Category Archives: Bahamas

Those who think Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Raphael Clemente walks on water have one more reason to believe.

Clemente will be one of 30 locals paddleboarding from The Bahamasto South Florida on Fathers Day weekend, to raise money and awareness for cystic fibrosis.

The group plans tocross the Gulf Stream from Bimini to Dania Beach. Theyll be led by Travis Suit, who started Crossing For A Cure through Pipers Angels, a foundation he set up to raise money and awareness for cystic fibrosis. His daughter, Piper, was diagnosed at the age of four in 2011 with an aggressive form of CF known as the double delta F508 gene.

Other locals planning to make the 50-mile crossing include Bradleys restaurateur Nick Coniglio, and a group called group called Shark Addicts, out of Jupiter.

West Palm sponsors include Roxys and Hamilton Jewelers.

For more information and to donate, visit https://www.crossingforacure.com.

Raphael Clemente

Piper and Travis Suit, in 2013. (Contributed by Travis Suit)

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Paddleboarders to cross from Bahamas for cystic fibrosis awareness - Palm Beach Post (blog)

Miami Herald

The Bahamas ruling party concedes election to opposition Miami Herald The chairman of the Bahamas' ruling Progressive Liberal Party conceded the national election Wednesday to the country's main opposition party, the Free National Movement, less than an hour after the last polling station closed and before all the votes ... Bahamas elects Hubert Minnis as new prime ministerAljazeera.com Hubert Minnis claims election victory in The BahamasAntillean Media Group Bahamas opposition scores sweeping win over ruling partyDaily Mail Yahoo News -Caribbean News Now (press release) (blog) all 49 news articles »

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The Bahamas ruling party concedes election to opposition - Miami Herald

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With the change in format for the FIBA Basketball World Cup to a home-and-away series, the Bahamas Basketball Federation finds itself stacked in Group D of the 2019 Americas Qualifier.

The Bahamas is one of the 12 teams that competed at FIBA AmeriCup 2017 and the 6-7th placed teams from CentroBasket 2016 and the South American Championships 2016. The others include Cuba, Chile and Paraguay, who will make up the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers.

Heading into the draw, they had already told us that geographically, we would be placed in a pool with either Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Dominican Republic, the United States and the US Virgin Islands, said Mario Bowleg, first vice president of the BBF.

We knew that those eight teams will be placed in one box and then they will be divided into two pools.

The other eight teams would be placed in the other box and they will be placed in two pools based on their geographic location because they want you to be able to fly closer to your home and away games.

Team Draw

At the official draw ceremony, conducted on Sunday at the Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China, the Bahamas has been placed in Group D with the US Virgin Islands, Canada and the Dominican Republic.

Group C will comprise of Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States and Cuba. Group A will comprise of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Panama. Group B will include Venezuela, Chile and Colombia.

The top seven teams will advance to China 2019.

The draw is a great draw for us, Bowleg said. We were hoping that we would have drawn with the United States because of our close proximity and it would have been a great experience for us in the home-and-away series.

However, the draw didnt go that way and we are glad for various reasons. We now have teams like Canada, the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands, whom we feel we can do very well against.

The Bahamas is scheduled to travel to Canada to play their opening game on the road on Friday, November 24. Their first home game will follow on Monday, November 27 against the US Virgin Islands.

Then on Thursday, February 22, the Bahamas will host the Dominican Republic and Canada on Sunday, February 25. Their final two games will be on the road on Friday, June 29 in the US Virgin Islands and Monday, July 2 in the Dominican Republic.

Team Bahamas

In preparation for the series of games, Bowleg said the federation intent to assemble at least two teams comprising of international and local players, whom they hope to play when the Summer of Thunder Basketball Tournament is staged here.

Our players have made it known that they are available because the NBA clubs and those leagues around the world have already been advised by FIFA that they will have to stop so they can release their players to play for their respective countries, Bowleg said.

So when you talk bout players like Magnum Rolle, Kadeem Coleby and Torrington Cox, just to name a few, are anxious to come home to compete for the Bahamas. Ive started the preparation with the communication of these players.

From the teams they hope to assemble, Bowleg said they would select the national team, based on the players who will be available to represent the country.

While all of the players will practice together, they will be divided and the coaching staff will monitor their progress in an effort to cut the team down to the final 12 to represent the Bahamas, Bowleg said.

We will also have another team that we will use as a practice team and out of that, we will select players who will be able to fit in whenever a player who was selected to the original team wont be able to play for some reason or the other.

