Aruba's many charms — gorgeous beaches, cooling trade winds and vibrant culture — were on display during Northstar Meeting Group's Destination Caribbean & Islands, which took place Sept. 3-6 at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino. The event drew 130 attendees, including hosted buyers plus suppliers representing hotels, DMCs and tourist boards from the region, who came together for three sun-filled days of education, networking and business meetings.
The event kicked off with a toes-in-the-sand reception on the beach, where guests were invited to check their shoes to get into the island. Over the course of the program, participants were treated to lunches at the Ritz-Carlton, Aruba, and the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort, cocktails at the recently opened St. Regis Aruba, and a sunset dinner and lively Carnival dance troupe who had everyone on the dance floor at the new Joia Aruba by Iberostar.
Breakfast and education sessions, held al fresco in a secret garden–like space on the grounds of the Hilton, featured Natasha J. Silva, chief conservation officer of the Aruba Conservation Foundation, who introduced the audience to the island's lesser-known treasures, such as the yellow-shouldered parrot, and detailed the ACF's efforts to protect endangered species and regenerate their habitats. On the second morning, industry attorney Paul Cataudella addressed contract risks planners and suppliers are facing in the shifting landscape, and explained the difference between "frustration of purpose" (when something unexpected occurs that destroys the main reason both parties entered into a contract, even though performance is still technically possible) and "force majeure" (when an uncontrollable event occurs making it impossible or illegal for one or more parties to carry out their obligations under the contract).
On the final afternoon, guests experienced the Dutch Caribbean island's amazing array of group activities: A jeep rally took participants to Arikok National Park and the island's famed Baby Beach; some went out on a catamaran and snorkeling adventure; and groups took a tour of the island's aloe industry or visited Flamingo Island. The event was capped off with a dine-around at four of the island's top restaurants and a surprise — and wild — return, via party bus, to the Hilton, for a Carnival-themed closing party.
The generous partners who made this event possible were the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino; Aruba Convention Bureau; Dominican Republic Tourism Board; Eco Destination Management Services; De Palm Tours; EPIC DMC; Joia Aruba by Iberostar; Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort; Ritz-Carlton, Aruba; St. Regis, Aruba; Red Sail Aruba; Maui Jim; PC Nametag; and Madison Avenue.