Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association

SMART welcomes all Hotel & Excursion Operators of the North Eastern Caribbean Region and International Wholesale Tour Operators to SMART 2013!

May 15–17, 2013
Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino

HOW TO

Registration How to register for the event
Online registration How to register online once you have received your user name and password
Appointments How to access the SMART Passport to set up your appointments
Table top set up Info about table tops
Accomodations How to book your accomodations at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort online or by phone

For questions concerning the event, please email smart@shta.com or call +1.721.542.01.08.

SMART 2013

The St. Maarten – St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow - SMART is presented by the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, L'Office du Tourisme de St. Martin, St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association and L'Association des Hoteliers de St. Martin.

SMART 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.

SMART will showcase the alluring islands of the North Eastern Caribbean Region including Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, St. Maarten - St. Martin.

SMART is a conference which provides the venue for International Buyers to network and negotiate future business opportunities with suppliers in the tourism industry.

The most important Travel Industry Partners and Wholesale Travel Agents have been invited to the conference, where they can meet our Hotel and Excursions operators on a “ONE on ONE" basis in order to conduct business in preparation for winter and beyond.

The SMART conference kicks off with a Welcome reception, where delegates have the opportunity to mingle and socialize with their peers before the first day of business begins.

The first day is a full day of Appointment sessions where the Travel Partners & Wholesale Travel Agents (Buyers) and the Hotel & Excursions operators (Suppliers) sit down one on one to discuss future business possibilities.

SCHEDULE

May 15, 2013
Official arrival day for Buyers & Suppliers
2:00pm – 6:00pm ........... Registration & Credentials Claiming
4:00pm – 6:00pm ........... Supplier Tabletop Setup
7:30pm ........................... Welcome reception

May 16, 2013
7:30am – 9:30am ........... Registration & Credentials Claiming for late arrivals
8:45am – 9:45am ........... Buyer to Supplier Scheduling Session
10:00am – 6:10pm ......... Appointments are scheduled continuously throughout the day
12:30pm – 2:30pm ......... “Working Lunch” is provided so that delegates may expand their working day
7:30pm ........................... Farewell Party

May 17, 2013
9:00am – 12:00pm ......... Additional Optional Appointments
9:00am – 4:30pm ........... Hotel Visits, Island Tours & Activities

REGISTRATION

Please print the registration form pdf form below and fax it to:

US & Canada 305-503-7068
International: +1-305-503-7068

Who can attend SMART?
SMART is open to companies that qualify under the following categories:

SUPPLIERS – Hotels (bed and breakfasts, chains, management companies, resorts, timeshares, villas), Attractions, Destination Management Companies, Tourist Boards and Transportation Companies (airlines, automobile rentals).
Download Supplier Registration Form (PDF)

BUYERS - senior staff members from tour operators and/or wholesalers. Buyer participation is by invitation only and new companies can request approval for registration.
Download Buyer Registration Form (PDF)

MEDIA ADVERTISERS/MARKETING - Magazine advertisers, website developers and booking engines,
marketing representation, distribution systems, publishing companies and media representation. Please note: Media advertisers/Marketing companies’ tabletops will be located on the selling floor, however these representatives will not be able to schedule appointments for SMART.
Download Media Registration Form (PDF)

What is the format for SMART?
The event consists of 1½ days of pre-scheduled appointments between suppliers and buyers, where they can meet “ONE on ONE" basis in order to conduct business in preparation for winter and beyond.

Is the event open to visitors and/or general public? Are spouses allowed to participate at any scheduled event? Due to the business nature of the event, only registered delegates are allowed at the event, including social functions. Tickets are not sold for social events as these events are considered a networking opportunity.

What is the proper attire for the event?
The recommend attire for the event is business casual; however, please note that the selling floor is air-conditioned; therefore temperature could be lower inside the floor.

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ONLINE REGISTRATION

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE!

Usernames and passwords will be sent to all registrants. If you haven't received your username and password, please email SMART@shta.com

As a Supplier, can I attend Caribbean Marketplace without Purchasing a Booth?
No, due to the business nature of the event, Supplier participation at Caribbean Marketplace requires the purchase of a booth. The booth serves as a meeting area where the appointments take place. Register with the Supplier Registration form (pdf).

Why do I need to identify a Primary Delegate?
The primary delegate is the person at your company that is designated the main point of contact for communication regarding the registration process. The primary delegate is the only delegate to receive all registration correspondence (i.e. Appointment Schedules and Registration Confirmations). The primary delegate is responsible for notifying SHTA in writing on company letterhead of any registration changes, cancellations or additions.

What is the process to collect credentials at the event?
Registration is open during the following hours:
Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 7:30am - 9:30pm

Registered delegates must visit the registration desk during these hours to collect their credentials. Credentials are prepared in envelopes by company name. Each delegate must be at the registration desk to collect the materials.

What are the Registration Fees for the event?

BUYERS: Early Bird Registration Fee is US$99.00 per delegate if registered on or before April 15, 2013 and US$125.00 per delegate after April 15, 2013. Registration Fee includes 1 delegate directory, pre-scheduled appointments during SMART 2013 if received before April 15, 2013, name badge credentials and attendance to all official food and social functions.

SUPPLIER: Early Bird Registration Fee is US$310.00 if registered on or before April 15. After April 15, the Fee is US$410.00. Registration Fee includes 1 delegate; 1 tabletop and signage; listing in the Ocial Directory of Participants and on the Electronic Directory; 1 set of Appointments (maximum 36) during SMART; attendance to all food and social functions. Full payment must be received with your registration form in order to process. Tabletop sharing by different companies is not allowed. Additional delegate fee is US$175.00.

