NEW YORK, NY – During Caribbean Week New York, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will host its seventh annual Caribbean Students Colloquium on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Wyndham New Yorker (481 Eighth Ave., New York). The Colloquium - an event where students are challenged to present well-researched, practical and financially viable sustainable tourism projects - is dubbed "Students Taking Center Stage: A Forum for Rising Stars in Caribbean Tourism." This event is open to the public and free to registered attendees (click here to register).

The Colloquium brings together students enrolled in tourism and hospitality programs who have a devotion to the Caribbean and are eager to make a contribution to its sustainable development.

There will be a selection process based on submitted presentations with a maximum of five teams vying to capture the coveted title of 2017 Student Colloquium Champions. These free-style presentations will be judged by a panel of sustainable tourism practitioners, including: Hugh Hough, Partner and President, GreenTeam Global, NY; Dr. Debra Blair, Associate Professor and the Director of Assessment in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Temple University, PA; and Salli Felton, Chief Executive Officer, The Travel Foundation, UK.

Five schools will participate in this year's contest - The College of the Bahamas (COB) - Nassau, Bahamas (@UniversityOfTheBahamas); Monroe College - New York (@monroe_college); Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCI) - Turks and Caicos Islands; The University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI), School of Hospitality - Grand Cayman (@UCCICayman); and University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) - St. Thomas (@UVI_edu).

Each member of the first place winning team will received complimentary registration for the 2017 Sustainable Tourism Conference in St. Kitts and the coveted winner's trophy.

"Tourism education is a critical element of sustainability in the Caribbean and the CTO is committed to ensuring that the brightest and best lead the tourism industry into the future. The Students Colloquium is one of the ways in which we do this," said Sylma Brown, Director, CTO-USA., adding: "The Colloquium allows students to shine and share their best ideas and original case studies."

The competitors will receive words of inspiration from Randy Alleyne, president of Liberty Travel. A strong and powerful voice in the industry, Alleyne has a proven record in sales growth initiatives and operational optimization of retail businesses and has achieved measurable market share growth, strengthened travel agent relationships, increased sales revenue and more.

Alleyne's entrepreneurial style and strategic brand-building campaigns, in tandem with his best practice applications, have proven marked and measurable results for the companies that he has worked with. Alleyne's track record in elevating organizations into top revenue-generators and tremendous knowledge and hands-on knowhow in retail merchandising, marketing, online services, multi-unit operations and customer experience platforms, helps him lead the Liberty Travel team in providing personalized travel planning and insight into the newest travel trends and destinations.

Caribbean Week (www.CaribbeanWeek.com) New York (#CWNY17) will come alive in the Big Apple when tourism officials, industry executives, media, Caribbean Diaspora, travel agents, consumers and students come together to participate in a calendar of activities that showcase the best of Caribbean tourism. Taking place June 4-10, 2017, as a celebration of the sights, sounds, color and culture of the Caribbean, the week combines business sessions and consumer-oriented events with Caribbean-inspired food, lively entertainment and networking opportunities.

Caribbean Week New York is supported by: Academy Engraving, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Anse Chastanet & Jade Mountain Saint Lucia, Barbados, Caribbean Airlines, Castles in Paradise Villa Resort - Saint Lucia, Cayman Islands, Cholula Food Company, Cititech Solutions, Delta Air Lines, Dominica, FlightCentre, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Martinique, Paradise Island Promotion Board, Pleasant Holidays, Questex, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Spice Island Beach Resort, Sugar Beach-A Viceroy Resort, Travel Impressions and Travel + Leisure.

About The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados, offices in New York and London and representation in Canada, is the Caribbean's tourism development agency comprising membership of the region's finest countries and territories including Dutch, English, French and Spanish-speaking, as well as a myriad of private sector allied members. The CTO's vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm weather destination, and its purpose is Leading Sustainable Tourism - One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean.

Among the benefits to its members the organization provides specialized support and technical assistance in sustainable tourism development, marketing, communications, advocacy, human resource development, event planning & execution and research & information technology.

Johnson JohnRose
CTO
(246) 427-5242
Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)