During his Keynote Address at the 242 Influencers and Creative Conference, March 29, 2026, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis told those in attendance that, when he looked across the room, he saw “the outline of a new Bahamian economy”.
“I see creators, storytellers, editors, marketers, comedians, entrepreneurs, and young people who took a phone, a camera, an idea, and their own voice and turned it into reach,” he said at the event held at the Baha Mar Resorts Convention Centre.
Prime Minister Davis added: “I have come here with a simple message. Your country sees you. Your Government sees you; and your Prime Minister sees you.”
Among those present were Cabinet Ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation the Hon. Chester Cooper; Minister of Health and Wellness the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville; Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs the Hon. Clay Sweeting; Minister of Labour and the Public Service the Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle; and Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources the Hon. Zane Lightbourne.
After giving examples from his own life, Prime Minister Davis stated that he was where he was at that time because “somebody opened a gate for me”.
“Somebody gave me a chance,” he said. “Somebody saw ability before title, promise before polish, and work ethic before pedigree.”
Prime Minister Davis added: “That is why I say to you today, I am a gate opener. The Bahamas has lived too long with a gate-keeping culture. Too many people have treated access like private property. Too many gates stayed closed unless you knew the right people. Too many talented Bahamians were left waiting outside rooms they had already earned the right to enter.
“We have to break that culture. We have to build a gate-opening culture in The Bahamas.”
He pointed out that too many older Bahamians have held younger Bahamians back because of “their own fear, their own insecurity, and their own discomfort with seeing a new generation rise”.
Prime Minister Davis said: “Too many have mistaken mentorship for control. Too many have mistaken experience for ownership. Too many have acted as though if a young Bahamian comes forward, somebody older must lose something.”
“That must stop,” he added. “A country cannot grow that way.”
Prime Minister Davis said that a people cannot move forward that way.
“Age should bring wisdom, guidance, and room making,” he said. “Age should bring a hand on your shoulder, a word of advice, an introduction, a recommendation, a gate opened. It must never become a wall in the path of the next generation.”
Prime Minister Davis added: “So yes, we need more gate openers. And we need them in politics, in business, in media, in church, in law, in education, in the civil service, and across every part of national life. A country moves forward when gates open. A people rise when opportunity reaches farther than a small circle.
“And a young person begins to dream bigger when they can finally see a gate opening in front of them.”
He stated that that was why they had that event that day.
“Today is me saying to you, ‘I am prepared to meet you in the middle’,” Prime Minister Davis said. “This Government is prepared to create the domestic environment and give you the tools you need to succeed.”
He added: “We are prepared to do our part. All I ask is that you do yours. Meet me in the middle. Bring your discipline. Bring your talent. Bring your work ethic. Bring your ideas. Bring your hunger.”
After giving examples of Government initiatives and individuals who have taken part in them, Prime Minister Davis stated that he had seen creators who “understand timing, culture, editing, branding, and audience better than many traditional agencies”.
“I have seen Bahamian talent at work,” he said. “And I am here to tell you that what was missing was never ability.”’
He added: “What was missing was access. What was missing was connection. What was missing was a government prepared to knock on the door for you. That is what we are doing now.”
Prime Minister Davis pointed out that his Government was going to “put you in the room and at the table”.
“This conference is built around exactly that idea, bringing global technology platforms, creative industry voices, and Bahamian creators together, with direct discussion about eligibility requirements and future opportunities for Caribbean creators,” he said.
Prime Minister Davis added: “We are reaching out to companies such as OpenAI, Meta, TikTok, X, and others because we are making the case that talent and capability exist right here in The Bahamas. And let me say this plainly, there is no excuse to hide behind. We are not going to tell Bahamian creators about some local barrier or some talk about Central Bank restrictions keeping them out of the room.
“There are no local barriers.”
He pointed out that the work before his Government was to build the relationships, the access, and the systems that allowed Bahamian creators to earn from their talent.
“Before we ask the global marketplace to monetize Bahamians, we have to do better at home,” Prime Minister Davis said. “Before we ask international brands to invest in Bahamian creators, local brands must lead as well.”
“That is why I am proud when I see local companies embracing Bahamian ambassadors,” he added.
Prime Minister Davis noted examples of local companies using Bahamian influencers, and said that those choices send a message.
He said: “They say Bahamian talent carries value. They say Bahamian influence has weight. They say Bahamian creators deserve real brand partnerships. I want to see more of that across this country.”
Prime Minister Davis added: “And Government must play its part too. So today I say this: I will direct Government agencies and ministers to identify Bahamian influencers and creators who can help carry public information and public education messages, and to allocate intentional budgets for that purpose. When Government wants to reach people, Government should use Bahamian talent.
“When agencies want to speak to young people, families, communities, and consumers, they should look right here at home.”
He stated that that was because “this is an era of Bahamian possibility”.
Prime Minister Davis said: “This is a moment when we can decide what kind of culture we want to build : a culture where access is hoarded – or a culture where opportunity is shared; a culture where people sit on information and guard contacts – or a culture where people open doors and pull others through.”
He stated that he knew what kind of culture he wanted to build.
“I want a country full of gate openers,” he stated. “I want a country where one success story creates 10 more.”
“I want a country where a young creator from Cat Island, Andros, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Exuma, Abaco, Long Island, or New Providence feels that there is room for them too,” Prime Minister Davis added. “I want a country where creators can focus on creating, where brand relationships can grow, where platform eligibility gets serious attention, where best practice is shared, and where young Bahamians can build real income from their ideas.”
He stated that it was his hope that, when participants left the conference that day, they would leave “with more than inspiration”.
Prime Minister Davis said: “I hope you leave with purpose. I hope you leave with information you can apply to your talent. I hope you leave with a wider sense of what is possible.”
“And I hope you leave as a gate opener,” He added. “Lift somebody up. Share what you learned. Pull somebody into the room. Help somebody else understand the process. Show somebody else where the opportunity is; because too much gatekeeping has frustrated the growth of others in this country.
“We are going to change that.”
Prime Minister Davis thanked his Director of Communications Latrae Rahming, Ambassador-at-Large with responsibility for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Greg Michelier, and “all the gate openers in this room for making this moment possible”.
“This conference is a signal,” he pointed out. “It is a statement. It is a beginning.”
“And I look forward to seeing you again next year, as Prime Minister, as we continue building on the progress we have made,” Prime Minister Davis added. “May God bless each of you, and may God continue to bless our Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”
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