Emoji Fest team smiling after first staging

There were plenty of smiling faces or rather, helmets, at the inaugural staging of the party Emoji Fest on Caledonia Avenue in Kingston recently.

Party promoter Troy Watson said that to the best of the team's knowledge, it is the first event of its kind in Jamaica. "Emoji Fest is unique in its nature, as we champion our patrons to express themselves and showcase their vibe by wearing our custom, life-sized emoji helmets as they party, drink and have fun," he shared.

"We allowed patrons to wear these helmets, take photos in the helmets, dance, vibe and just have a great time being whatever emoji they chose. We also incorporated inflatable emoji balls that were released into the crowd," he said.

Watson said that the idea was conceptualised following the staging of a previous event that he organised.

"We sought to improve upon our previous event called OMG, which was staged in 2019 . Emoji Fest was the natural evolution of OMG [the abbreviation of popular phrase 'Oh My God'] which in itself represents an emoji," he explained.

Watson said that the team was elated at the turnout and support for Emoji Fest, especially since it was the inaugural staging.

"The common feedback that we have been getting so far is that this was a unique party experience with excellent food, great music and genuinely a good time, without the showboating that some parties have been stigmatised with," he said, adding that the feedback has encouraged him to put plans in place for a follow-up event.

"While we continue to establish our core audience in Jamaica, we do foresee the potential for international expansion," he shared.