This past Friday, busy shoppers flocked to the downtown area to witness the first ever laser light show in Downtown Freeport. The historical feature was part of the Downtown Freeport Business Association’s (DFBA), 2nd annual Midnight Madness event, and a partnership initiative of The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited’s (GBPA) Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau (IGBSBB).
Adults and children lined the areas of Kent Street and Gloucester Lane to catch a glimpse of the mesmerizing lights as animated characters passed out bags of candies and gifts.
Event organizer and DFBA President, Harveyann Newbold says she was extremely pleased with the excitement this year’s event generated in the downtown area.
“The anticipation and excitement by both merchants and consumers for this year’s Midnight Madness were extremely high. Thus, we saw the need to add an additional element to provide quality entertainment for both kids and the kids-at-heart, hence the Laser Light Show. We are so encouraged by the level of support from the general public, who began shopping Downtown from 8:30am and continued until 12:00am (midnight). Our goal for this event was to kick off the holiday season by reminding consumers that downtown is the shopping district of choice for the season. The Royal Bahamas Police force did a phenomenal job with crowd control and ensured a safe and successful event, as usual. As well, I cannot overemphasize the support we received from the IGBSBB team, which was simply exceptional,” stated Newbold.
Beaming lights projected onto a 40ft high screen, lit up the night sky and could be seen throughout the downtown area. The event was supported by scores of shoppers in the downtown area picking up gift items at participating stores.
According to GBPA’s President Ian Rolle, sponsorship of the 2nd annual Midnight Madness event was ideal in promoting the Port’s most recent initiative.
“We recently launched our “BUY Local, SHOP at HOME” campaign through the IGBSBB, which encourages residents to invest in the economy by supporting local businesses,” Rolle said. “While this promotion is taking center stage for the Christmas season, we are encouraging residents to patronize local businesses throughout Grand Bahama, beyond the holidays. Together let’s focus on rebuilding Grand Bahama’s economy from within,” added Rolle.
Sr. Manager of Business Development for GBPA and Invest Grand Bahama, Derek Newbold said he was pleased with the event, and looks forward to an even bigger and more entertaining Midnight Madness in 2016.
“The BUY Local, SHOP at HOME campaign is a timely initiative and one that every resident should embrace. Retailers in Grand Bahama, and the Bahamas in general, face a major challenge with competition from Florida merchants. We spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year in Florida. Imagine if we were able to keep more of those funds here at home. It would stimulate the local economy causing business expansion and sustainability, which would ultimately result in additional employment.”
“The Laser Light show was intended as a new feature for downtown; an historical event to be enjoyed by all. It was encouraging to see an increase in traffic downtown and support for local businesses” Newbold expressed. “It truly was a sight to see; the attendees enjoyed it and we want to continue innovative initiatives like this moving forward.
The evening culminated with a holiday greeting from president Rolle and highlights of the recent ‘I Love Freeport” event. Business Services Manager for the IGBSBB, LaShawn Dames emphasized the importance and need for such activities.
“A combination of quality entertainment and shopping have led to thriving business districts in some of the most successful cities. They contribute tremendously to the local economy and are a significant support mechanism to small businesses. We need more of them,” sited Dames.
“This was a great project by the DFBA, which we at GBPA were excited to support. I feel the excitement in the city of Freeport, and would like to encourage the community of merchants and consumers to join us as we work to make our city great. I believe the next event will be even more awesome.” Dames concluded.
