KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, March 10, IWN — The Carnival Development Corporation will merge, drop, and reschedule shows as it moves to cut the cost of producing Vincy Mas 2013.
“We are trying to take every measure that perhaps can be seen as cost-saving. And we are trying to be economical in almost all that we do,” Dennis Ambrose, chair of the CDC, told I-Witness News.
“The quality of the shows will not in any way be infringed on or compromised, but we will at least save on the execution,” he further said.
He said the regional beauty pageant, Miss Carival, will take place on June 28, at the beginning of the 10-day festival.
Moving Miss Carival from the eve of Soca Monarch — July 6 — allows the CDC to promote better the beauty pageant.
“We believe that this will provide a better opportunity for the promotion of this event and for it to gain top public support,” Ambrose said.
He further said the move will shield Miss Carival from the “the impact of Soca Monarch, though Miss Carival has held its own over the years”.
Nine countries will join SVG to make a total of 10 contestants in Miss Carival 2013. The reigning Miss Carival is Roxanne Didier-Nicholas of St Lucia.
And this year, soca lovers will see artistes from both categories of the genre performing on one night as the CDC will merge the Ragga Soca and Power Soca competitions — scheduled for July 6.
“We believe that the patrons will get an even bigger bang for their soca bucks and we are confident about this change because we all know what happens with soca,” Ambrose told I-Witness News.
Soca Monarch is the most widely patronised Vincy Mas show.
Steal and Glitter, a pan and costume show, has been moved to July 5, a later slot, and Ambrose said that the CDC hopes that having the show on a Friday will encourage greater participation.
The CDC will not produce Fire Fete this, after just breaking even in 2012.
“And we felt that perhaps we should rest it for a while and let the private promoters take it up and we can save on that,” Ambrose told I-Witness News.
He further said this creates an additional opportunity for private promoters to stage events.
Private promoters will have access to the date and the Victoria Park.
Thursday July 4 is also available for private events.
Ambrose said that the CDC has a very skeletal full-time staff and employs additional persons during Carnival as it sees necessary.
He said the CDC does not see a need to reduce the size of its staff amidst the other efforts to cut cost.