AJD and the Notting Hill Carnival connection

A call out of the blue sparked an 18-year (and counting) relationship with one of the world’s largest street festivals — and it’s been a joy, writes Andrew Ballington-James, MD and Founder of Just AJD.

While most bosses don’t like to admit it, a great deal of success in business comes down to chance. Of course, as a business owner there are many things you can control — costs, strategy, marketing, quality of production, customer relationships. But there are also larger forces you can’t, such as the economy, industry trends, or competitor innovations that rewrite the rules of your sector.

One of our greatest strokes of good fortune came about 18 years ago when an organiser from a Mas band rang asking for printed vinyl banners for their float at that year’s Notting Hill Carnival.

If you’re unfamiliar, Mas bands feature a live Caribbean music group on a decorated lorry, followed by people in brightly coloured costumes parading, dancing, and encouraging the crowd to join in. The term Mas comes from “masquerade,” a traditional Caribbean form of storytelling that reflects each island’s history, culture, and sometimes its challenges — from environmental protection to promoting different ways of life.

That first call came thanks to a friend-of-a-friend recommendation. We had produced some banners for him — nothing to do with Carnival — but he appreciated our can-do attitude, friendliness, and willingness to deliver urgently after another printer had let him down. Looking back, much of our work has come from stepping in where others couldn’t deliver.

And that’s how we began at Notting Hill Carnival. Over the years we’ve gained more Mas band customers, including the Dominica United Kingdom Association (DUKA), which has been a fixture at Carnival for 20 years.

DUKA is chaired by Vincent John, who also served as Chairman of Notting Hill Carnival from 2011 to 2014. Vincent has been a brilliant advocate for Dominica and has been instrumental in introducing us to other Mas bands. He says:

“We have been able, through Andrew and Just AJD, to bring standardised pricing for printing. Before Andrew, Associations were paying all kinds of prices for the same or similar jobs. But it’s not all about price. Reliability and flexibility matter just as much. Andrew’s ability to work to tight deadlines — even delivering banners on the Saturday Carnival begins — saving us storage costs and headaches at the busiest time of the year.”

Cost control is crucial for Mas bands, which receive only small Arts Council grants and must fundraise largely through donations and sponsorships.

Vincent adds: “DUKA is very appreciative of the support we receive from sponsors and donors but we are always looking for new ones. We are seeking support from long-term partners who ideally can commit to the relationship over 3 to 5 years so we can develop initiatives together.”

A Carnival highlight this year was the surge in popularity of bouyon music. DUKA’s Mas band featured Shelly & The Signal Band — Dominican musicians blending jazz, Creole, and Caribbean sounds — who drew a crowd far beyond expectations.

“We aimed for 600 people following the band, but in the end we had up to 2,000 — a wonderfully diverse audience from many countries, enjoying seven hours of non-stop music.

“We were particularly pleased this year by the fantastic atmosphere and minimal trouble despite the huge crowds,” said Vincent. “And we had some of the best feedback Carnival has ever received.”

Originally published on https://just-ajd.co.uk/notting-hill-carnival/