BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE public relations firm, blamed for the falsified information published concerning the Kittitian Hill cottage development project, has admitted to making the mistake. However, its explanation has given rise to further questions.
An article mounted via this publication headlined “Press Release found to be untrue”, suggested that a communiqué issued by the Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, Erasmus Williams, titled “Forty one-bedroom cottages, three holes completed at Kittitian Hill Resort”, was found to be grossly untrue; so much so that only one of the 40 cottages had actually been completed.
A subsequent release issued by Press Secretary Williams contained an apology and indicated that the information was obtained from Adams Unlimited. It also contained “in its entirety” the release issued by Adams Unlimited.
It informed that according to Belmont Resort, “35 cottages and 2 villas are in various stages of completion” and that 50 percent of the Woosman-designed golf course and 80 percent of the driving course has been completed.
“The new information on the number of cottages and villas under construction corrects CUOPM News Release 052/2012 dated January 24th 2012 which stated that 41-one bedroom, cottages were completed.
“The information was based on a press release dated January 23rd 2012 issued by Adams Unlimited, the New York-based Public Relations firm on behalf of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority in which it sought to update the media on the tourism-related developments in St. Kitts.”
SKNVibes subsequently made contact with Founder and President of Adams Unlimited Candice Adams-Kimmel, who admitted that her firm was at fault for inadvertently issuing the erroneous information.
“I think that they may be a bit harsh but it is an accurate statement. Although the release did not say 41; I don’t know where that number came from. Our release inadvertently said 40. But as Mr. Erasmus cleared up today, it is really only 37.
“I take full responsibility for my staff unfortunately not having delved beyond the obvious first source. They (the cottages) are in various stages of completion and our information came from a website that obviously had not been updated; that indicated 25 would be finished by year’s end. So when we received information that that number was now 40, my staff took it at face value. And so we are dealing with a precision with the use of the term nearly-completed and completed. And believe me, it is very embarrassing for me to be here on island and have to say, ‘Yes…we made an error.’”
Adams-Kimmel told SKNVibes that her staff did not set out to intentionally mislead anyone, but that it was an honest mistake. She said her staff’s enthusiasm over the project may have gotten the better of them in this instance.
“But that error was made not because we chose to intentionally mislead the world…The fact that it is going so well and it is nearing completion, it is on schedule and that would mean a lot to the tourism product. I would say, definitely, my staff’s excitement blinded the fact. They should have checked maybe two or three different sources and, believe me, it will become a mantra when I return home.
“But everything you have said…you are correct. The bottom line is…yes, nearly completed does not equal complete.”
Adams Unlimited’s Founder indicated that the firm does not have agents on St. Kitts-Nevis who could have gathered first-hand information about the project. But rather, “We had to rely on checking with Belmont Resorts Ltd. and we also had to rely on what is published on the Kittitian Hill website…”
When this media house checked the Kittitian Hill website (www.kittitianhill.com) which is “authorised by the government of St. Kitts and Nevis as an Approved Project for Citizenship-by-Investment”, SKNVibes found no information suggesting that cottages which form part of the Kittitian Hill Cottage project were completed.
Following the publication of the press releases that emanated from the Prime Minister’s Press secretary, SKNVibes was approached by a number of citizens who expressed their concerns about the inadvertent issuance of incorrect information and forwarded the following questions:
• Who is responsible for the dissemination of information to Adams Unlimited pertaining to tourism-based projects?
• Who is responsible for the maintenance of the Kittitian Hill Website from which Adams-Kimmel claimed her firm gathered the information?
• Was the information published by CUOPM authenticated by the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary who resides on the same island where the project is?
• Having received the information from Adams Unlimited, did the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary make any inquiries about the progress of the project before disseminating such?
• Where does that public relations entity get its information on additional development projects not listed on the Kittitian Hill website?
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