PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Small Properties Association (SSPA) held its first official meeting on Friday July 19th, 2013 at the Carl and Sons Lounge Pondfill. Properties represented were L' Esperance, Lucy Guest House, Midtown Hotel, Seaview Hotel, Sunset Inn Hotel, Bute Hotel, and LAMA Guest house.
"Our association has with over 30 years experience in the Hotel Industry, therefore as a Board we knew that our first keynote speaker had to be someone very passionate about St. Maarten's development. To have Mr. Connor as our first Keynote speaker is an historic honor. Mr. Connor was very instrumental in the formation of the St. Maarten Small Properties Association in which his organization the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce is an Honoree member" stated Ms. Nzinga Lake, President of S.S.P.A.
In Mr. Connor's presentation, he stressed the importance of how as an Association the members must move the Association forward, keeping in mind that any successful association must project a positive image from the onset, be professional, be accessible, be efficient, build a rock solid reputation and most of all we must get involved within the Private and Public Sectors in our community.
Topics discussed were Branding, Marketing, Funding, Trainings, New Membership Drive and meeting key stakeholders in our community and within the region.
"We must create partnerships with key organizations in our community such as our Community Police Officers, the St. Maarten Timeshare Association, SHTA, St. Maarten Bankers Association but most importantly the association must introduce itself to the New Minister of Tourism and his Ministry team since the idea was also a government initiative to have the small properties represented on the Tourism Authority Board of which the S.S.P.A. president is now a member. We are prepared to work hard aggressively, it's essential to the success of the association stated Ms. Nzinga Lake, President of S.S.P.A.
The St. Maarten Small Properties Association's objective is to provide the best possible networking and industry forum for its members, to assist them with improving the standards and quality of their properties and the services provided, and to establish closer and more effective collaboration with other private and public sector organizations.
S.S.P.A. other major goal is to create a better forum to promote and market its member properties and the destination St. Maarten in general.