Contestants for the 2026 Essence and Mind International Swimsuit Pageant are now in St. Martin, beginning several days of activities ahead of this Saturday’s competition at the Aleeze Convention Center.
The contestants arrived yesterday and were welcomed with an elegant dinner at the JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa, their host resort.
The evening also included remarks from Leila Simmonds of Port St. Maarten, a major pageant sponsor, who spoke to the contestants about leadership, resilience and the difficult decisions that often come with taking responsibility.
Her message focused on the importance of being strong enough to make unpopular choices when necessary, while still leading with grace.
Following the remarks, the contestants enjoyed dinner at Liguria, before taking part in a cultural gift exchange.
Representatives from St. Maarten, St. Kitts, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, Guyana, Haiti, the United States, Anguilla, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago exchanged small gifts and keepsakes representing their islands and cultures.
It was a simple moment, but one that reflected the wider purpose of the week: bringing together women from across the region and beyond, not only for competition, but for cultural exchange and connection.
The activities continued the following morning at Sugar Mill Cafe, which hosted the contestants for a pink-themed Tea Party Breakfast before they moved on to the next stops on their itinerary.
That schedule includes a visit with the Prime Minister and preparations for a press conference at Motorworld.
Today, the contestants are also expected to make radio appearances on My88.3 FM and SOS Radio, giving the public a chance to hear from them as excitement builds toward pageant night.
The Essence and Mind International Swimsuit Pageant is set for Saturday, October 3, at the Aleeze Convention Center, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
And as the contestants move through the week, the event is shaping up to be about more than appearance on stage.
Between leadership discussions, cultural exchange, community appearances and media engagements, the women are being given opportunities to represent where they come from while also showing who they are beyond the competition itself.
For St. Martin, it also becomes another opportunity to host a regional event that brings visitors, businesses, culture and entertainment together.
We also have video inserts from Shanice at the JW Marriott and Paula at Sugar Mill Cafe, taking viewers inside the contestants’ first activities on the island.
By Saturday night, the focus will move to the stage—but the pageant experience has already begun.