Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre

The Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (formerly known as the Sherbourne Conference Centre) is a conference centre facility on the Caribbean island of Barbados. Owned by the government of Barbados and managed by the government agency Barbados Conference Services Limited (BCSL), the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre is just outside the capital city of Bridgetown, in St. Michael.

Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre
Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre along Highway 5
AddressHighway 5, Two Mile Hill,
St. Michael, BB11093,
Barbados, West Indies
Coordinates13.104°N 59.583°W / 13.104; -59.583
OwnerGovernment of Barbados
OperatorBarbados Conference Services Ltd. (BCSL)
Opened1994
Former names
Sherbourne Conference Centre
Enclosed space
  Total space164,000 sq ft (15,200 m2)
Website
www.lescbarbados.com

Facility

First opened in 1994, the building contains a total of over 164,000 sq ft (15,200 m2) [1] of meeting space and is made up of space which may be subdivided for smaller events of between 50 and 1200 persons (theatre style).

When first constructed the building was considered too large by members of the opposition and construction on back portion of the facility halted just after a change in government. Many Calypsonians sung about the side of the facility (which contained a planned performing arts centre) as being "unfinished" or stating the facility had its "backside exposed".[2] After a change in government in 2008, the semi-completed ~15-year-old auditorium was torn down to make way for office space and a carpark instead. This action was much to the condemnation of the former prime minister that spearheaded it, Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford.[3]

Annual events

  • Barbados Manufacturers' Exhibition (BMEX)[4]
  • Caribbean Consumer Conference
  • Home Show

Past major events

Awards

  • 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 - The "Caribbean's Leading Conference Centre" - by the World Travel Awards[5]

Naming

On 24 October 2008, the facility's original name of Sherbourne Conference Centre was changed to its present name in honour of Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, a former prime minister of Barbados.[6]

Notes

  1. "Barbados Conference Services Limited: Facilities". Barbados Conference Services Limited. October 2008. Archived from the original on 23 May 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
  2. Red - Red Plastic Bag, 2002
  3. Carter, Gercine (14 November 2012). "Sir Lloyd vex". Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 29 September 2012. Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford is "very disappointed" that the performing arts centre he conceptualised for Sherbourne Conference Centre has been abandoned for a car park instead. And he charges that while "the Barbados Labour Party boarded it up, it was my own party that decided to knock that out of the plan altogether and to build office space and car park instead. "Could they not find anywhere else to put up car park?" Sir Lloyd asked.
  4. BMEX
  5. "The Caribbean's Leading Conference Centre 2009". World Travel Awards. 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  6. A., C. (24 October 2008). "Sherbourne gets new name tonight". Nation Newspaper. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2013.

References

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