Are You Ready For Seatrade Cruise Global?

Mega suppliers are polishing their demos and fine-tuning their booths. Leading executives are preparing their game-changing keynotes. Thousands of cruise industry professionals are finalizing their travel arrangements, and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center is organizing its facilities in anticipation. All this can only mean one thing: Seatrade Cruise Global 2018 is fast approaching and the entire industry is eagerly awaiting this year’s expo and conference!

Happening March 5–8, the leading annual global event for the cruise industry combines buyers and suppliers over four-days, drawing more than 11,000 registered attendees, 700+ exhibiting companies from 113 countries, and more than 300 credentialed international media.

Spoiler alert: This will be Seatrade Cruise Global’s most jam-packed conference program to date.

It all starts out strong on Monday, March 5, with the World Cruise Tourism Summit Part I–Striving to Deliver Authentic Experiences and the Future of the Shorex Industry. This roundtable discussion of cruise lines, tour operators, and shore excursion authorities will tell you how brands can collaborate with a variety of stakeholders and share the challenges and success stories behind delivering authenticity. Then, the afternoon World Cruise Tourism Summit Part II will delve into geo-politics and discussions on port planning and improvement. 

Next on Tuesday, March 6—always the most-anticipated day at Seatrade Cruise Global—prepare for the 2018 State of the Global Cruise Industry keynote showcasing CEOs of the world’s largest cruise lines. Moderated by CBS News Travel Editor and PBS’s “The Travel Detective” Peter Greenberg, a powerhouse panel will take center stage from 9:30 to 11:20 a.m.: Frank Del Rio, President & CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd; Arnold Donald, President & CEO, Carnival Corporation; Richard Fain, Chairman & CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd; Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises.

As if that wasn’t enough, a bonus panel with two new leaders, Virgin Voyages President and CEO Tom McAlpin and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Managing Director Douglas Prothero will discuss Innovation, Disruption and Setting the Course for the Future.

“Seatrade Cruise Global continues to be the epicenter of the cruise business where leaders in the industry come together to both share and exchange ideas,” says Chiara Giorgi, Brand Director for Seatrade Cruise Global. “The newly added panel Innovation, Disruption and Setting the Course for the Future, will set the tone for our most comprehensive program to date.”

Featuring eight different sessions throughout Tuesday, the conference will debut the Innovation Case Study Series in the new Cruising Innovations Theater. First, they’ll serve up shipboard dining trends with Enhancing the Onboard Culinary Experience. This interactive cooking demonstration will address the challenges of a more discerning and diverse guest palate than ever before.

Another panel aimed at marketing and sales executives will look into the cruise world’s crystal ball. Getting Out of the Cruising Bubble and Attracting the Consumer of Tomorrow is an engaging two-part session led by a business futurist followed by a roundtable with cruise industry veterans discussing how to attract that elusive “non-cruiser.”  

Additional day two highlights include Innovation Case Study II on Customer Experience Demos – Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence and the Safety & Security Symposium panel discussing Polar and Expedition Cruising Safety & Stewardship.

The hits keep coming on Wednesday, March 7, with a full day of programming and opportunities led by the continued Innovation Case Study Series. A new session titled Enhancing Your Brand with Art and Interior Design – Defining ROI and Trends in Cruise Ship Entertainment will debut as part of the series incorporating experts across multiple disciplines. Another highlight spotlights regional markets including The Future Outlook for Caribbean Cruising and Asia/Australasia. Seatrade’s “back by popular demand” Safety & Security Symposium will offer multiple sessions on Wednesday including the much-anticipated Future for LNG Powered Cruise Ships & Environmental Initiatives to Reduce Emissions.

Finally, on March 8, Seatrade Cruise Global will bring experts from two trending areas to the cruising world. Hospitality Case Studies – Digital Experience will review the best practices of leading land-based companies communicating with consumers online. Top Travel Bloggers Speak Out will share insight in the Cruising Innovations Theater and will cap off what promises to be the most engaging and insightful program Seatrade Cruise Global has ever produced.

And through it all, there’s the vast and galvanizing expo hall with a clear alignment between sectors, groundbreaking suppliers and innovations, and more free learning sessions. Ample networking opportunities with your peers and industry influencers include a charity Table Tennis Tournament hosted by Adam Goldstein in support of the FCAA Foundation, as well as a very special Anchors Aweigh Reception where we’ll say bon voyage to Fort Lauderdale and prepare to set sail for Miami in 2019.
 

“Last year’s Seatrade Cruise Global featured a record number of cruise executives facilitating even more business between exhibitors and the industry than ever before,” concludes Chiara Giorgi, Brand Director for Seatrade Cruise Global.  “Our programming team has once again outdone themselves to create an even more comprehensive schedule of panels to attract industry leaders and decision-makers to Seatrade Cruise Global 2018.”

Learn more about the cruise industry’s most important worldwide event at SeatradeCruiseGlobal.com.