Coaching Staff

The mens national team is currently being coached by Bowleg, assisted by Kevin KJ Johnson, Norris Bain from Grand Bahama and Wayde Watson.

However, Bowleg said there could be some changes made in the next few days.

Norris Bain is running in the (general) elections (today), so depending on the outcome whether he will still be on board, Bowleg said. My intention was to step down because of the amount of work that has to go into ensuring that the Bahamas is strategically prepared for the upcoming games that we have to play.

Theres so much work that has to go on to prepare for this new format with the home and away games. So my focus was more on that. But the president (Charlie Softly Robins) has advised me that we will get some assistance, so he wants me to remain on until thats done.

In the meantime, Bowleg said they have a coaching staff that is capable to putting the team together and getting ready for the first leg of the home and away series in November.

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Bahamas In Group D For Fiba World Cup 2019 - Bahamas Tribune

Miami Herald

Bahamas holds national election Wednesday | Miami Herald Miami Herald Amid corruption allegations, a fractured opposition and an unfinished $4.2 billion resort more than a decade in the making, Wednesday's national election in the ... and more »

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Bahamas holds national election Wednesday | Miami Herald - Miami Herald

Palm Beach Post (blog)

Paddleboarders cross from Bahamas in cystic fibrosis fundraiser ... Palm Beach Post (blog) Those who think Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Raphael Clemente walks on water have one more reason to believe. Clemente will be ... and more »

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Paddleboarders cross from Bahamas in cystic fibrosis fundraiser ... - Palm Beach Post (blog)

A sprawling Bahamian island thats privatebut not too remoteis on the market for $16 million.

The 20-acre Foots Cay, surrounded by the emerald waters of the Sea of Abaco, features a main house and two guest homes, white sandy beaches, and wide expanses of untouched greenery, according to the propertys listing on Sothebys International Realty.

You have this beautiful island, thats just far enough away to feel secluded, but its still a short trip away from surrounding towns, and about 30 minutes from the [Leonard M. Thompson International] airport, said Christopher Albury, the Sothebys listing agent. Its convenient location is part of what makes it unique.

The island is also a singular find because its homes are move-in ready, while two-thirds of the property remains undeveloped, allowing for modern comforts nestled in pristine nature, Mr. Albury said.

More:Your Island Home Is the Ultimate Getaway Paradise

The propertys main house, perched on the islands highest point, includes four suites, vaulted ceilings, limestone floors and expansive outdoor living and dining areas with seating for 20 people, offering sweeping views of the sea and the secluded beach.

A nearby three-bedroom guest house features a wrap-around porch and crows nest atop the property, while a two-bedroom guest cottage sits across the island, on the western side, at the edge of another beach. All of the residences are connected with shaded sand paths, Mr. Albury said.

Theres a lot of space to wander through the islands nature, Mr. Albury said, adding that numerous pairs of birds nest on the island, and the current owners maintained an organic garden amid the greenery.

The sellers, a family who declined to be identified or interviewed, have owned the property for more than 20 years, but decided to sell because they havent been able to use it as much as theyd like to, Mr. Albury said. The property was first listed last September.

More:Click to take a look at the most luxurious island properties around the world

Other island features include a tennis court and accompanying cabana with a gym, bar and gourmet kitchenas well as two docks that can fit boats that measure up to 45-feet long.

The island has also been outfitted with several modern upgrades over the past several years, Mr. Albury said, like underground cables for electric and phone service, high-speed internet, a reverse osmosis water filtration system and an automated standby generator.

Modern amenities on a Caribbean getaway surrounded by impressive locations for snorkeling, diving and sailing make the property special, Mr. Albury said.

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Lush, 20-Acre Private Island in the Bahamas Lists For $16 Million - Mansion Global

The Fyre Festival was billed as the "new Coachella." Set on the island of Exuma in the Bahamas, the music event, scheduled to feature performances from artists such as Blink 182, Disclosure, Migos and Ja Rule, was promised to be a luxury affair. That fantasy instantly evaporated as attendees shared images of emergency tents, piles of garbage, inedible food and roaming feral dogs. As more and more information about the poor conditions were shared, the question everyone was asking was, how did this happen? And, in addition to the organizers, are the celebrity influencers such as Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski also to blame?

