Last week Thursday, D’s Beach Bar formed the backdrop for the launch of the 2026 St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) Annual Events Calendar. The “Cultural Icon,” National Institute of the Arts (NIA), was officially presented with the calendar by Zoila Sanchez Contreras of main sponsor Amstel Bright, distributed by Divico Distributors, marking the start of the 2026 calendar’s circulation.
Sanchez Contreras shared the calendar with Shannell Bucknor, Mila Grandtner, Nyah Kalmera, and Shiloh Bedminister of NIA. A joint photo of these artists at the historic Fort Amsterdam, taken last year, was selected as the featured image for the 2026 calendar. As Cultural Icon, NIA now follows in the footsteps of past honorees such as Clara Reyes, Isidore “Mighty Dow” York, “King BeauBeau” Brooks, Roland Richardson, Ruby Bute, and Zillah Duzon-Hazel.
In her remarks before handing over the calendar to the four artists, Sanchez said, “Amstel Bright is proud to sponsor the SHTA 2026 calendar. This partnership is a natural fit for our local Caribbean beer, which celebrates the rich multicultural spirit of the island of St. Maarten. We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of the island’s premier events calendar and to support the vibrant community that makes our island so special.”
The launch event was a first of its kind and was designed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the well-known events poster that showcases activities from hundreds of island organizations. Distribution began in December to ensure calendars reached audiences in time for the New Year. As of this week, calendars are also being sent abroad to international fans. The NIA calendar marks the 10th edition of this widely used poster, summarizing major annual events and holidays for both local use and as a destination “business card” for visitors. The calendar is also used by foreign tourism trade partners to highlight the diversity of the destination.
In addition to requesting a free copy via +1 (721) 542-0108, calendars are available at the cashiers at Divico Distributors. Alongside Amstel Bright, SHTA thanks Telem, Grant Thornton, AMA Jewelers, St. Rose Beach Bar, TriSport, Oyster Bay Beach Resort, St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, Office du Tourisme and the many organizations that submitted events, demonstrating that St. Maarten / St. Martin remains a lively destination.