MEDIA: Registration Fee is US$675.00 for SHTA or AHSM member companies and US$975 for non-member companies. The Registration Fee includes 1 delegate; 1 tabletop; a Delegate Directory of Participants; attendance to all food and social functions. with Registration to process. Additional delegate fee is US$175.00.

What is the policy for Name Badges?
Each registered Delegate is issued a name badge, which is for use only by the Delegate named on the badge. The badge must be made available to the security guard for entrance to the selling floor and working lunches. If requested, Delegates must be able to produce photo identification to match the name on the badge. If the badge is lost during the event, the replacement fee is U$60.00 per item lost.

Supplier, Media advertiser/Marketing or Buyer misuse of Delegate badges, which includes sharing, rotating or exchanging badges, and any Supplier company/delegate found misusing Delegate badges will be removed from the Caribbean Marketplace Business Floor with no refund of fees paid.

Should I arrange for airport transfers in advance?
All SMART delegates receive complimentary round trip transfers by presenting the voucher which is sent prior to the event to registered delegates.

APPOINTMENT BOOKING

Already registered? Click here to access the SMART PASSPORT to request your appointments!

When can I request appointments?
The deadline to submit pre-scheduled appointment requests is May 6, 2013, 5 pm. Changes, additions, and deletions to your online appointment requests can be made and resubmitted until May 6, 2013, 5pm.

This area is password protected. If you have not received a username and password, please contact the SMART registrations office at +1-721-542-0108 or email smart@shta.com.

How many possible appointments are there?
There are 36 appointment slots. Each appointment taking delegate can have up to 36 pre-scheduled appointments.

How can I schedule additional appointments?
Additional appointments can be scheduled on-site during the SMART Buyer to Supplier Scheduling Session.

How are the Appointments Scheduled?
Appointments are scheduled by the computer based on
1) Perfect matches – a mutual Buyer and Supplier request
2) Buyer only requests for supplier

The system schedules the request based on the order the appointment requests are listed. It is therefore important to prioritize your requests for appointments.

What is a Double Appointment?
A single appointment is 20 minutes, with 5 minutes in between each appointment. Only Buyers may request a double or “back to back” appointment of 45 minutes with those Supplier companies with whom they require more negotiating time.

What happens after the appointments are scheduled?
Once the appointments are scheduled, the appointment taking delegate will receive a notification to view the schedule online. The schedule will list all appointments by date and time. You will also receive a prospect list which lists all appointments not scheduled from:
a) Companies you requested to see but for whom there was no common time for the computer to schedule the appointment;
b) Supplier only requests for buyer companies – the Buyer did not request to see that Supplier.

Prospect lists will be accessible on the website to Buyers and Suppliers prior to SMART to permit direct follow up. You should contact these companies to entice them to meet with you.

How to Request Appointments via the Internet?

You must be registered as an appointment-taking or sharing appointment delegate, and have your delegate ID and password, which will be emailed to you in advance.

The first page you come to will display information that we have gathered on your company. By selecting "Next" a page will be displayed with the following Menu options.

"View Request List" - This allows you to view all appointment requests that you have submitted.

"View who has requested you" - You can see which companies have requested an appointment with your company.

"Online Directory" - This selection allows you to search for companies by different categories as well as display their profiles.

Follow the simple steps for selecting your appointments and submit. It is quick, easy, and accurate!

What happens if I cannot access the appointments via the Internet?
If you are unable to access the appointments online, you should notify the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Associations to allow us to review if there is problem with the system and the settings in your computer. If after a review, you cannot access the appointments, you must ask for a list of the Appointment Codes for Buyers or Suppliers and an appointment request form.

On this form, you must list, by priority your appointment requests which will be entered in the system by the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association.

What are Working Lunches?
The lunches provide delegates with additional time for networking or for appointments that could not be scheduled via the system. All appointment-taking delegates have two appointment periods blocked for lunch, which is scheduled from 12:20pm to 2:30pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2013.

TABLE-TOP SET-UP

What type of table-top is provided and are there any restrictions?
Table-tops are standard banquet table size. Posters are acceptable as long as they are pop-up stands and are not blocking any other table-top.

Can I Request a Special Location for my Table-Top?
Supplier booth locations are assigned by country based on your address if your registration is received prior to May 3rd. Request for special location must be indicated at the time of registration.

If there is a special group of companies or hotel that you would like to be located with, the request must be made mutually by each organization and the request should be listed on your registration form. SMART cannot guarantee table-top placement requests.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accomodations at Sonesta Maho Beeach Resort & Casino

BUYERS
All-inclusive stay at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino at US$100.00 per person, per night.
Click here to book online
or call +1.721.545.21.15 (promo code "SMART1")

SUPPLIER/MEDIA
All-inclusive stay at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino are US$125.00 per person per night.
Click here to book online
or call +1.721.545.21.15 (promo code "SMART2")

These net rates are non commissionable, based on single or double occupancy, and subject to 21% tax. Rate is valid for stays May 12, 2013, through May 19, 2013.

Must show proof of SMART buyer/supplier/media participation upon arrival, or full room rate will be charged.

SMART FACTS

The year 2013 marks the 12th year of SMART, the conference began in 2001 and has been gaining more attention and participants ever since.
SMART is the first conference to showcase the Islands of the North Eastern Caribbean Region.
SMART 2004 tallied the highest number of participating companies ever registered.
The average SMART conference attracts 50-60 Supplier companies and 30-40 Buyer companies.
SMART has added Hotel Trainings to the program, particularly to accommodate the small & large hotels of the North Eastern Caribbean Region.