Rainbow Events is a newly established events company which conceptualises and produces social activities with a difference mainly for the LGBT community in Saint Lucia.
When one considers the company and its objectives, a Japanese adage immediately comes to mind: ‘Love disregards all inequalities and differences in social status,’ and for the three founders of Rainbow Events, this rings true. The trio aim to provide their niche clientele with unique, spectacular and well-organised events, and welcome all and sundry, particularly people who share the company’s philosophy.
They come from varied yet complementary backgrounds and they are brimming with original ideas aimed at captivating their patrons, maintaining their interest and providing truly enjoyable entertainment.
Dazzle: How was your company formed and what are its objectives?
Akim: We are a group of three dedicated individuals with a vision to bring Saint Lucian gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people (LGBT) together for social, personal and business connections. We are an entertainment company but specifically for the Saint Lucian LGBT community.
Dazzle: Why the name ‘Rainbow Events’?
Jessica: Previously, we were JAT Promotions but we made the change to Rainbow Events because the word ‘Rainbow’ is more inclusive and universal in reaching out not only to LGBT persons but to all cross-sections of society. When one thinks of a rainbow, what immediately comes to mind is happiness, so we thought it a fitting name for our company.
Akim: The colours of the rainbow depict a full, diverse spectrum and this is what we want to capture.
Dazzle: When and how was the group established and who are its founding members?
Herman: We came together as a group in October 2014 and the founding members are Akim Larcher, Jessica St. Rose and Herman Joseph.
Akim: I’ve known Herman and Jessica for some time. When I returned to Saint Lucia in March 2014, the three of us were hanging out and began bouncing around ideas on different types of events for the LGBT community. After attending a number of social events together the question came up, ‘Why don’t we just get together and offer something with a difference?’ We decided to meet and discuss what could be a possible event and we just hit the ground running from there.
Dazzle: What are some of the events you have coordinated?
Jessica: Our first event was ‘Out and Proud’ on December 13, 2014 and it was a National Day Event. It was a great success because it was quite different from the other activities that have taken place in the LGBT community. We gave audiences an unexpected experience. This is what put us in the limelight and gave us the incentive to grow. The event was fittingly called ‘Out and Proud’ as we’re proud to be Saint Lucians and as gay people, we want to be out and proud in our community.
Dazzle: Was this event marketed to the heterosexual community as well?
Jessica: Our first event did not target other members of the public. However, we hope that in the future, the wider public will support us because our events are all-inclusive.
Akim: We thought about targeting heterosexual persons as well but for the first event, we wanted to ensure that our core clientele were sufficiently happy with what we were doing. We focused on ensuring that we had an adequate following from the niche market that we’re looking for. We do want to have events that will attract straight couples because after all, these are social events. We hope that in the future all audiences will join us.
Dazzle: What are your plans for future events?
Herman: We are now in the planning stage of a masquerade-themed party planned for April 25th, 2015.
Jessica: We may open this party up to the public at large because people who heard about the success of ‘Out and Proud’ have expressed an interest in attending our events. We will also research the preferences of people in various communities to determine what would capture their interest since our approach is to give people what they are looking for. We have also been thinking of hosting events around the major celebrations on island.
Akim: We want to host a party during carnival because although there are a lot of parties happening at that time, there is nothing specifically for the LGBT community. So in essence, we will plan three main events for the year and some smaller fringe activities.
Dazzle: Where does Rainbow Events see itself in three years?
Akim: The first two years will be important for us to solidify those three main events and increase our attendance numbers. Outside of this, I would love to see us diversify into maybe a pop-up restaurant primarily geared to gay-friendly or LGBT community members. That’s never been done here before.
Check out Rainbow Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rainbowevents.lc
