In an effort to increase the value and volume of the island's exports, the Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA), in collaboration with the Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP), hosted a digital marketing symposium to educate manufacturers, exporters and business owners on the best digital and online media practices.

The symposium was part of the activities for CARCIP's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fair this week.

Chief Executive Officer of TEPA, Jacqueline Emmanuel-Flood, said digital and online media has become symbiotic with today's business world.

"In this world where the virtual has become reality, we cannot overemphasize the importance of cyber space and the presence therein. We at TEPA are of the opinion that many Saint Lucian exporters have not adequately tapped into the opportunities that are available online, compared to their international counterparts. Therefore, we are embarking on this symposium and through the presenters we hope to enlighten the exporters who are in our midst and indeed the aspiring business owners as well."

During the symposium, online media professionals gave presentations on best practices and upcoming trends and provided free assessments of the attendee’s online presence, which included mediums such as social media, blogs and websites.

Minister for Commerce, Business Development and Consumer Affairs, Hon. Emma Hippolyte, encouraged the exporters and business owners to utilize the far reaching new media.

"We have high quality products and services that the world has yet to see," she said. "So what better market place, what better show window, than the world wide web."

The Digital Marketing Symposium took place on Tuesday at the Public Service Training Institute in Union.