Trinidad is Summit ready

Come tomorrow, Trinidad and Tobago will be in the spotlight as 34 leaders from the Americas descend on the capital, Port of Spain, for the 5th Summit of the Americas.

Of course, the star of the weekend event will be US President Barack Obama, who will be meeting the majority of these leaders for the first time. All eyes will be on his first meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has been leading the call for Cuba to be a main point of discussion.

Trinidad and Tobago is the smallest country and the first Caribbean nation to host this event. About 4000 people are expected to attend the Summit, including over 700 foreign media personnel.

The Summit is the first of two major conferences which Trinidad and Tobago will host in 2009. The other is the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in October.

A successful hosting of these events will seal the country's reputation as a meetings and conference hub, which has been its latest tourism thrust, although there aren't enough rooms to accommodate the influx of visitors for the Summit. Two cruise ships have been leased to accommodate some delegates and media personnel.