The JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa will host the 18th edition of the St. Maarten / St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART), scheduled for June 22–26, 2026. This was announced today by the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) on behalf of the binational organizing committee, which includes the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB), the Office du Tourisme (OdT), and the Club du Tourisme (CdT), in conjunction with the resort.
It will be the first time the event is held at the 200-room luxury resort, which opened in 2024. Dan Szydlowski, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the resort on Dawn Beach, stated: “We are elated to host this prestigious and regionally renowned tradeshow for its 18th edition. We are confident that our location—surrounded by lush greenery and soft white sands—together with our convention center, will provide an inspiring setting for tourism professionals from across the northeastern Caribbean. We also believe it will be a voyage of discovery for travel agents, tour operators, and journalists, encouraging them and their clients to return for both business and leisure. Our team cannot wait for June and invites the global travel industry to join us!”
As of today, attendees can book their stay at JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa on the SMART 2026 website at shta.com/smart
The St. Maarten / St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART) is the largest tourism tradeshow in the northeastern Caribbean. It is organized by the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) in close cooperation with the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB), l’Office du Tourisme (OdT), and Club du Tourisme (CdT). The binational tourism industry event has been held for over 25 years, with the 2025 edition marking its 17th occurrence. The tradeshow provides opportunities for both formal and informal business interactions, showcases tourism and related industries of the island, and allows visiting tourism partners to experience the island’s culinary and cultural offerings.
Ms. May-Ling Chun of key partner the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau stated: “Given the variety of new routes and recent airlift growth, we believe SMART 2026 can be one of the most successful and productive editions in its history for all partners involved. We look forward to collaborating with the professional meetings team at JW Marriott and encourage travel agents, tour operators, and airlines to book their spots starting today!”
SMART 2026 will feature an expanded program and has already received early support from several key industry partners, to be announced later this fall. The 2025 event welcomed visitors from 29 countries and destinations.
The “Early Bird Season” for SMART began on October 1, offering suppliers and vendors reduced prices. Forty-two booths were reserved during the first week of October alone. Although the event is still nine months away, organizers recommend that interested companies reserve their booths early. The new “Chirp First Early Bird” campaign, running until December 1, allows participants to secure their preferred booth at the discounted rate. Booths for the past three editions have sold out consistently. Companies can reserve an “early bird” ticket for the 2026 event by emailing info@shta.com. Program updates and event news are available at shta.com/SMART.