FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida –August 11, 2019 – The Islands of The Bahamas recently partnered with the Wiggins Agency in South Florida to host a live remote broadcast from Freeport, Grand Bahama, with South Florida’s Hot 105 FM’S on-air personality James T.
Also partnering in the promotion was Bahamasair, the national flag carrier of The Bahamas, which recently increased its air loads to Grand Bahama, including jet service from Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
The remote promoted summertime fun in Freeport, including the Annual Bahamas Junkanoo Summer Festival. The broadcast back to South Florida radio listeners took place on Saturday from the Pavilion of Freeport’s Grand Lucayan Resort Lighthouse Point. The line-up of on-air guests included a cross section of Grand Bahama’s tourism stakeholders, who shared with listeners in Florida all of the excitement and adventure a visit to Grand Bahama offers.
Included in the promotion was a Come-Along component. Weeks before the event, South Florida listeners to the James T show were invited to call in for a chance to win a trip as well as to get information to travel along with the team to Grand Bahama to enjoy the Island and the special cultural event – Bahamas Junkanoo Summer Festival.
Two lucky winners and their guests traveled to Freeport with the live remote team. The winners’ prize was inclusive of round-trip air for two, hotel accommodations (with meal plan), VIP ground transfers and a Dolphin Encounter.
“When Don Wiggins, a long-time friend of The Bahamas, approached us with the opportunity to partner on this exciting promotion, we immediately recognized the value of the exposure that the participating radio station, Hot 105, would bring to a destination like Freeport, Grand Bahama,” said Betty Bethel, Director of Sales, Bahamas Tourist Office (BTO) Florida.
“We knew that it would allow us to showcase the beauty and summertime excitement of Freeport, Grand Bahama, to the huge South Florida radio listening audience and social media followers. It would Also provide an opportunity for Floridians to experience the Annual Bahamas Junkanoo Summer Festival, which is an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind, cultural explosion, that is taking place on the island – this year for three weeks only – the last JSF event takes place August 17th – so there is still an opportunity to travel to Freeport via air or sea for the final summer rush,” Bethel added.
Known as one of the top on-air personalities in the U.S., James T has a long-standing relationship with The Bahamas, having formerly managed concert and nightclub promotions on the Island. During the live remote, the radio personality shared some of his Bahamas experiences as he interviewed guests and invited Floridians to take advantage of the close proximity of The Island and the ease of getting there by air, fast ferry or cruise.
Guests on the broadcast included the on-Island host of the event, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Grand Bahama, represented by Sanique Culmer. Also extending greetings and a warm welcome was Carmel Churchill, of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board. Woodrow Wilson and Debbie Butterfield represented Bahamasair.
Other on-air guests for the remote included Keith Cooper, West End Ecology Tours (Stingray Experiences); Linda Osborne, General Manager, Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO), Dolphin Experiences; and Ms. Erika Gates of Grand Bahama Island Nature Tours.
The live broadcast to South Florida, between 10 am and 2 pm on Saturday, was also streamed live across the U.S. and promoted via the social media channels of Hot 105 Radio and the Wiggins Agency, whose team included a cadre of social media and digital specialists.
To ensure that the group was immediately immersed in the flavor of the island, the team arrived on Grand Bahama a day before the event and was immediately whisked to Sands Brewery to learn about its products, followed by a Bahamian lunch at Pier One Restaurant at the Freeport Harbour and then a tour of UNEXSO’s Dolphin Sanctuary.
The group was given the opportunity to experience the Annual Bahamas Junkanoo Summer Festival, Freeport, on Saturday evening to enjoy the performances of some six competing groups. The team also sampled Bahamian cuisine, including conch salad, conch fritters, a Bahamian signature meal of peas n rice, macaroni and cheese, plantain, potato salad, fish, shrimp or cracked conch. Local Bahamian drink’s available at the Festival included beers and other products from Sands Brewery Freeport, Kalik beers, and rum from John Watlings Brewery, Nassau, Bahamas.
The Bahamas Junkanoo Summer Festival ended with the rich and soulful stylings of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Pop Band, followed by top Bahamian Global entertainment artist, D-Mac.
The broadcast team that travelled from Florida included James T, his engineer, Steven Grey, and Hot 105’s digital and social media executive, Antoine Edwards. Along with Don Wiggins of The Wiggins Advertising and Marketing Agency were social media and digital specialists, Frederick Custard, Tiffany Manning and Sheila Haywood
The group was accompanied to Grand Bahama by Adrian Kemp and Jeannie Gibson of The Bahamas Tourist Office, Florida, sales and communications departments, respectively. On Island in Grand Bahama, the group was hosted by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s Anya Hanna, Wendell Saunders and Sanique Culmer.
For more information on The Bahamas including Freeport, Grand Bahama and its festivals visit www.bahamas.com.
