FAQ
Caribbean Travel Marketplace is open to companies that qualify under the following categories:
Suppliers – Companies interested in participating must be CHTA members selling Caribbean travel products and services to tour operators. The following company types can register under the supplier category:
Buyers – Participation as a buyer is by invitation to companies that sell and feature the Caribbean as a destination in their programs. Buyers are wholesalers, tour operators (domestic and international) and incentive buyers that must have the ability to secure inventory, sell travel and have the ability to package travel and offer commissionable rates.
Marketing/Media – Companies interested in participating must be CHTA members that promote or sell marketing products and services to Caribbean suppliers. The following company types can register under the marketing/media category:
Companies that are providers to the hospitality and tourism industry and that provide products for the hotels. CHTA Allied members, except magazines and marketing related services cannot attend this event.
Caribbean Travel Marketplace is open to companies that qualify under the following categories:
Suppliers – Companies interested in participating must be CHTA members selling Caribbean travel products and services to tour operators. The following company types can register under the supplier category:
Buyers – Participation as a buyer is by invitation to companies that sell and feature the Caribbean as a destination in their programs. Buyers are wholesalers, tour operators (domestic and international) and incentive buyers that must have the ability to secure inventory, sell travel and have the ability to package travel and offer commissionable rates.
Marketing/Media – Companies interested in participating must be CHTA members that promote or sell marketing products and services to Caribbean suppliers. The following company types can register under the marketing/media category:
Companies that are providers to the hospitality and tourism industry and that provide products for the hotels. CHTA Allied members, except magazines and marketing related services cannot attend this event.
The two day event consists of pre-scheduled appointments between suppliers and buyers. Caribbean Travel Marketplace is not a typical trade show as the main objective is for suppliers and buyers to conduct negotiations that benefit the region.
Due to the business nature of the event, only registered delegates are allowed at the event, including social functions. Tickets are not sold for social events as these events are considered a networking opportunity.
The recommended attire for the event is business casual; however, please note that the selling floor is air-conditioned; therefore temperature could be lower inside the floor.
No, due to the business nature of the event, Supplier participation at Caribbean Travel Marketplace requires the purchase of a booth. The booth serves as a meeting area where the appointments take place.
The primary delegate is the person at your company that is designated the main point of contact for communication regarding the registration process. The primary delegate is the only delegate to receive all registration correspondence (i.e. Appointment Schedules and Registration Confirmations). The primary delegate is responsible for notifying CHTA in writing on company letterhead of any registration changes, cancellations or additions.
Registered delegates must visit the registration desk during the registration hours noted on the program to collect their credentials. Credentials are prepared in envelopes by company name. Each delegate must be at the registration desk to collect the materials.
Each registered Delegate is issued a name badge along with a wristband, which is for use only by the Delegate named on the badge. The badge and wristband must be made available to the security guard for entrance to the selling floor and working lunches. If requested, Delegates must be able to produce photo identification to match the name on the badge. If the badge or wristband is lost during the event, the replacement fee is U$25.00 per item lost.
Misuse of Delegate badges, which includes sharing, rotating or exchanging badges, registering a delegate that represents a CHTA member who does not qualified to attend the event or is an expired member is not allowed, and any Supplier company/delegate found misusing Delegate badges will be removed from the Caribbean Travel Marketplace Business Floor with no refund of fees paid.
Delegates could arrange their airport transfers directly before the event. Buyer delegates receive complimentary round trip transfers by presenting the voucher which is sent prior to the event.
CHTA recommends that each delegate review the How To Get The Most Of Caribbean Travel Marketplace. This document identifies the steps that you need to take before, during and after the event as it relates to the appointment process.
The passport which provides access to request appointments is available in October. All appointment taking and sharing appointment delegates will receive a notification when the passport is available. The deadline to submit pre-scheduled appointment requests is noted under Key Dates.
There are 44 appointment slots. Each Buyer appointment taking delegate can have up to 44 pre-scheduled appointments.
For suppliers, the amount of appointments is based on the booth size:
Additional appointments can be scheduled on-site at Caribbean Travel Marketplace. Business Appointments, Social Events, and anytime prior to Caribbean Travel Marketplace are perfect times to schedule additional appointments. Study the Passport to identify companies of interest. Then, seek out representatives of those companies and schedule appointments at mutually convenient times.
The system schedules the request based on the order the appointment requests are listed. It is therefore important to prioritize your requests for appointments.
A single appointment is 20 minutes, with 5 minutes in between each appointment. Only Buyers may request a double or “back to back” appointment of 45 minutes with those Supplier companies with whom they require more negotiating time.
Once the appointments are scheduled, the appointment taking delegate will receive a notification to view the schedule online. The schedule will list all appointments by date and time. You will also receive a prospect list which lists all appointments not scheduled from
Prospect lists will be accessible on the website to Buyers and Suppliers prior to Caribbean Travel Marketplace to permit direct follow up. You should contact these companies to entice them to meet with you.
The lunches provide delegates with additional time for networking or for appointments that could not be scheduled via the system. All appointment-taking delegates have two appointment periods blocked for lunch during the scheduled lunch time.