The St. Maarten / St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART) 2026 will have the largest edition of its “Green Room” concept thus far. This was announced today by main organizer the St. Maarten Hospitality and 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 2026 Green Room sponsor Grant Thornton.
The Green Room, providing complimentary tradeshow space and tickets to NGOs that contribute to a better balance between the tourism product, nature and culture, serves a double purpose. First and foremost, by having these NGOs present and inform the vast number of local and regional tourism companies visiting the tradeshow about their causes, SMART organizers hope to inspire and provide concrete instruments to make the regional tourism product more sustainable and increase the island-tourism balance. In turn, it introduces the visiting NGOs to a vast array of relevant and potential partners for the future.
SMART is the largest tradeshow of the Northeastern Caribbean. Though the event is organized by the Dutch and French sides of St. Maarten / St. Martin in conjunction, the event has a large presence of hotels, tourism boards, and activity providers from surrounding islands. Its 18th edition in the JW Marriott convention center on June 22–26, 2026, aims to be the largest in its 25-year history.
Grant Thornton Partner, Herbert Beldman: “For our company, supporting this project was self-evident as corporate social responsibility is top of mind both for our own operations as well as for organizations we support that, often in a volunteer capacity, contribute to preserving nature and the beauty of the island. We think there is no better opportunity to influence the key Caribbean economic product of tourism at the unique moment all decision makers are in one room. We ourselves are interested to learn about the many fantastic projects by island NGOs presented at SMART, but far more importantly we aim to facilitate these organizations to share their message amongst the over 100 tourism companies present.”
Building on the Green Room concept, the four SMART Partners—SHTA, Office du Tourisme, St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, and Club du Tourisme—have jointly selected to support one specific project that will enhance sustainable tourism on both sides of the island that will be presented in-depth at a later moment. It will be the first time the SMART tradeshow will adopt one specific project, using its large international platform in an attempt to improve nature alongside the economy.
As part of this effort, Grant Thornton will launch a stakeholder sustainability survey in January 2026 to gather insights that will help shape the island’s transition toward a greener future.
SMART 2026 opened “Chirp First Early Bird Season” on October 1,2025 a two-month timeframe to allow participants to select a spot of choice on the new expanded floor plan. This has resulted in over 50% of booths being allocated to interested hotels, activities, vendors, and regional tourism boards. NGOs working toward a more sustainable and balanced tourism industry still have an opportunity to join the Green Room, but spots are limited, so early registration is encouraged.
To secure a booth or Green Room space, interested companies and organizations can email office@shta.com or visit shta.com/SMART.