Caribbean Marketplace 2007 Aims For Sound Business Development

The event will gather some 900 private and public sector tourism representatives from 36 Caribbean destinations – from Anguilla to the United States Virgin Islands – to spend two days of pre-scheduled business appointments, discussing existing contracts, developing packages, and contracting for future business with buyers from around the world. “This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate our members that a collective effort is essential to assure the preservation of Caribbean’s natural resources. It’s about what we say, what we do - and what we say we do,” said Peter Odle, president of CHA. “If we are able to improve the way we do business in a more responsible, conscious manner by just 5%, we can have a huge positive effect on our communities and the environment.”

The initiative has multiple approaches. On one hand, organizers have implemented a plan of operations to neutralize the negative environmental impacts of the event, with simple, effective measures. These include the use of energy efficient equipment; recycling of paper, plastic, and aluminum waste generated during the event; and shifting away from the habit of artic cold temperatures common to conferences, in favor of a comfortable temperature range of 20° – 22° to reduce carbon emissions. In addition, CHA and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) are working with AHATA’s Environmental Committee and Aruba's Parke Nacional Arikok to plant trees and plants to help offset those carbon emissions. The trees help combat soil erosion and encourage a healthier environment.

Likewise, delegates have been asked to contribute by relying less on glossy brochures and tapping technology to showcase their business through computer presentations; for that purpose, the business floor at Caribbean Marketplace will be a Wi Fi hotspot, to allow delegates to go online wirelessly. Additional options include the use of live plants instead of flower arrangements to decorate exhibit booths, which can be later replanted, and selecting fairly-traded products from their respective countries to give away, rather than generic promotional items. “Amenities are common in tourism marketing events; we are suggesting that locally-produced gifts highlight the destination, while supporting traditional skills, small enterprises, and the artisan communities,” added Deirdre Shurland, director of CAST, the environmental arm of CHA.

Secondly, Caribbean Marketplace 2007 will support the marketing edge of ‘green’ hotels in the region, with prominent signage and promotion of Green Globe certified properties in the Caribbean.

Since effective communication is paramount for any sustainable development program, a Green Bulletin will be edited and distributed daily – on recycled paper – to all delegates. Topics will include checklists of small things that make a large difference – such as reusing linens and towels in their hotel room in Aruba; best practice case studies of exhibiting green hotels; and the quadruple bottom line of sustainable tourism, where the hotel, the guest, the community, and the environment win.

For their part, Aruba looks forward to featuring its offerings for the eco-friendly tourist. “In Aruba there are plenty of options for the visitor that seeks an experience that is more in harmony with the environment and respectful of the local communities,” said Ed Malone, past president of CHA and chairman of the Caribbean Marketplace 2007 Host Committee. “We are developing a program to make it easy for delegates to explore,” he added. In addition, the AHATA Environmental Committee will highlight at Caribbean Marketplace 2007 those local suppliers who work with or sell environmentally-friendly and/or fairly traded products.

CHA, with the assistance of CAST, expects to take on the challenge of expanding this “greener plan” throughout its annual calendar of conferences. However, the regional hospitality organization does not intend to go it alone, but with the guidance of its members and partners. As a first step, an electronic survey “green suggestions” will be circulated to all delegates after the conference, to assist CHA to develop guidelines for sustainable events. The association seeks to spread the word about the intrinsic benefits of this fair-trade, sustainable business vision, as experienced in other destinations worldwide: hoteliers register an increase in the length of stays and repeat business, viral and word-of-mouth marketing and referrals. For their part, tour operators and wholesalers benefit from increased business revenues and profitability from this mushrooming market, while the local communities are empowered through new employment and enterprise opportunities and the preservation and promotion of their cultural heritage.

Registration for Caribbean Marketplace 2007 is still open for Caribbean’s suppliers and qualified buyers. Buyers are wholesalers, incentive buyers, meeting planners, group buyers and dive shop owners - from the USA, Canada, Caribbean, Latin America, Asia/Pacific, Africa, and Europe. They can choose appointments with a range of suppliers from 36 different national hotel associations representing our intimate inns, guesthouses and villas, business, meeting and incentive, time-share, all-inclusive and chain hotels from the entire Caribbean region. Buyers who attended Caribbean Marketplace in 2006 generated more than US$80 million in new business, while suppliers realized over US$120 million in new business.

Caribbean Marketplace 2007 is hosted by the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association, the Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba Resort & Spa, and the Radisson Aruba Resort. For more information, go to .