Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre Explained

Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre
Address:	Highway 5, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael, BB11093, Barbados, West Indies
Owner:	Government of Barbados
Operator:	Barbados Conference Services Ltd. (BCSL)
Opened:	1994
Former Names:	Sherbourne Conference Centre
Total Space:	164000-2NaN-2

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.

Facility

First opened in 1994, the building contains a total of over 164000-2NaN-2 ^[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

• Laff It Off Productions
• Caribbean Consumer Conference
• KLOTH Pop Up Event

Past major events

• The UN Global Conference on Sustainable Development for Small Island States
• The Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-20)
• The CARICOM Heads of Government Conference
• The US-CARICOM summit between US president Bill Clinton and the CARICOM heads of government
• Organization of American States (OAS)
• The UN World Conference Against Racism - African and African Descendants World Conference Against Racism.
• 2020 State Opening of second session of Parliament.https://www.nationnews.com/2020/09/15/lescs-big-day/
• UNCTAD-15 (2021)https://www.unctad15.org/

Awards

• 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 - The "Caribbean's Leading Conference Centre" - by the World Travel Awards^[4]

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.^[5]

References

• Web site: The Washington Times - Barbados Profile 1999 news feature . Peter . Read . 16 December 1999 . Advertising Department . The Washington Times . https://archive.today/20061022072315/http://www.internationalspecialreports.com/archives/99/barbados/12.html . 22 October 2006 . 21 June 2010 .
• News: Sherbourne – born into controversy . . 26 October 2008 . 21 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110526020823/http://www.nationnews.com/story/310592750082153.php. 2011-05-26. dead .
• News: Tribute to Sir Lloyd . . 26 October 2008 . 21 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081028133653/http://www.nationnews.com/story/328171546485486.php. 2008-10-28. dead .
• News: Sherbourne Conference Centre scores a hat trick . . 26 January 2006 . 21 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930185358/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/NewViewNewsleft.cfm?Record=24189. 2007-09-30. dead .

Notes and References

1. News: Barbados Conference Services Limited: Facilities . 2008-10-24 . October 2008 . Barbados Conference Services Limited . https://web.archive.org/web/20080523100900/http://www.bcslbarbados.com/facilities.aspx . 2008-05-23 . dead .
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZMheK1vEMs Red
3. News: Sir Lloyd vex . Gercine . Carter . . 14 November 2012 . 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. Web site: The Caribbean's Leading Conference Centre 2009 . 2009 . World Travel Awards . 21 June 2010 .
5. News: Sherbourne gets new name tonight . C. . A. . . 24 October 2008 . 12 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081025143116/http://www.nationnews.com/story/326297911711134.php . 25 October 2008.