Cruise Industry Boom Means Growth for Ship Interior Suppliers

alt — A cabin layout for the new Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyages' first vessel. Virgin's Senior Vice President of Design, Dee Cooper, will be speaking at the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo in June (image courtesy Virgin Voyages)

The cruise industry is booming, and the high-end shipyards that build cruise ships are booked out for years ahead. Constructing one of these complex vessels requires not just a skilled shipbuilder, but also a constellation of suppliers who have the ability to fit out a giant floating hotel. Their services are vital to the success of the enterprise, and they are busier than ever.

In a reflection of the growing importance of this sector, two new trade shows focused on cruise ship interiors are set to launch soon. The first - the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo in Miami, Florida - will be the world's first trade show dedicated solely to interior design, architecture, and outfitting in the cruise industry. The inaugural event will be held from June 18-20, and its organizers recently announced the first topic sections and speakers' list. The confirmed speakers include:

Francesca Bucci, President, BG Studio
Javier Calle, Founding Partner, Studio DADO
Dee Cooper, Senior Vice President of Design, Virgin Voyages
Colin Gant, Vice President of Vessel Refurbishment, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
My Nguyen, Deputy Director of Interior Design & Operations, Holland America Line & Seabourn
Vittoria Garroni, Founder & President, Garroni Design

The show's organizers plan to host more than 200 exhibiting suppliers, and as the event will be co-located with the Marine Catering Expo - featuring goods and services for galley and restaurant operations - visitors will have an opportunity to meet even more top vendors for the cruise industry.

The second recently-announced exposition will be held later this year in Hamburg. The organizer of SMM, Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC), is launching the new MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, which will also be dedicated to the interior design and outfitting of passenger ships.

HMC's first biennial exposition will take place from from September 11 to 13 at the Hamburg Messe fair complex. Suppliers from all segments of the ship interior equipment and design industry will showcase their products, and visitors will include procurement executives, interior designers and other decision-makers from the world’s leading cruise and ferry lines, shipyards and design studios. It will be held in parallel with the Seatrade Europe – Cruise and River Cruise Convention, which is already attracting thousands of senior cruise industry representatives to Hamburg’s fair complex. Visitors will have free access to both events.