ATI and RTI back together again

Reunited and it feeeeels so goooood!

Big party news today islandistas - Jamaica's two biggest all-inclusive holiday weekend events are back together again!

That's right - ATI and RTI (which was also ATI at one point - confusing we know) have recombined to create a new Independence weekend party - Negril Dream Weekend.

News of this coming from datmad which reports NDW organiser Kamal Bankay as saying to the Weekend Star:

 

What's really happening is that the strongest events in Negril have come together to make one band where the strongest will survive. So, the so-called RTI band and ATI band that we're used to for the last two years is now one band.

Now as Jamaican islandistas would know for sure and genuine islandistas who party all over the Caribbean may know too, originally there was just one Independence weekend party which started back in 2001. Originally it was called ATI which stood for Appleton/Absolute Temptation Island (I think).

Then there was a falling out between Absolute Entertainment who conceptualised the event and Appleton in 2006.

Appleton continued with their own event, calling it Appleton Treasure Isle and Absolute Entertainment adjusted the name to Absolute Temptation Island.

In 2007, Red Stripe jumped into the ling and sponsored Absolute Entertainment's events, renaming it RTI - Red Temptation Island.

And now after two years of splitting the crowd (and making the really determined partiers pay out of their ass to attend both), RTI and ATI are back together again, thanks to the 'Dream Team'. No title sponsor as yet but Red Stripe and Wray and Nephew are expected to battle it out.

The Dream Team consists of the promoters behind the six events that will make up NDW , which runs from August 6 to August 9 - Daydreams, Twisted Spirits, Xtreme Wet and Wild, Yush, Wildsides and The Concert.

Bankay gushed to the Weekend Star:

 Persons will have it a lot easier this weekend, without having to decide which band to choose and which parties to go to. ... You'll be dazzled and astounded and know that it was money well spent and if you save your money and choose this party for the year, it will be where you will have the most fun

Yeah, yeah, yeah - whatever.

These promoters ent had no problems splitting the crowds and/or forcing people to pay for two events when the economy was good. But now tings a look sticky, they back together.

The recession is REAL peoples.