All eyes are on St Maarten for this years 50
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Carnival. Expectations for the village, the shows, Jouvert Morning and defiantly the Grand Parade are very high. That’s why International Liquors and Tobacco Trading N.V. (ILTT) and Xscape the Band have partnered up once again to bring you the best.
Xscape the band is well represented this year with over 400 participants. The winner of Best Troupe in 2017 has chosen the theme “Exotica” to express their colorful and extravagant costumes this year. The troupe will be split up in 6 different sections. 3 of these sections will be “adopted” by ILTT.
The Siamese Fighter Fish section is sponsored by Campari. The famous brand is gaining popularity and is a big favorite with the revelers and it’s bitter sweet flavor profile is well represented by the amazing costumes. The Parrot Fish section is brought to you by Ciroc Vodka. The colorful bunch represents the many different flavors of the popular Vodka brand. Johnnie Walker Black Label is the sponsor of the Lion Fish section. This part of the troupe is sure to turn some heads. From front to back-line all outfits are spectacular. With it’s black and Gold colors it’s a great look that fits with Johnnie Walker Black Label and pays homage to the Golden anniversary of 50 years St. Maarten carnival.
International liquor and Tobacco Trading (ILTT) has been of the longest standing sponsors of St. Maarten carnival and is also committed this year to make the islands biggest cultural festival the best it can be. Besides supporting the SCDF and many booth holders, they also wanted to make sure to support one of the many troupes in this year’s Grand Parade. The choice to partner with Xscape the band was an easy one, the exclusive outfits with great detail fit wonderfulyl with our premium brands. The outfits are color coded to fit with the different brand identities. Said Roel Kokkelmans, commercial manager at ILTT. Apart from a monetary contribution, ILTT is providing a custom drink truck, shirts for the volunteers and custom drink cups so all participants can enjoy themselves while jamming in the parade.
In charge of it all is Erica Fortuno. The successful troupe leader is working on her 4
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year establishing Xscape as a staple in the parade. “I’m extremely happy to have ILTT back on board again with us this year. The coordination and management of a troupe takes months of planning, great attention to detail, and is logistically very costly. To have the support of one of St. Maarten’s largest local companies such as ILTT is a huge relief. In addition, our revelers will be elated to enjoy and have their favorite brands on the road”
Xscape is one of the top contenders to take home the prestigious “best troupe of the year” title this year. You can get a glimpse of their outfits on their facebook or instagram page - Xscape the Band.
