USVIHTA Update | February 2020
Greetings Members

We're excited to announce the upcoming launch of our member promotions blasts! We plan to compile all of your upcoming promotions and events to share with members. The more you share, the more exposure you'll get! In addition to sending these blasts to all members to share with their staff, we also plan to distribute to concierge and front desk staff who interact directly with visiting guests. Frequency of blasts will be based on how many promotions and events you send us, so please send detailed information and any creative you'd like included to kaufmann.laurel@gmail.com today for inclusion in our first blast coming in March!
Do You or Someone on Your Team Have What it Takes to be on the USVI Culinary Team?
We're seeking talented and creative individuals to join the award winning USVI Culinary Team. Open team positions include two chefs, a pastry chef and a bartender. Team members will meet regularly to hone their skills before representing the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Taste of the Caribbean. The team also participates in local and association events throughout the year. Applicants must be 21 or older, good public speakers, able to attend monthly practices March through May and weekly practices in June, and attend the Taste of the Caribbean in Miami, Florida June 26-30. Applicants should be innovative, value teamwork and thrive under pressure. The deadline to apply for bartender and chef positions is March 6. Following application reviews, a cook-off will be held on a date to be announced to determine the final team members. Bartender applicants will similarly participate in a bartender competition at Old Stone Farmhouse on March 13 to determine the team bartender. Click here to download the chef application . Click here to download the bartender application and here to download the bartender competition guidelines . Read the full press release here .

Don't worry if you're not a professional chef! You can support the USVI Culinary Team by choosing to be a team sponsor, getting prime exposure at the Taste of the Caribbean attended by hundreds of stakeholders and tourism professionals. Thank you to the USVI Department of Tourism for supporting the team as a Platinum Elite sponsor, but we still need your support to ensure the team has all of the resources needed to bring home the gold! Read the full sponsorship letter. Read about levels of sponsorship.
New Member Spotlight: SEAT Caribbean
SEAT Caribbean is a coworking space (shared work environment) where aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners and business professionals can come together to work, network and connect. SEAT Caribbean is also a place where digital nomads, freelancers, remote employees and workcationers can be productive, and work distraction free, while at the same time gaining opportunities to connect with like-minded others in the local community.  Read more .
My Brother's Workshop Does 8 Tuff Miles on St. John
My Brother's Workshop is doing 8 Tuff Miles! Join our team and help raise funds for MBW! The 24th Annual St. John 8 Tuff Miles Road Race Festival    takes place on Feb. 29 and MBW is so excited to have a team of runners and walkers participating this year. Click here to learn more about joining the fundraising team!
All Eyes on St. Thomas for Carnival Virgin Islands
Plans for Carnival Virgin Islands on St. Thomas in April and May are now well advanced. The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism's Division of Festivals reports that the 68th anniversary of the St. Thomas spectacular, whose slogan is 'All Eyes on We for 2020,' will be a celebration of the territory's culture, cuisine, history, music and people. This year marks the first time the event, which runs from April 4 to May 3, is being managed and produced by the Division of Festivals, which has added new events to the calendar. Read more .
CHTA Education Foundation Poised to Provide More Scholarships and Local Training in 2020
Building on the success of its 2019 training initiatives, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation is planning to expand its hospitality training programs and scholarship support in the Caribbean this year. On the heels of a strong outcome at the annual New York Times Travel Show fundraising drive, for which CHTA member hotels and resorts generously donated stays for auction, CHTAEF officials report that they are getting ready to roll out professional development and training programs and award scholarships for current and future tourism professionals. Read more .
Caribbean Hotel Association Executives Elect Trinidadian Brian Frontin President
Trinidadian Brian Frontin is the newly elected president of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives. Frontin, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants & Tourism Association and the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute, disclosed that human capital development, governance and sustainability are the priorities he will tackle as he takes over the reins from seasoned hotel and tourism association executive Stacy Cox of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Read more .
Save the Date
Click here to view upcoming events. And don't forget to share your special events with members today by emailing kaufmann.laurel@gmail.com .