Floating Trade Mission Doing Business in
the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Visit to Statia

Saturday November 26th was the start of the Floating Trade Mission “Doing Business in the Kingdom of the Netherlands”. This mission brought a group of approximately 30 business people, St. Eustatius was represented by STEBA Executive Director Mr. Koos Sneek, on the Adventurer of the Seas via Puerto Rico, where Mr. Winston Fleming joined the mission on behalf of the island government of Statia, to Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten. On a smaller boat, the Voyager, the group went on to Saba and Statia. This mission consisted of three different segments:

1. A congress on each island on renewable energy and water and the environment.
2. Match making sessions on all islands between visiting businesses and the local business community.
3. A trade show and exhibition of local businesses and some of the visiting businesses.

In particular the match making, which was the main focus for the Statia delegation turned out to be very successful. Contacts were made in the areas of:

• Fish farming
• Long line fishing
• Cooperation with Dutch and local supermarkets
• Wind energy with the use of refurbished wind turbines
• Establishment of a free zone
• Cooperation with Business Association San Nicolas Aruba
• Establishment of copy center
• Credit and mortgage facilities
• Souvenirs
• Job training opportunities for hospitality staff in Aruba
• Down town management and establishment of retail stores
• Waste management

The group arrived on Statia on December 3rd around 2.30PM and was officially welcomed by the Commissioner of Tourism, Ms. Adelka Spanner. Also in Statia a congress was organized as well as a trade show and match making schedule between local businesses and visitors was put together.

Congress

The congress was organized in Hotel Golden Era and attracted a crowd of approximately 30 persons. Besides members of the general public and entrepreneurs also representatives of the island government, GEBE and the department of DROB were in the audience. Topics that were addressed were renewable energy and environment. All speakers but one were experts in their fields from overseas, while our own director of STENAPA highlighted the link between tourism and marine park. The congress was closed off with a panel discussion.                                           

                                                                                    
“Renewable Energy and Water”

15.15 – 15.30  Dr. Indra Haraksingh
                        Lecturer Department of Physics, The University of the West Indies
                        Trinidad & Tobago; President of the Caribbean Solar Energy Society
Subject: Importance of renewable energy
15.30 – 15.45  Mr. William Young
                        Senior Research Engineer University of Central Florida
Subject: Solar energy; with particular reference to photovoltaic
15.45 – 16.00  Ir. Karel Tujeehut
                        Manager Multi Utility an Corporate Affairs Aqualectra Curacao
Subject: Future energy development for island states

                        “Environment”

16.00 – 16.15  Ir. Wesley Kook
                        Director Selikor N.V. Curacao
Subject: Diversity within the environmental community in the
                        Netherlands Antilles
16.15 – 16.30  Mrs. Nicole Estaban
                        Manager STENAPA St. Eustatius
                        “The link between Marine Park and tourism”

16.30 – 17.00  Panel discussion

Trade Show

The trade show was organized in the Old Gin House Hotel simultaneously with the congress. Eleven local entrepreneurs and organizations and three visiting companies exhibited their products and services. The local exhibitors were: The Old Gin House Hotel, Golden Rock Dive Center, Stenapa, Tourist Office, Harbor Office, St. Eustatius Foundation (SESNA), SENGO, Statia Terminals, Pandt Steel Construction and SECAR.                        

During the entire show the public showed much interest in the exhibited goods and services and an estimated 100 persons visited the trade show.

Since this was the first time ever that an event like this took place on the island the organizers were very pleased with the turn out of visitors as well as the preparedness of the exhibitors.

Match Making

During the match making local entrepreneurs and organizations were brought in contact with the visitors to discuss ways of doing business and/or cooperation in areas such as hotel investment, consultancy, agriculture and fisheries, supermarkets, gift items, alternative energy, employment opportunities, construction and construction materials, harbor development and oil terminal/refinery.

Below is a copy of the basic match making agenda. However during the session many more contacts were made.

Match making agenda

The official closing of the trade mission took place in St. Eustatius with a buffet in Fort Oranje on December 3rd with official speeches and presentations as well as musical entertainment and dance. Approximately 125 persons attended the closing ceremony. Catering was done by three Statia restaurants. They used this opportunity to showcase the quality of the food the island establishments have to offer.

19.00 – 22.00 Official closing of the trade mission with tropical buffet at Fort Oranje

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  Remarks Mr. Ronald Courtar, President STEBA

  Remarks Mr. Hyden Gittens, Lt. Governor St. Eustatius

  Presentations

  Open floor

  Official Closing by Mrs. Omayra Leeflang, Minister of Transport and
                        Communication

  Entertainment:
                      
  Music by:                               

• Killy Killy band
• Gone2Come Back

  Cultural performances by:        

• Alois Historical Dancers
• Fusion A Dancers
• Carnival Survivors

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The organization of the entire event was perceived as highly professional and successful by both visiting guests as the local crowd. The visitors who also took part in similar sessions on the other Dutch Caribbean islands even marked the way the event was organized as the best of all and left with a lasting positive impression.

It is the responsibility now of the various entrepreneurs to follow up on their business contacts. STEBA already is working expeditiously to match the most valuable contacts they made during the mission on the other Dutch islands and the proceeding Bonaire Investment Conference with local interested parties. In particular contacts made in the agricultural sector are looking quite promising.