BITS Trade Show

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – From Friday 2nd October to Monday 5th October 2009, the built industry’s highly anticipated annual Building, Interiors, Technology and Safety (BITS) Trade Show will be held in Trinidad and Tobago. The show, which is in its eighth year, will this year be presented by the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) in conjunction with Premier Events Caribbean Limited, the title holders of the event. Of the many benefits and advantages available to participating industry professionals, BITS hopes to provide participants with a unique opportunity to view and compare building construction and interior products and services in an environment that enables informed decisions on purchases as well as discourse on pertinent safety, maintenance and value issues.

During the trade show, the TTIA will host a number of construction related seminars, facilitated by distinguished architects from the Caribbean and North America. In recognition of the importance of Health, Safety (HSSE), Security and the Environment to the building industry, this year BITS will place emphasis on HSSE with workshops, seminars and competitions in conjunction with the OSHA agency, who along with Scotiabank are the main sponsors. Also, within the very packed schedule for this year’s show is the very much anticipated prize ceremony for the Most Innovative Design (MID) awards which recognizes industry professionals and students in the Caribbean.

The MID Awards are fully endorsed by the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA), the Faculty of Engineering at the University of the West Indies, the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad & Tobago (APETT), and the Joint Consultative Council (JCC). The MID Awards are intended to encourage and celebrate innovation in regional design work.

Jamaica’s Renewable Energy Website

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Since its inception on April 24th, the Caribbean Information Platform on Renewable Energy (CIPORE) has received thousands of hits. The website (www.cipore.org) is a communication portal for the exchange of renewable energy information for the region. Launched by the Scientific Research Council (SRC) in Jamaica, cipore.org is available in the four major languages of the Caribbean; French, Spanish, English and Dutch. The platform includes an information centre with articles and speeches on renewable energy, a projects database, legislation, statistics and an energy calculator.

There is also a communications centre which features a directory, forums, chat rooms and access to host live meetings with up to 20 people online from anywhere in the world. Other features are a demonstration centre, country pages for each participating territory and a news section devoted to renewable energy developments in the region. James Moss-Solomon, Chairman of the Scientific Research Council (SRC), told the media that CIPORE is more than a website; it is a developmental tool which gives a broader view across the region as to what is really happening in relation to renewable energy.