THE owners of prominent wedding service providers, Shantel’s Exotic Creations and organisers of Wedding Expo 2010, Roraima Airways Inc., who are currently embroiled in a dispute are scheduled to meet today to resolve their differences.
Part owner of Shantel’s, Ms. Vanessa Sampson, winner of the Best Booth Award in the inaugural Wedding Expo, in 2009, is alleging that those who organised the event went against their word and sold her spot to another business.
Sampson said she questioned the height of the dividers being made available to exhibitors this year, because the 36 inches is inadequate.
She said she consulted the management on Monday, March 15 and was promised a decision in two days. However, by talking to organisers of the exhibition the next day, she was informed that the space promised her had been allocated to someone else.
Coordinator of   Wedding Expo 2010, Ms. Annalisa Chan and Assistant Coordinator, Captain Leary Barclay refuted the allegation, stating that exhibitors are supposed to make a deposit when reserving a spot and pointed out that all rules and regulations are clearly spelt out in contracts provided to all.
Sampson said she is unaware that a deposit was needed and said, as an exhibitor at the first Wedding Expo, Shantel’s should have been given priority.
Mr. Clyde Sampson, the other partner in Shantel’s ownership, said he and his wife were the unofficial resource team for last year’s showing but the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Roraima, Captain Gerry Gouveia does not like opposition and wants the couple out of this year’s staging.
Gouveia countered that it is unfair for one exhibitor to exclude everybody else and accused the Sampsons of casting a negative light on what is a goodwill happening.
The second Wedding Expo, which takes place from April 16 to 18, was heralded earlier this month at Roraima Duke Lodge, in Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown and Gouveia said it will now be a permanent fixture on the annual tourism calendar.
The April occasion will feature Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Amerindian themes.