Influencer marketing was the primary tool used by promoters to sell the event to the public and it led fans to not only a disappointing experience, but also a dangerous one. The organizers' pitch deck revealed that the partners, Billy McFarland, the 26-year-old co-founder and CEO of Magnises, an on-demand luxury concierge service based in New York, and rap singer Ja Rule, used approximately 400 influencers, cringingly labeled as the "The Fyre Squad" to market the event. Instagram powerhouses were paid in hard cash and perks to reach their millions of followers. Vice estimated they likely paid Jenner nearly $250,000for one post and $20,000 or more to other influencers.

McFarland and Ja Rule will be fielding law suits for years, but what about the influencers? What's their responsibility, if at all, to their followers? The Federal Trade Commission, which in part regulates advertising to protect and educate consumers, is increasingly cracking down on influencer marketing, hitting marketers with fines for misleading advertising, but influencers are also required to disclose their participation and, in the case of Frye, many did not. They not only failed to make their advertising association clear and sold a fatally flawed event to their fans, but many didn't even acknowledge the debacle. As more information about the festival came out, several influencers quickly deleted their previous posts tied to the event and many failed to even issue an apology, likeHadid sort of did, for their involvement.

The Frye Festival is an extreme, worst-case scenario highlighting all that can go wrong with influencer marketing. Besides taking the obvious step to vet the legitimacy of any event or product they were promoting, influencers could have done a better job at controlling the damage once it was done. Influencers, and the brands that hire them, have to be transparent or will pay with their reputations and their wallets. They need to take responsibility for the weight of their personal brands and the impact their influence can have on their followers. It could easily help everyone avoid disaster.

Dani Simpson is the co-founder and president of Pure Growth Consulting, a marketing and advertising consultancy.

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How influencer marketing created a disaster in the Bahamas - Campaign US

InstagramThe Fyre Festival beckons Millennials with the promise of sun and fun. Well, they did get some sun.In the immediate aftermath of the Bahamian debacle that was the Fyre Festival, social and other media were awash in scorn for the participants, for the influencers including celebrities like Kendall Jenner and assorted models that helped market the ill-fated festival, and especially for organizers Ja Rule and a 25-year-old marketing whiz named Billy McFarland.

A mental picture emerged of karma served cold to promoters with more money than sense, entitled Millennials willing to pay through the nose to frolic in the Bahamas with celebrities they see in their Instagram feeds, being entertained by some of the biggest-name musicians in the world, all while being housed and fed in world-class luxury.

But that oh-so-mockable image belies the fact that there is a very real market for, and businesses that support, the kind of experiential events Ja Rule and McFarland aspired to create, even if they were completely incapable of executing their vision.

Its no laughing matter to the professionals who could have helped them, and its of little consolation to fans who found themselves trapped on a Caribbean island without adequate shelter, food or water after Fyre Festival was abruptly canceled April 29.

There were different kinds of risks at play here. Sure, some people sprung for packages reportedly costing in the six figures, including concert tickets ranging from $1,000 to $12,000. Its also certain that the vast majority paid substantially less.

So, many of Fyre Festivals customers, rather than mockable trust fund babies, could be the same people willing to spring for somebody elses camping festival. And some deeply experienced companies, while skeptical, were willing to at least kick Fyres tires during the early planning stages, even if they ultimately declined to become involved.

CAA Sports Ety Rybak toldPollstarthat Fyre Festival contacted the company about being a sales partner.

The owners credibility issues made be me believe there was a strong chance it was a lot of smoke and mirrors, Rybak said. The only reason to have agreed to work with them is if we believed the festival had staying power for the future.

There wasnt enough reason to believe this would be the case, so we passed.

Lynne King Smith, CEO of ticket solutions firm TicketForce, told Pollstar that a first-year festival is inherently challenging and that partners and fans alike should make responsible decisions about risk.

As a consumer, I always look at the record of the festival or event from previous years, read the press and reviews and then make my decision, Smith toldPollstar. With those things in mind, all the Fyre Festival buyers took a huge risk and had nothing to go on. Despite Fyre Festivals tsunami of bad press, she (and many othersPollstarspoke with but werent willing to speak on the record), agreed one disastrous island party shouldnt tarnish future destination events that are backed by established professionals.

I dont think it will harm the festivals with long track records of success but, hopefully, bring to light that producing an event of this scope that involves it all travel, food, lodging, and entertainment should only be taken on by companies who are in it full-time and have the expertise to deliver, Smith said. Any new festival had better be prepared to make partnerships with experienced companies to bring confidence to their buyers and the ability to deliver.

