Thrive embraces the world

Creative networking community Thrive International will be hosting its first international creative exchange in Bali, Indonesia in May 2019. Founder Ethan Auguste said the #ThriveXchange event is open to T&T creatives and offers networking and collaborative opportunities.

Auguste said the #ThriveXchange concept can be compared to many successful co-living and remote working experiences that already exist on the market. He said the main difference is the target market of creatives and the tools available for instant collaboration such as music studios, access to local industry networking, etc.

Auguste, a T&T-born cultural ambassador and international event organiser based in Geneva, Switzerland, began Thrive six years ago while living in Dubai, with the goal of supporting, showcasing, developing and inspiring creatives.

“It started as a weekly creative networking event bringing everyone together and showcasing talent live. Thrive has hosted ThriveINDXB, ThriveINLA, ThriveINGeneva and ThriveINTNT. All events featured live music, fashion, art, and in some cases, film screenings. ThriveINTribeca in Dubai featured the Thrive Master Class which hosted various speakers such as Grammy Award winner Babey Drew, Sony producers Hollaphonic and award-winning publicist Jane Owen.”

Auguste started his first company at 19-years old in T&T, A&A Productions, an event and kids party company.

“My “YES I CAN” mindset led me to expand my experiences in management with various artistes and bands, sponsorship, marketing, decorating, etc. I then added Nexus Cafe, an Internet cafe, Confetti, a party supply store and Rock Alive, a rock promotions company, before moving to Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2009. I worked with MovieTowne, Courtyard by Mariott and Hyatt Regency Trinidad, which gave me training and experience in hospitality and event planning.”

In Dubai, he continued to improve his hospitality experience with Emirates and quickly started hosting Caribbean themed events under the brand Caribbean Vybez.

“I left Emirates and worked full time with various partners. I created the brand JAMROCK and co-founded the brand Bacchanal, both of which took Caribbean culture to new levels in the Middle East and I hosted numerous events and artistes such as Kes, Destra, Alison Hinds, etc.”

After more than eight years in the U.A.E. and spending six months in Los Angeles building a network of professionals in the entertainment field, Auguste migrated to Geneva in 2016 to expand his operations into the Europe market.

“I’ve already showcased the infectious music of the Caribbean to over 1,000 party goers. I have a working relationship with Sony Music Middle East and other companies and partners in the creative fields. In 2017, Thrive had T&T singer Kalpee signed with a distribution deal with Sony Music Middle East, where he is now fully managed and signed by the label and their recommended teams. With the network I’ve created over the years, creatives with product and content ready to export to the international market have the opportunity to showcase to various A&Rs, casting agencies, and investors.”

Auguste plans to continue expanding the Thrive brand in the future.

“I’m developing our app and web platform which would allow other creatives to connect, collaborate and create. I’ll also be launching the Thrive Talent agency, an international online platform showcasing our talents. In 2020 we plan to host the first ThriveXpo with the hopes of making it the SXSW of the Caribbean. We’ll be building on the ThriveXchange experiences around the world, launching our top of the line clothing and accessories line, opening our creative co-working space Thrive Space and licensing of our event brands ThriveIN, ThriveINDine and Thrive Master Class to organisers in various cities around the world.”

Auguste said his goal has always been to develop and assist creatives to connect with the right platforms, opportunities and showcases, so they would be able to join a community that would together help each other to “Thrive”. Once creatives sign up they become part of the community and will be able to get the first preference for new locations during the year.

In Bali, creatives attending will get the chance to meet and collaborate with creatives from around the world, learn and exchange from the culture of Bali and create amazing memories while being inspired. Other locations expected are Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.

This is an exciting time for Thrive, the response for the first exchange has been great and I plan to take this and blend with what we already do such as the #ThriveIN networking events and #ThriveMasterClass series.”

For more information, visit http://www.thriveintnt.com and sign up for a chance to be selected.