PHILIPSBURG--The nomination period for the tenth annual Crystal Pineapple Awards, organised by St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), officially opened on Monday.
This year's edition will be very special, SHTA announced, as it will be a double celebration: the award ceremony's 10th anniversary and the association's 45th anniversary.
The nomination period will close on Monday, September 14, and SHTA encourages the public to submit nominations as soon as possible. The voting period will commence shortly after. The award ceremony is scheduled for Friday, November 20.
The Crystal Pineapple Awards is the only event on the island that recognises hospitality and trade personnel, organisations and associations for their contributions to the tourism industry, the island's main economic pillar.
"The industry directly and indirectly employs 87 per cent of the workforce on the island. With this special edition, the SHTA will be pulling out all the stops to highlight those persons within the industry who deserve to be honoured. The media marketing campaign will be expanded this year to provide the community with ample opportunity to nominate and vote for their candidates," SHTA said in a press release.
As each year, the general public is requested to nominate persons in various categories. The categories are evaluated and adjusted each year to reflect the innovations in the industry. As such, SHTA is excited to add the categories Best Customer Service Representative, Hospitality Manager of the Year and Entertainer of the Year to the list.
The public is requested to nominate in full force. "There are so many great persons within our hospitality and trade industry. These persons should be recognised and highlighted. It's about appreciating people and hopefully inspiring others to do their best no matter the position. We all play our part in maintaining our tourism industry," said SHTA Executive Director Anenda Zaandam.
The following categories are also open for nominations, across five main divisions: Accommodation, Timeshare, Restaurant, Trade and Special Awards.
Nominations can be submitted for Employee, Supervisor, Department Manager, Timeshare Sales Person and Rookie of the Year in the Accommodation Division; Outstanding performance in Sales in the Timeshare division; Employee, Supervisor/Manager, Restaurateur, Chef, Bartender and Rookie of the Year in the Restaurant division; Employee, Supervisor, Manager and Rookie of the Year in the Trade division; and Outstanding Community Service Achievement, Best Customer Service Representative, Hospitality Manager of the Year and Entertainer of the Year in the Trade division.
The annual Crystal Pineapple Awards Gala has been a "huge success" in previous years. The organising committee will be utilising technological innovations in its marketing, nomination and voting system and for the event itself, "to provide an even greater Crystal Pineapple Awards experience. SHTA is proud and pleased to serve the tourism industry in this aspect," Zaandam said.
The nomination form and category qualifications can be found online on the SHTA website's Events section. Crystal Pineapple Awards also can be found on Facebook.
