SMART 2027 set for June 14-18, registration opens with early-bird push

GREAT BAY--The St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow, SMART, will return from June 14 to 18, 2027, with registration now officially open and organizers again using an early-booking system intended to give participating businesses first choice of space and lower registration costs.

The dates were confirmed following a meeting of the four main SMART partners: l'Office du Tourisme, the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, the Club du Tourisme and the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, SHTA. The event has also been placed on the regional events calendar of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.

SMART has developed into one of the Northeastern Caribbean's main business-to-business tourism gatherings, bringing together tourism authorities, hotels, tour operators, vendors and other industry partners. Organizers say the event is intended to create new business opportunities, strengthen partnerships and keep St. Maarten visible as a regional tourism hub.

The 2026 edition, held from June 22 to 26 at the JW Marriott in Dawn Beach, recorded more than 1,500 scheduled appointments and also set a record for the number of vendors participating in the event. Organizers described those results as among the strongest in SMART's 25-year history.

For 2027, registration has opened with what organizers call the "Chirp First Early Bird Season." The system gives early registrants the opportunity to select preferred table and floor space on a first-come, first-served basis, while also paying lower rates than those available closer to the event. The regular Early Bird period will continue through January 31, 2027.

The phased registration approach is intended to give regional and international tourism businesses more time to plan their participation while also allowing them to secure better positioning on the tradeshow floor.

SMART 2027 is expected to again include pre-scheduled business-to-business matchmaking appointments, seminars focused on regional tourism development and a series of networking events. SHTA is encouraging tourism stakeholders, suppliers and service providers to register early.

Additional information is available through SHTA, while registration details for SMART 2027 can be obtained through the organization's SMART platform.

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