CID Entertainment is one of those companies, having done destination festivals for the last four years in locales like Cancun, Mexico, with artists including Luke Bryan, Dave Matthews Band, members of the Grateful Dead and more.

CEO Dan Berkowitz spoke to Pollstar right after leaving a lunch meeting with one such artist, talking about their own festival.

They went through with it, thats the thing, Berkowitz said. Knowing what they knew, clearly, a week before the show they knew what they were getting into. People came anyway and then couldnt get off the island. Thank God no one was hurt or killed there, Berkowitz said.

He is skeptical of reports that 81 percent of those offered a choice of refunds or free VIP services in 2018 opted for the latter, but marvels at Fyre Festivals obviously successful marketing.

They proved there was a market for such an event. If it had been successful, Fyre could have been a game-changer, Berkowitz told Pollstar. They showed you can get to critical mass for a high-end event like that. The problem is, you have to execute what it is that you offer.

Their plan was to charter private planes, take [festival-goers] to an island, build all these structures, feed them gourmet food, house them in villas, provide them with yachts. You cant fault them for thinking big. They didnt come anywhere close to pulling it off, though.

Berkowitz started CID Entertainment in 2007, and does VIP and travel packages.

We started CID Presents in 2015 with guest services and other amenities and our staff has experiential chops.

Having an informed staff is the difference between having a good event and a bad event, Berkowitz said. The goal is sending people home with a memory for life. You build the magic on top of that.

Fyre Festival certainly sent people home with a memory for life. For those experienced professionals willing to help Ja Rule and McFarland pick up the pieces and make magic for Fyre 2018, theres room on a saturated festival calendar for something new and likely rewards for well-managed risk and vision. I do not believe this will diminish interest in other festivals, Rybak said. On the contrary, horror stories like this only further lend credibility to established festivals.

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Fyre Festival's Bahamas Bust & Lessons Learned - Pollstar

A gay man from Atlanta was attacked at a carnival celebration in the Bahamas on May 5, 2017.

Alexus DMarco, president of Bahamas Transgender Intersex United, the Washington Blade in an email that Adrian Brown, who is in the U.S. Navy, was attacked and beaten with bottles and rocks during the Bahamas Junkanoo Festival in Nassau, the Bahamian capital.

DMarco said the altercation began when Brown confronted the two men after they threw water at him.

They replied because youre a sissy batty man dancing up, DMarco told the Blade. They began to hit the tourist with bottles and rocks.

DMarco said Brown was taken to the hospital.

She told the Blade the police were nowhere to be found during the incident. DMarco said local residents chased one of the men who allegedly attacked Brown and he is now in police custody.

Thank God good Bahamians were around to run after the boys, she told the Blade.

These tourists are our bread and butter, added DMarco. This stuff cannot be going ok at international events we host here in the Bahamas.

The Blade has reached out to Brown for comment.

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Gay American tourist attacked in Bahamas - Washington Blade

May 4, 2017

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. The Penn State mens basketball program will get an early jump on the 2017-18 season when it takes a foreign trip to the Bahamas for three games August 4-11.

Game dates, opponents and sites are still being finalized; however, while in the Bahamas, the Nittany Lions will stay at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.

This trip is exactly what we need at this point, Patrick Chambers, Penn State head coach said. It will give us the opportunity to work on our chemistry and culture with many new faces. We can reinforce good habits and get a good look at what we need to work on heading into the season. Hopefully we will be ahead of the curve a little bit.

The team will get 10 practices to prepare for the foreign tour with all players expected to make the trip. NCAA basketball teams are allowed to take an international tour to play exhibition games once every four years. The Nittany Lions last traveled abroad to Belgium, France and England in 2013.

Penn State returns all five starters and over 80 percent of its scoring for next season, including top-three scorers Tony Carr (13.2 ppg), Lamar Stevens (12.7) and Shep Garner (12.0). Defensive standouts Mike Watkins and Josh Reaves round out the starting lineup from a year ago and will anchor the Nittany Lions in the upcoming campaign.

The Bahamas trip will be the first action in a PSU uniform for junior transfer Satchel Pierce, who will suit up for the Nittany Lions this year, and incoming freshmen: Trent Buttrick, John Harrar and Jamari Wheeler.

Fans wishing to attend the games in the Bahamas can arrange travel packages by contacting Lea Miller atlea.miller@leamillerassociates.com or 404-668-7468.

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GOPSUSPORTS.com MBB Poised for Foreign Trip to Bahamas ... - GoPSUsports.com