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Harbour Nights starts tomorrow with international sponsors

Lighting up Front Street: The Gombeys were the centre of attention at the opening of Harbour Nights last year

The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce has landed several high-profile sponsors for this year’s Harbour Nights, which gets under way tomorrow.The Tourism Department is the title sponsor, while BlackBerry-maker RIM, Norwegian Cruise Line and the City of Hamilton have come on board as lead sponsors.Butterfield Bank, Belco and members of the Chamber’s Restaurant Division are also offering support and sponsorship and Chamber officials said they expect to soon make other sponsorship announcements.It’s the street festival’s 20th year in action and the Chamber said there are plans to make this year’s Harbour Nights “a particularly memorable season”.“Harbour Nights is a quintessential part of Bermuda’s way of life and an important part of the summer calendar,” Chamber president Buddy Rego said yesterday.“This year we have decided to celebrate the event’s 20th anniversary with a full 20-week schedule. It is a very aggressive target and we are still in the process of raising much needed funds to ensure we can meet our obligations, but we have made a commitment and we have every intention of honouring it.”Mr Rego said they were grateful to the Department of Tourism for its continued support.He said having massive international brands associated with the event was “a tremendous coup not only for the Chamber, but Bermuda as a whole”.Chamber EVP Joanne MacPhee added: “The Chamber has selected Great Sound as production partners this year and we are looking forward with great anticipation to the ‘wow factor’ they will certainly bring to the event.“The Chamber is particularly excited about their plans for July 4, which happens to fall on a Wednesday this year.”Mrs MacPhee explains further: “We hope to turn Front Street into Main Street USA and throw the biggest block party Bermuda has ever seen. We are not giving away all our secrets just yet, but watch this space, because it is going to be something very special!”The start of Harbour Nights coincides with the first voyage of the Veendam which will be docked alongside in Hamilton. It’s the cruise ship’s last year in Bermuda.Popular MC Nadanja will open the night with performances by the H & H Gombeys, Carl Rodney, Steel Pan soloist and the Kennel Boys.Anyone wishing to participate in Harbour Nights as a sponsor, entertainer or vendor, is actively encouraged to contact event coordinator Stacey Medeiros-Cooke at The Chamber 295-4201.

Harbour Nights Impact- An estimated 20,000 visitors attend the event over the 20-week period.- Harbour Nights creates employment opportunities for more than 150 Bermudians- The event provides entrepreneurs with the most cost effective means of growing and developing their businesses. For many, Harbour Nights provides “a make or break business opportunity”.- Visitors get an unprecedented opportunity to enjoy local entertainment at no cost.- All funds raised to support Harbour Nights go directly back into the local economy to pay for entertainment, sound and lighting, advertising, marketing materials, design support and staff.

Source: Chamber of Commerce