NASSAU, BAHAMAS — BTC has bragging rights for a third consecutive year as its Junior Achievement company, BTC Vibe, has once again
captured first place at the annual Product of the Year Competition.
The competition is an opportunity for Junior Achievement companies to design an interesting and marketable commodity to be sold to the public.
BTC Vibe won first place with an overall score of 97.5 points for the design of its Monopoly-inspired board game, dubbed, “Island Tycoon”.
DeAndre Forbes, BTC Vibe President and an eleventh-grade student at St. Augustine’s College, said that this third win reflects the hard work done by everyone involved with the company.
“Winning product of the year for a third year consecutively validates the
efforts of all associated with the BTC JA Company, not just achievers but advisors and even our generous sponsors who have continued to allow young people to be developed into their best selves through the program,” he said.
“Our product, Island Tycoon, is one that took a lot of time and effort to be created so receiving such an honorable award has really inspired the company as a whole to continue in our great achievements and work within the Junior Achievement community.”
BTC Vibe’s Finance Advisor Kenton Thompson said that Island Tycoon was created to keep the trend going of creating Bahamian-inspired products.
BTC Vibe was able to capture previous wins from its Bahamian Heroes playing cards and Bahamian-themed coloring books.
“Riding on the success and high demand for our last product, the Bahamian playing cards, we wanted to produce another product that was fun and family friendly,” Thompson said.
“After the team agreed on the idea the company was spilt into groups to create the different board tiles, cards and game pieces. Our Marketing Advisor then took those blueprints and created the final masterpiece known as Island Tycoon.”
Thompson said staying consistent with the Bahamian-inspired theme has led to the success of their products.
“Bahamians can easily relate to the Island Tycoon game through local landmarks, Bahamian colloquialisms or even our unique game pieces like
the flamingo, blue marlin, the lignum vitae or the conch shell,” he said.
BTC Vibe’s Executive Advisor Keva Turnquest said the group wanted to ensure that the Island Tycoon product fully represented The Bahamas and the Bahamian financial mindset of growing the next Bahamian millionaire or billionaire.
Turnquest said moving forward, it is the desire for the JA company at BTC to have their products promoted locally.
“Even though the companies have to be liquidated, we would still love to have the partnerships with the Kelly’s or AID or Quality Home Center, anyone – even the grocery stores – if they would have our product or want to continue to partner with us in purchasing the product itself,” Turnquest said.
“This would also lend to the next generation of BTC’s Junior Achievement company as it would have funds in its account to start the next year and products that we know can be generated and pushed throughout the Bahamian society.”
Meanwhile, as for next year’s competition, BTC Vibe is already looking to capture a 4-peat.
“I think we should just make winning it an annual tradition,” Thompson added.
