Barbados stands at a critical economic crossroads where its creative industries must transition from cultural pride to commercial profitability or risk irreversible decline, according to a stark warning from Minister of Energy, Business Development and Commerce Kerrie Symmonds. Speaking at the Third Annual Barbados Orange Economy Consultation hosted by the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries, the senior cabinet member delivered a forceful critique of the region’s historical pattern of endless deliberation without decisive action. Symmonds emphasized that while his portfolio includes the demanding energy sector, developing Barbados’s orange economy—encompassing creative and cultural industries—remains an absolute priority for national economic diversification. The minister pointed to the cautionary tale of Trinidad and Tobago’s steelpan, an instrument invented in the Caribbean but now predominantly manufactured and monetized by foreign entities in the United States, Japan, and China, which collectively control over 40% of global production. Similarly, he warned that Barbados’s national sport of road tennis faces appropriation unless the island establishes legal protections and commercial frameworks. Symmonds expressed particular frustration with the region’s failure to capitalize on the 2008 Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, which granted Caribbean entertainers access to 27 European markets but lacked the necessary funding and technical support for implementation. He criticized how external agendas on human rights and gender identification had overshadowed trade priorities, creating what he termed ‘policy incoherence.’ To address these challenges, the government is finalizing infrastructure for a junior stock exchange to provide equity financing for creative businesses. The minister urged creative practitioners to adopt the aggressive advocacy strategies employed by Barbados’s tourism and cruise sectors, emphasizing that cultural expression must evolve from passion pursuit to protected commercial enterprise through geographical indicators and specialized manufacturing standards.