David J. Williams

I recently had the opportunity to attend the final year seminar for  Edna Manley student Janel Jackson dubbed  “Roadmap to Billboard: The Artiste’s Compass”.  The seminar had three excellent guest speakers which highlighted some very important points which the whole entertainment industry can benefit from. The speakers were producer Icon , CEO of Icon Music group and Founder and Director of ‘ Listen Me News’ , Joan Webley of Nanook Enterprises and Talisa Taylor of Taylor Made Events and P.R. Management. The seminar enlightened me  about how the Roadmap to Billboard is one which everyone in the entertainment industry should take serious. The 14 parishes mentality is now out the door and we should think and act internationally on all levels. If we  start doing that it will change the game forever. Having a Road Map to Billboard mentality is very vital to not only the industry itself, but to every brand that is in it.  Additionally,artiste, producers,  djs/selectors, live events , awards shows and  fashion all of which plays a significant role in the development of the road map to billboard. Many are leading the charge and I think it’s up to everyone in the industry to follow and keep the quality of the Jamaican entertainment industry alive. Only a  few have been able to crossover to billboard success and maintain it. The first thing which we should all note is that every brand is different and should be treated as such what works for one doesn’t work for all.

The guest speakers shared some insightful points which include;

Soundtrepreneur Icon shed some light on the imporatnce of finding different ways to make money from your passion where he stated that the most important ‘P’s’ which are Passion and Profit. It is also very important that as a brand you are showcasing quality, owning your craft and know the lane that you are in. When developing your brand it’s very important that you know exactly where you want to take your brand.  What brands you want to be aligned with and how you can strategically  utilize your brand and making it bigger and better.

Protecting your brand is of critical importance this includes  making sure that you are constantly  researching on how to make your brand safer and more marketable, Joan Webley of Nanook Enterprises stated. It’s important that as a brand you own your brand and know exactly what it entails so you don’t get cut short. So this is  all about knowing the different laws and contracts which govern your industry.

Talisa Taylor of Taylor Made Events spoke about the importance of Promotion, Packaging and Media. Forever one  it’s important that we make a good first and last impression, making sure that our last impression leaves a lasting impact. How you present yourself as a brand sets the tone for everything. Talisa also stated that its the small things that count such as making sure that the image connects with the information you want persons to receive.Make sure that you promote and develop your brand to the best of your ability.

After all the speakers were done presenting we were treated to delightful performance from upcoming artist Ashain his debut single Unbreakable. I must say raw talent at its best and someone who I can most definitely  see on the forefront of the entertainment scene to come. You can also check out his EP Launch April 23 at the Redbones Blue Cafe.

“We ignore the talent down the road because we know them personally, but support the talent abroad who we’ll never know. Support local talent and industries where you can”