Cruise Shipping Miami — the world’s largest annual cruise industry conference and exhibition — will open its 27th edition Monday, March 14, 2011, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The event typically draws more than 1,000 exhibiting companies and more than 11,000 attendees.
The event consists of a three-day exhibition and a four-day conference featuring panels of cruise industry executives and[ds_preview] experts addressing pertinent topics related all aspects of the cruise business. These include such topics as deployment, shipbuilding, destination development and trends in cruise business segments, shipboard technology, food and beverage, shore excursions and on-board amenities and services.
The exhibition is divided into industry sectors, such as destinations, food and beverage, ship service and hotel operations, ship equipment, entertainment technology, and design and refurbishment. In addition, there is a number of country pavilions featuring businesses and service providers grouped geographically.
One of the perennial highlights of the conference is the opening session, called the State of the Industry. It is the must-see event of the conference and features the chief executive officers of the major cruise lines assessing the current state of the cruise industry and looking ahead to the trends and forces that will shape the business in the future.
The 2011 session will open with comments from Jan Swartz, chair of the Cruise Lines International Association Marketing Committee and executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service at Princess Cruises / Cunard Line, who will provide an industry overview.
Each of the six panelists will begin by addressing a specific aspect of the cruise business, followed by discussion and response to questions from the audience.
This year’s panel includes Gerald Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines; Adam Goldstein, presidenta dn CEO of Royal Caribbean International; Daniel Hanrahan, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises; Stein Kruse, president and CEO of Holland America Line; Kevin Sheehan, chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, Pierfrancesco Vago, chief executive officer of MSC Cruises, and Chris Hayman, chairman of Seatrade Communications serving as moderator.
Topics addressed by the panel usually include trends in shipbuilding and design, the state of the distribution system, factors like oil prices that affect profits and fares, new markets and marketing approaches to increase the pool of potential cruise customers.
Tuesday afternoon features »Spotlight on Europe«. As of press time, the panelists for the Europe presentation had not been named, but will likely be analysts, experts and cruise line executives well-known in the European marketplace.
The »Luxury at Sea« panel on Wednesday morning will address cruise products for the affluent consumer. It will be moderated by Tony Peisley, cruise industry analyst and author of »Cruising At The Crossroads: A Worldwide Analysis to 2025«.
Panel members include Sebastian Ahrens of Hapag Lloyd, Richard Meadows of Seabourn Cruise Line, Gregg Michel of Crystal Cruises, Peter Shanks of Cunard Line, Alex Sharpe of Signature Travel Network and Kenneth Watson of Silversea Cruises.
A concurrent session will address the state of the shipbuilding industry. Following a decades-long sequence of newbuilds, the cruise lines have cut back on ordering new tonnage and the yards have had to retool in leaner times to specialize on refurbishment and special orders to remain viable.
The »Newbuilding and Revitalization« panel will consist of Corrado Antonini of Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani, Peter Fetten of Carnival Corporation, Jacques Hardelaym of STX Europe, Oskar Levander of Wärtsilä, Carlos Reyes of Tillberg Design International and Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch of Grand Bahama Shipyard.
Wednesday afternoon sessions focus on global regions. »Mexico and Central America« will examine that region, and the opportunities, challenges and prospects for the future it presents. Concurrently, »Where in the World« will look at the increasingly global nature of the cruise business and the likely new markets lines will be targeting in the coming years.
Thursday morning sessions look both on board and shoreside for inspiration. »Tastes and Trends on Board« looks at every aspect of the on-board experience including dining, entertainment, use of technology and animation, and revenue generation. »Where Ship Meets Shore« examines the state of the art in terminal design and new developments in passenger and luggage handling.
Afternoon sessions examine the smaller cruise operators and address pollution standards. »Niche cruise Products« considers the diversity to be found inn the cruise industry today as well as the challenges facing smaller lines in staying competitive. »Air Emissions Regulations – Too Far Too Fast or Long Overdue« promises to address one of the larger controversies facing cruise ship operators and presents the industry’s response. Both the conference and the exhibition conclude Thursday afternoon, and participants head home to whichever of the 112 countries around the world they call home.
