Cruise industry peers will meet in Barcelona

Barcelona - The 10th edition of the Seatrade Med Cruise Convention is only a few months away and excitement continues to build around the event, including the showcase exhibition and informative conference, where industry leaders will join together discuss the key topics in the world of cruising. Pierfrancesco Vago - Chairman, CLIA Europe, and Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises and Stavros Hatzakos - President, MedCruise and General Manager, Piraeus Port Authority SA, will present keynote addresses. Mr Vago will then be joined by Kerry Anastassiadis - CEO, Louis Cruises; David Dingle - CEO, Carnival UK; Adam Goldstein - President & COO at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and Michael Thamm - CEO, Costa Crociere SpA, for the opening “State of the Cruise Industry in the Mediterranean” session. As well as discussing the ever increasing popularity of cruising in the world’s second most visited cruise destination, participants will also consider the challenging conditions in the southern European source markets. They will likewise highlight the key factors influencing the future of the cruise market, as well as major challenges the cruise ports for the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas must brace themselves for.

Other topics to be discussed over the two and a half day conference include: •Upscale Cruising •Logistics and Ship Supply •Maximising Overnight or Late-Night Stays in Port •Marketing, Sales and Distribution of the Cruise Product •Ports, Terminals and Cruise Lines •Green Ideas and Inspirations •Itinerary and Shorex. In addition to the topics above, Cunard Line, Costa Crociere, and Ibero Cruceros and P&O Cruises, in conjunction with Higher Resources, will be providing a special Care Awareness training program specifically for Port Agents and Ground Services Representatives. Care Awareness training uses a practical approach aimed at empowering first responders in business and industry to support individuals facing traumatic situations. Another key feature to the event will be the travel agent training, which sees CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) hold a bespoke training day focussed on the Spanish market, led by Andy Harmer (Director, CLIA UK & Ireland).

The Seatrade Med Cruise Convention is the major biennial cruise event focused on the world’s second largest cruise destination – the Mediterranean, and will take place at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via Conference Centre (Hall 8) in Barcelona, Spain from 16-18 September 2014. Now on its 10th edition, Seatrade Med remains the only event of its kind in and for the region. The future of the Mediterranean as a top cruise destination continues to look very healthy, with nearly 1 out of 5 choosing a cruise in the Mediterranean. These are exciting times for Barcelona, which had 2.6 million passenger visits in 2013, ranking them No. 1 in the European cruise market. This further cements the economic importance of cruise to the Mediterranean and will follow the success of the previous event in 2012.