Cruise Shipping Miami 2012 Adds More Conference Sessions
Cruise Shipping Miami 2012, scheduled for March 12-15 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, for the first time will include three concurrent sessions Wednesday morning and afternoon, with the newly added panels focusing on shipboard medical facilities and technologies, and medical tourism as it relates to luxury cruising.
The following conference program is subject to change.
Monday, March 12
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
World Cruise Tourism Summit
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
World Cruise Tourism Summit
Tuesday, March 13
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
State of the Cruise Industry
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
U.S. Coast Guard Forum
Opportunities in a Changing Europe
As Europe continues to experience unprecedented expansion as a source market and remains in high demand as a destination, this panel will discuss how the global cruise industry is capitalizing on these gains and what the future holds for the growing region.
Wednesday, March 14
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Luxury/Niche -- Contrasts in a Diverse Sector
With continuing healthy growth in the luxury sector, industry leaders will discuss the driving forces behind the popularity of luxury cruising, the current state of the sector and specific effects of industry-wide challenges on luxury brands.
Shipbuilding and Refurbishment -- Is the Sun Rising in the East?
2011 proved to be a stronger year for new contracts than expected. This session will examine the outlook for newbuilding activity, the implications of recent orders placed in Asia and the state of current and future cruise line refurbishment strategies.
Cruise Ship Medicine and the Use of 21st-Century IT Technologies
This panel will examine modern cruise ships' medical services and the increasing use of telemedicine and new online biometric technologies, as well as integration of global shoreside medical networks of providers with cruise ship medical facilities.
Moderator: Mohammed Saeme, MD, PhD, Chairman, Magic Discovery Group
Panel:
Professor Ellif Dahl, University of Oslo, Norway
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Deployment -- Half the World Away
The panel examines the implications of ever-rising fuel prices, local politics, legislation, changing consumer demand and the importance of high-standard terminal infrastructure development for global deployment strategies.
IT and Communications -- The Mobile Revolution
This session will investigate the development of smartphones, apps and communication infrastructure at sea, their value as a revenue generator and how they have transformed the cruise experience, both as a convenient tool for the guest and as a resource for the operator.
The Niche of Health and Wellness Tourism in Luxury Cruising
Wellness and medical tourism -- the success story and the potential involvement of the upscale luxury cruise operators. Analysis of a 25-year expert in both industries, supported by selected speakers and world-leading expert in wellness, beauty and medical tourism.
Moderator: Mohammed Saeme MD, PhD, Chairman, Magic Discovery Group
Panel:
Camille Hoheb, Founder, Wellness Tourism Worldwide
Rene-Marie Stephano, Founder and President, Medical Tourism Association
Dr. Patrick Treacy, Chairman, Ailesbury Clinic, Dublin, Ireland
Thursday, March 15
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Emerging Markets
With new middle classes growing in emerging economies and a new-found awareness of the cruise product in many regions, this panel examines the opportunities and challenges in new source markets including South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.
Environmental -- The Green Horizon
Environmental legislation will impact the industry both on land and at sea. The panel will discuss the available approaches to meeting environmental regulations, their effect on the industry as a whole and the sustainability of the industry's efforts in decades to come.
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Marketing and Sales
Distributing the product on a global scale is an essential part of most cruise lines' marketing campaigns. This session will discuss the challenge of identifying optimum strategies and tactics for capturing the attention of international consumers including brand differentiation and social media.
Human Resources and Crewing -- Maintaining Crew Quality in an Expanding Industry
This session will address the challenges and solutions in crew recruitment, training and retention as well as the continuing search for new sources of high-quality crew.
Travel Agent Thursday @ Cruise Shipping Miami
Thursday, March 17
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
TBA
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
TBA
CONVENTION REGISTRATION: Online delegate, exhibitor and visitor registration is now open. Those desiring to attend can complete their registration at http://www.accureg.com/csm12/regprod.html; the form also can be accessed at http://www.cruiseshippingmiami.com/.
MEDIA REGISTRATION: Media credentials are issued to bona fide journalists covering the convention. Review the CSM media policy, request a CSM press registration online or contact NewmanPR.
CSM 2012
The 28th edition of Cruise Shipping Miami is the world's premier annual cruise industry event, drawing more than 11,000 attendees and more than 900 participating companies to the four-day conference and three-day trade show. In addition, numerous networking events and travel agent education sessions are scheduled.
In addition to a number of national pavilions, the trade show also features seven business sectors highlighting information technology, entertainment technology, food and beverage, ship design and refurbishment, ship services and hotel operations, ship equipment and destinations.
Conference sessions cover pertinent industry issues including a CEO-level assessment of the state of the industry, shipbuilding and refurbishment, environmental issues, product development and distribution.