Despite featuring a smaller amount of buyers compared to previous years, the St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow 2010 or SMART kicked off its one-on-one meetings on Wednesday with assurances from organisers that the event is “here to stay” and all efforts will be made to ensure that 2011, the tenth year, will feature new and innovative aspects for the event.
SMART is being held at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort. SMART is presented by the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, L’Office du Tourisme de St. Martin, St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) and L’Association des Hoteliers de St. Martin. The conference is a professional way to bring together the movers and shakers in the tourist industry for St. Maarten/St. Martin and the surrounding islands within an hour’s flight range.
Director of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Regina Labega described the event as a mini CHA (Caribbean Hotel Association) conference where opportunity is given to tour operators, wholesalers and others to witness first hand St. Maarten as a product and sign contracts to generate business to the destination.
Member of SHTA’s Executive Board May Ling Chun said “SMART is here to stay”, highlighted the networking and business possibilities and lauded the inclusion of a number of workshops in the event this year, in particular for niche markets. She said for 2011 she will be looking forward, along with other organisers, to present a “new and more innovative” SMART.
The SMART conference kicked off on Tuesday with a welcome reception at Porto Cupecoy, where delegates had the opportunity to mingle and socialize with their peers before the first day of business began on Wednesday. The first day was a full day of appointment sessions.
Excerpts from the Daily Herald Newspaper.
