With performances by Beenie Man, Buju Banton, and Spragga Benz to name a few, it's no wonder reggae fans consider the Caribbean Reggae Fest to be the hottest ticket of the year. An estimated 40,000 people are expected to attend this year’s crowd pleaser. The Caribbean Fest brings popular Caribbean artists together under one roof for an electrifying night of entertainment. Though the Caribbean Reggae Fest has become one of the most popular Caribbean events in Miami, the road to success has not been smooth. Delroy Escoffery of AnchorMinott Inc. explains how three men with a big dream and even bigger goals joined forces in the effort to make Caribbean entertainment history.

Andrew “Drew” Minott, Delroy “Anchorman” Escoffery, and Charles “Chuck B” Higgins are the masterminds behind AnchorMinott Inc. The three met in a roundabout way in the nineties. “Charles and I go way back since ‘95, we managed Spragga Benz together in New York and I met Andrew in ’97 at the first show,” Escoffery.When Minott and Escoffery met, they realized that they shared a common love for Caribbean music and decided to work together. The two formed AnchorMinott Inc. and organized the Pre-Thanksgiving Day Reggae Bash of ’98. The following year, Higgins joined the team and the three have been unstoppable ever since.

Organizing a big event can be very difficult and the men of AnchorMinott can attest to that as they have faced many obstacles during the beginning stages of their business venture. The promoters were discouraged from putting on the Pre-Thanksgiving Family Day Reggae Bash of 1998 because many thought the event would be unsuccessful. To top it off, local media outlets did not promote the event well while competitors tried their best to see to the show’s demise. “Stations promise to promote our show then they don’t…other promoters tear down our flyers and patrons bootleg our tickets,” Escoffery. Even with all those challenges in their path, thousands attended the show and they received a nomination for the “Best show promoter of the year in South Florida” award. Not too shabby for their first show!

Though the Pre-Thanksgiving Family Day Reggae Bash established AnchorMinott Inc. as professional event promoters, many doubted their ability to organize another successful show. The following year they organized another Reggae Bash and the audience more than doubled that of the previous year!  AnchorMinott seemed to have figured out a winning combination other promoters could not. Hot Performers + Large Venue + Excellent Food and Beverages = A successful Show! Whether or not AnchorMinott has discovered a foolproof method for putting on a great show can be debated; all we can say is that the crowd has grown from about 8,000 to over 30,000 in just a few years.

Now that the Caribbean Reggae Fest is one of the largest events in South Florida, the promoters should be able to kick back and relax right? No way! They are always looking for ways to make the show bigger and better. During the past 5 shows, entertainers of various levels of popularity are selected to perform, but this year ArchorMinott are going to do things a little bit differently. “This year is gonna change up. Whoever is hot, is gonna show in it. Big names gonna show in it,” Escoffery. There are also talks of hosting a weekend long festival with the events leading up to the Caribbean Reggae Fest. Just imagine, Reggae style Mardi Gras or a Dancehall Carnival… the possibilities sound promising.

The 6^th Annual Caribbean Reggae Fest is anticipated to be a huge success thanks to Andrew Minott, Delroy Escoffery, and Charles Higgins. Their hard work and determination to bring you the best Caribbean show ever is what keeps the Caribbean Fest going strong. The men are living proof that you can achieve your goals if you put your mind to it. Delroy Escoffery says it best with his words of wisdom to fellow entrepreneurs, “ Why worry when you can pray? Whatever you want to do, put your mind to it, work collectively and you can be successful. God Bless.”

For more information about Anchor Minott and History of the Caribbean Reggae Fest, visit www.crfest.com