A scene from SMART 2024.
PHILIPSBURG--Sea Trek and Rainforest Adventures will jointly host the final networking event at the 2026 edition of the St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART), which is expected to become the largest edition in the past decade.
This was announced today by the SMART organising committee, consisting of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), together with the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB), the Office du Tourisme (OdT), and the Club du Tourisme (CdT).
The “Surprise Event” gives northeastern Caribbean tourism businesses an opportunity to meet their international and regional counterparts, including tour operators, airlines, and travel agents. The event closes out three intense days of networking activities, more than 1,000 one-on-one appointments, and hotel visits. It marks the epicentre of the week’s events, after which visitors will enjoy curated tours of St. Maarten, St. Martin, Anguilla, Saba, and Statia to experience the northeastern Caribbean tourism product they promote abroad.
Host Sea Trek is the popular underwater park located just off Fort Amsterdam, allowing visitors to walk on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea while exploring submerged attractions and discovering the island’s submarine beauty in the process. It will organise the surprise event on the grounds of its partner organisation, Rainforest Adventure Park, known for the world’s steepest zipline.
CEO Raul Gonzalez added: “As our name suggests, an even bigger attraction may be that of St. Maarten nature – we encourage all visitors to arrive on time to see the sunset from over 300 meters of elevation, with a view over the northeastern Caribbean.”
The 2026 edition, which takes place from June 22 to 26 at the JW Marriott Convention Center, will mark the 18th staging of SMART in 25 years. Over time, SMART has built a reputation for an immersive tradeshow experience, in which optional “tasting” and “visiting” activities have become just as important as the two days of meetings. Gonzalez added: “With Sea Trek / Rainforest Adventures now comprising unique experiences below and well above the sea, we are convinced we are well suited to provide a befitting ‘midweek surprise’ for our guests.”
Apart from the aforementioned partners, the event enjoys support from many private-sector partners contributing to elements of the five-day tradeshow, such as the Grant Thornton Green Room, the BookingSuccess Small Hotel Plaza, air connection support via Princess Juliana International Airport, Air Caraïbes, Air France, COPA, and Winair. Additional event supporters include Amigo Tours, Port St. Maarten, Grand Case Beach Club, CC1, Vin de Plage, and Flow / Liberty Business.
Two months out from the event, only a few tables for SMART are still available. “Buyer” and “Walkaround” networking tickets can still be obtained during the upcoming weeks. Companies both small and large, foreign, and domestic, are encouraged to express interest in a timely fashion via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
