My name is Elizabeth Flanders, Founder at Event Connoisseurs.  I started this business because I could not find any Caribbean focused events that remembered our culture and heritage whilst celebrating the positive contribution, we, the Caribbean and those of Caribbean descent, have made to society whilst also honouring our history. 

Many Caribbean islands celebrate their individual history, yet I see the Caribbean as a community, and therefore all three of our events will focus on the Caribbean as one community with a shared heritage.  I also feel that the Caribbean could be better represented as a stand-alone nation and, although there are strong links with Africa, we should not allow this to consume our unique identity born out of our own struggle. 

Therefore, I am passionate about creating inspired, exceptional, and unforgettable events for you. I want to showcase the best of the Caribbean to a UK audience, to celebrate, preserve and grow our rich culture and heritage. To inspire UK based individuals from a Caribbean background to explore the richness of their culture, take pride in their heritage and discover (or rediscover) their cultural identity.

Why this is important to me.

To quote Marcus Garvey…. “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”.

Cultural events have a huge role to play in sharing knowledge and information and in promoting understanding, tolerance, and acceptance.  These events also provide a better understanding of self, of identity and of belonging; cultural events build community.  Let’s be proud to be Caribbean and let’s explore what this means together.  Let us pass on our folk stories, how to make sorrel, sweet potato pudding (ok now I am just thinking about food), what the celebration of carnival truly represents; our cultural landmarks – Community!

My events credential.

With over twenty years of event planning and management experience from the corporate world and private clients; I first entered the world of event planning as a Conference Administrator in the 1990s and soon worked my way up to become the Events Team Leader.  Over the years I organised hundreds of events ranging in size and complexity and did a lot of travelling.  My experience is varied and ranges from Staff Awards and AGMs, large-scale corporate conferences to birthday celebrations and Family Fun Days.