PHILIPSBURG – The 11th annual Crystal Pineapple awards fundraising gala, organized by the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), officially opened their nomination period on Monday, September 5, and closes on Friday, September 30.
The Award Ceremony is scheduled to be held on Saturday, November 19. The 11th edition of the Award Ceremony will be focused on ‘branding’ St. Maarten. The event will incorporate national elements, which showcase the beauty and uniqueness of the island.
The Crystal Pineapple awards fundraising gala is the only event on the island that recognizes Hospitality and Trade personnel, organizations and associations, for their contribution towards the tourism industry, the island’s main economic pillar.
The industry, directly and indirectly employs 87% of the workforce on the island. The SHTA will be pulling out all the stops to highlight those persons within the industry who deserve to be honored. The media marketing campaign will be expanded this year to provide the community with ample opportunity to nominate and vote for their candidates.
Each year employers and the general public are requested to nominate persons in various categories. The categories are evaluated and adjusted each year to reflect the various business sectors. For the 11th edition, the Association is excited to add the category Best Taxi/Tour person to the list.
As with all the categories, employers and the public are asked to nominate in full force. “There are so many great persons within our Hospitality and Trade industry. These persons should be recognized and highlighted. It’s about appreciating people and hopefully inspiring others to do their best no matter the position. We all play a part in maintaining our Tourism industry,” said SHTA and the Crystal Pineapple Awards organizing committee.
In addition to aforementioned award, the following categories are open for nominations:
- ACCOMMODATIONS DIVISION: Employee and Manager of the year;
- RESTAURANT DIVISION: Employee, Chef, Bartender of the year;
- TRADE: Employee, and Manager of the year;
- SPECIAL AWARDS: Outstanding Community Service Achievement, Best Customer Service Rep, Taxi/Tour person of the year, Entertainer of the Year and Salesperson Of the year.
In the previous years, the Annual Crystal Pineapple awards gala has been a huge success. The organizing committee will be utilizing technology in their marketing, nomination and voting system and the event itself, to provide an even greater Crystal Pineapple Awards experience. SHTA is proud and pleased to serve the tourism industry in this aspect.
The nomination period closes on September 30. The voting period commences shortly after. Send in nominations as soon as possible before the closing date!
The nomination form and category qualifications can be found online on the SHTA website
http://shta.com/events/crystal-pineapple-awards/crystalpineappleawards/.
In addition, the general public is encouraged to visit them on Facebook: “Crystal Pineapple Awards.”
For more information, contact the SHTA office: 542-0108, or e-mail: office@shta.com.
