Republic Bank partners with Project Discovery On CARYFED 2025 youth leadership training
On March 13, 2025, as part of the youth development training programme for the Caribbean Youth Forum on Environment and Development (CARYFED) 2025, Project Discovery Barbados (PDBds) hosted the first in a series of event planning, management and Logistics training workshops. This workshop series is a Project Discovery Barbados initiative in partnership with the Republic Bank (Barbados) Power to Make A Difference programme. This first workshop entitled Event Management 101 was hosted by PDBds, in collaboration with the YMCA Barbados Young Leaders Programme.
The workshop was attended by 19 participants, 14 from PDBds and 5 from the YMCA, ranging in age from 14 years old to 25 years old. The majority of participants are involved in project management teams that are planning and executing the CARYFED 2025 regional youth forum, youth vacation camps or community service projects. The workshop facilitator, Ardith Burgess, is a seasoned business consultant with extensive expertise in marketing and communications across the public and private sectors, as well as nonprofit and civil society organizations.
Participants were exposed to the rudiments of project management and logistics, including:
Venue selection and logistics
Program and Activities
Marketing and Promotion
Operations and Staffing
Event Evaluation
Some of the participants shared their impressions of the session
“[Today's] session was insightful and kind of reassuring. Insightful in that sometimes when trying to find out the basics to start a project it can be exhausting, because even when you have the building blocks, you think that you're missing something and then that's where the issues start - for me at least. The cupcake sale analogy was reassuring for when I get my personal stuff off the ground…”.
Makeila – PDBds CARYFED 2025 Planning and Logistics team
”We were introduced to a lot of information, but the main points that stuck with me were the importance of contracts especially with sponsors, donations in-kind and following up on emails. And also, branding is very important”.
Kyle – PDBds Tower Garden Project team
“[Today's] session gave me a good insight and a better understanding of event planning. An insight which included, the challenges that come with finding sponsors for events, an issue which can occur due to lack of trust, etc. One of the things I became aware of due to this session is how in-depth we have to go into logistics, which include questions like ‘where are visitors/participants going to stay?’ or ‘how are they getting there?’. “
Lamara – PDBds Communications team
“The workshop was an incredibly enjoyable experience! The speaker covered topics I had always been curious about, such as how sponsors operate. She explained the two main types—cash and in-kind sponsorships—and provided valuable insights. Additionally, she offered helpful tips and strategies for planning a successful event. Overall, it was an insightful and engaging workshop that exceeded my expectations.”
Leanna Eastmond – YMCA Young Leaders programme
Ms Burgess’s presentation clearly indicated that she is passionate about crafting compelling narratives and fostering meaningful engagement. She put her expertise from across a diverse range of communication disciplines, including marketing, event planning, media and project management, public relations, social media strategy, and market research, to excellent use. Her strategic approach ensured that every initiative resonated with her youthful audience, empowering them to now strengthen their respective brand's presence, and drive lasting impact with measurable success.
The next workshop in this series will focus on Procurement and Budgeting.
