The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce & Industry (COCI) have selected three winners from its ‘Business Pitch to Seatrade’ to attend the upcoming SeatradeCruiseGlobal Conference that will take place from April 8-11 at the Miami Beach Convention Center bringing together approximately 11,000 professionals.
The Executive Board and COCI Operations representatives were the judges who selected the overall winner which is Cocomoods Concepts of Crystal Coombs. Cocomoods Concepts was created September 1, 2018.
Coco is an upbeat temp girl who loves to travel the world and experience different cultures. Just like anyone else, she experiences different types of moods. She wants to demonstrate her creative lifestyle through fashion, culture and her hair. Moods gives priority to artwork to help express cultural differences but to evoke a sense of style and set the appropriate mood.
Global Rootz, is related to offering products that cut across every culture of the world. Cocomoods Concepts makes a variety of art products that remind you of your native country and represent your rootz in style.
VooDoo Entertainment, headed by General Manager Paula Daal-Dono, established since 2008, came in first place, and provides all forms of entertainment for events including dance shows, bands, DJ’s, fire shows and specialty shows.
VooDoo Entertainment in the post-Irma era is currently focused on doing shows for cruise passengers. They also do shows for restaurants and casinos.
The second-place winner is Yoda Guy Movie Museum Foundation headed by Director Nick Maley. Maley, a veteran movie maker with over 60 featured films to his credit, is widely known as the ‘Yoda Guy’ for his work creating Yoda for the Classic Star Wars Trilogy.
Maley and his wife established the Yoda Guy Movie Museum in 2011, in order to preserve the history of classic movies, and spotlighting the work of innovators in the film industry. They market the museum onboard cruise ships and offer shore excursions of their Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit.
President of the COCI Supervisory Board Benjamin Ortega, said that the three businesses will have the opportunity to join Team Sint Maarten and represent the country at the Conference, adding that, it is an occasion to stimulate and promote their business, the island and cruise tourism.
Ortega said the selection process wasn’t easy, and it was decided to give it to three businesses instead of one. COCI Executive Director Anastacio Baker said the products that the businesses offer is good, and the presentations were excellent.
“With 40-years of Chamber history behind us, the new board has embarked upon the initiative of ‘inclusion.’ As business owners, we need to differentiate by bringing in our own creativity.
“All three entities that were selected have their own uniqueness and standout when showcasing their products. I would like to thank you for your participation, and we were inspired by your stories,” Ortega said on Friday when announcing the winners of ‘Business Pitch to Seatrade.’
SeatradeCruiseGlobal is the cruise industry’s most significant worldwide event that presents the opportunity to promote the island and the business community.
The ‘Business Pitch to Seatrade’ was part of the Supervisory Board and Executive Director initiative in giving back to the business community and to stimulate business activity and innovation in a challenging economic environment post-Irma/Maria.
In order to be selected for the aforementioned, locally registered business had to pitch themselves in order to qualify. The campaign was open to all registrants in the Chamber register.
The overall winning business will receive a round-trip ticket to Miami, hotel accommodations, and a daily allowance and SeatradeCruiseGlobal conference pass. The first and second place winners will receive round-trip tickets and an entry pass to the conference while the first-place winner receives in addition hotel accommodations and a daily allowance.
The Chamber registrant had to submit a 90 second or less video why this business/entity should be chosen and how this opportunity would benefit their organization.
The registrant had to also submit a one-page biography of their business/organization (history, type of business, current situation and future plans for the business); and include contact information of the owner.
