Smile’s James Ellsmoor calls to "Unleash Island Innovators" this weekend

October 24, 2023 12:07 pm

James Ellsmoor, CEO of globally operating network Island Innovations calls on St. Maarten innovators to step forward and take part in global mutual knowledge exchange pertaining to sustainability, energy, and climate solutions. Out of necessity, innovations for 21st century challenges are often applied, and not seldomly developed, on small islands worldwide.

This call comes right before Ellsmoor leaves the movement's home base of Portugal, for St. Maarten's SMILE event this October 27-28.

Ellsmoor’s yearly Virtual Island Summit draws an audience of over 10,000, from the Maledives to the Pacific and back to the Caribbean. "Our mission is to drive sustainable change across islands and rural areas around the world. We want to help island stakeholders share best practices and knowledge to help drive economic performance, ensure political stability and promote good governance. This improves the social and environmental conditions within remote and rural communities, in addition to creating a stronger and more cohesive global support network."

Ellsmoor previously was keynote at a digital SMILE pre-event in 2021. In 2023, SMILE organizers the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA), 360* of Innovation and Antonio Media are elated to receive Ellsmoor in person as a keynote speaker. "It is an honor to have James Ellsmoor and his worldwide following associated with St. Maarten for a weekend. Ellsmoor’s October 28th SMILE keynote is titled "Unleashing the Island Innovators: Unlocking the Potential for Islands to be Global Leaders in Sustainability". His choice of title is a rallying call for those committed to making a positive impact on our environment and climate.

SMILE IV is made possible by Grant Thornton, The Department of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports, The Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations, Recruit a Student, The University of St. Martin, Dynaf, Bureau of Intellectual Property, Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten, Toppers Rhum, the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, TravelCultureCollab, Winair, Europcar, Holland House, Alicia’s Inn and Horizon View for helping to make this event possible.

Organizations and individuals interested in joining SMILE, held this Friday and Saturday at University St. Martin, can register on www.smilesintmaarten.com or e-mail events@shta.com.