a profit for nearly 3 weeks of Festival now is not a good omen for future festivals in the BVI.
@strange…..its called GREED. That’s what their need became.
You mean to tell me people don’t want to buy a $30 plate of conch? Incredible!
I used to buy food from the vendors at Road Town..
Their prices have long since chased me from those booths!
Ausar has been eating at home before going out..
It’s just economical!
Yup. We started eating before going out after paying 60.00 plus for food, then drinks. And if you have children the rides were too expensive that’s why in there was always empty.
And let’s talk about the vendors who were serving bad food. SO what kind of profit you all expected ?
Went to the village for the first time Wednesday night. Went to a booth and order two beef patties. Here this. Please keep it a Secret. $16 for the two. $8 for one. I did took them as i did want to look so cheap as I did ask for them without asking for the price
My advice to aprons is to Shop around… Beef patte for $8 nuh man…you could have gotten it for $5 at another booth. Corona for How much…hell nah!
My first night at the village after paying $140 for my ticket after someone ran broke. Bought my first Corona drink for $6 by a boot. I know right there and then that boot was salt.
The village was packed to capacity most nights, why are these people still complaining….strupes
a packed village dont mean booths will make money no room to move max drink 1 if you get lucky…
the Village need to be in segments some afternoon entertainment get that early crowd moving freely mixing drink..
then who ever want stay out until 3am and struggle at work the next morning
if you read what ( cost of living) blogged you might get the message / but let me break it down for you *gently* let’s say they had a million people there every night and nobody bought anything / do the math now
Its ridiculous small cup drink $10 you all need to stop.. it best to sell 6 for $5.00 drink than 1 for $10 drink.. from the time you charge me $10 for a small cup drink I ain’t passing back!! thanks chili had drinks for 4.00. the attic bar wasn’t too bad either they had big cup for $10.00 but could of been 8$ you all know is ice and a lil 2 once of alcohol in them things stop being greedy booth owners.. put anyway ill see you for the last night to drink your bar dry!!
$6 a beer wow. The alcohol here is dirt cheap, what did they do to make it special. People dotn realize lower prices mean more sales at times. Funny how herbs is buying a alcoholic drink at the first booth. Leave that alone ha
I smell BS. This was one of the most highly attended villages in a long time. The price of a drink also increased. Big cup was $15 and not all big cups were created equal. The price of whelks was all over the place you could get for $30 to $45 from various booths. If you failed it’s because you were not well known or did not market yourself well. Even on a free night you could spend close to $100 and more on food and drinks because the vendors were running wild with their prices. Who the phuck spending $20 on stew chicken you greedy son of a beeyotch.
Yes the booth peoplr may be greedy but there is a spike in food the pressure just begin
I went at a bar after receiving the bill for 3drinks I paid the bill and tell them I will come back and support them, and that’s what I did.
Booth #17 had it all cover. I went in village after work to have a drink, after collecting my order and ask how much what I got was a surprise, the bar tender told me EVERYTHING AT THE BAR IS FREEEEEEEEE UNTIL 8PM. RESPECT to management of that booth.
Well this year I see quite a few persons complaining about the food.
45 dollars for whelks is why i said no way
Heard the food wasn’t that great:)
It must be true because the soup both went carrot bay to try to max profits. CB so small why they even allow that booth from town?
stupes! I tired buddy, everything and every time is a complain, complain, complain. Starting to be boring now mehn
Do you people realise that before the vendors sell one plate of food, they have to cough up $1500 for the booth, $500 for deposit, another $3,000 or more to build the booth, power, water etc. Then they jave to buy the food and drinks and pay workers. You people really donot understand business. I agree that some of the prices were high, but imagine spending $10,000 just to.get started and you only have a few nights to make that back and a profit. Sigh. Clearly, you’ll are the wrong customers.
Well don’t get a booth then. BVI people don’t support if their pockets won’t reach that far. Lots of them rather go Stones than yall. Plus yall want to sell people spoil food. Get it together mehnn and stop blame the committee for yall nasty practices.
All those booth owners that complaining about not making a profit, need to post their food prices as well.
Cause wym $4 for a hotdog?
Change your lifestyle.
Ayo want to charge people an arm and a leg for food and then cry about it…. stupes..Bad Customer service yah standing around waiting all night for 1 drink .for the server face to be push up and a nasty attitude…stupes…. Do better wid ayo bad tasting food ayo serving people…. thank God I can go pick whelks for myself cause jah man ayo redic..
The food prices in the village this year were not it…. ya’ll have to remember people have these same food in their house but choose to come out and fete and socialise and buy yours… but ayo wnat to kill ppl wid the prices smh… sad..
School children say Sandbox $35 whelks was slamming..Wah happen to the $45 one… hmmmmmm…
There was a lady selling real creole food
Just across the festival Villiage
There was indeed very poor planning on every aspect of festival. But the greater problem is that Money and the desire for it has become the primary focus. As a people we have just lost our way.
Festival was long and drawn out and expensive for everyone and everyone loss something.