The undertaking was announced at a press briefing held this week at the Anguilla Tourist Board’s Conference Room.

Digicel’s Country Manager in Anguilla, Stephenie Brooks said the company “was delighted to have the unprecedented opportunity to work with the Summer Festival Committee on the marketing and promotional efforts for Summer Festival 2007.”

She went on: “As a corporate citizen we realise and appreciate the importance that culture plays in our community and to this end we are very thrilled to have the opportunity to promote and support the Summer Festival and to work along with the Committee. Basically, our role is to enhance what is already in place. There are a lot of initiatives and ideas that the members of the committee have among themselves and Digicel just wants to support that and to bring its marketing expertise to different venues.”

Festivals Coordinator, Fitzroy Tomlinson said the marketing of the Summer Festival by Digicel would entail multiple use of the radio, television and the print media, posters, banners and every medium usually used by the committee to advertise and market the Summer Festival.

“Digicel has agreed to give us financial support for all of this. The company will also be assisting us with our big screen we normally use at the village,” he said.

Chairman of the Tourist Board, John Benjamin, commended Digicel for offering its support, saying it was the first company to have done so. He estimated that the marketing programme to be provided by Digicel may have a value of up to EC$150,000.

Gechel Richardson, Comptroller of Inland Revenue, said that this year the Anguilla Government had given a significant contribution of EC$700,000 for the Summer Festival and that in addition EC$270,000 for capital expenditure to upgrade the Landsome Bowl Cultural Centre.

“Even with that significant contribution, we are still under and therefore I am so thankful to Digicel for partnering with the Summer Festival to help alleviate that financial burden that we have from year to year,” she said. “The contribution from Digicel is generous as our advertising and promotion of the festival is a tremendous cost. This should help us to be in a more positive standing at the end of the festival.”

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