CARCIP’s maiden ICT Fair has been declared a resounding success.

The fair consisted of a week of activities including a digital marketing symposium aimed at the private sector, and a "hack-a-thon." The "hack-a-thon" was an activity geared towards sensitizing young persons in the art of software and mobile applications development, as well as computer graphics and animation.

Project Coordinator for CARCIP Christopher Roberts said the turnout indicates high interest in the field.

"We made arrangements to accommodate 100 persons and on each day we had at least 75 attending. That is a significant number and the only complaint was that it is too short. Persons have obviously been extremely interested and a lot of talent has been unearthed. We are impressed with the turnout and with the talent we witnessed at this fair.”

Roberts hopes the fair will inspire young entrepreneurs to pursue new avenues for economic development.

“Information and Communications Technology represents a different way of doing things, an enhanced way of doing things but it is an opportunity to break free from the traditional models of business. You’ve heard terms like crowd funding and crowd sourcing, these are business models that can be applied and leveraged using ICTs so it is not a case anymore where you need to have a physical building to do business. You can do these things at home and have a very successful business.”

The fair was held from Aug. 10 - 14.