May 6, 2013
Economist, consultant and motivational speaker Zhivargo Laing
“From armed conflicts in Darfur in Africa to the enduring poverty in Port-au-Prince in the Caribbean, more effective leadership is the single most important ingredient for progress and relief. In the best of times sound leadership is important; in the worst of times it is simply critical.” – Zhivargo Laing, Laing Consulting and Research Group
“All the institutions which help to forge the integration of the peoples of this region: OECS, CARICOM, CSME, West Indies Cricket, and many others, are dependent on aviation services for their proper functioning. Aviation in the Caribbean is the bridge that connects the islands. I therefore submit that aviation services should be treated in a different way to other industries and it is important that governments throughout the region act now to list aviation services as essential.” – Ian Brunton, CEO, LIAT (1974) Ltd.
“For many vacationers, the bottom line is cost. Airlines are not going to give up the capacity discipline that has led to higher fares (and profitability). Island governments can’t change that, but they can re-examine taxation, duty regulations and possible air subsidies to bring overall costs down. These are bitter pills. Tourism is supposed to enrich government coffers, not deplete them, but each island will have to carefully consider these investments. It could also help if islands traded parochial concerns for a coordinated campaign to promote the region, one that would highlight diversity, cultural richness and value. The Caribbean Tourism Development Co. website is a step in the right direction, but clearly more needs to be done.” – Arnie Weissmann, Editor-in-Chief, Travel Weekly
“I always looked at what I considered the most successful people in town. And generally it was the lawyer, the banker, and the newspaper owner, and (I tried) to watch how they did it and what made them do it. And I just concluded then that it wasn’t all that difficult to be more successful if you were willing to take some chances and work your butt off.” – Al Neuharth, founder, USA TODAY
“It’s not how I think of myself really … Every now and again, I interact with somebody who’s a real idiot, and I think to myself, ‘Yeah, but you know what? I invented the search engine.'” – Alan Emtage, Inventor (The Huffington Post)
“I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.” – G.K. Chesterton, British writer
“Quotable Caribbean” is compiled by Marketplace Excellence, a full-service, integrated marketing agency committed to excellence in the fields of public relations, marketing and media coaching.