Dr Liu presented the award to Kelvin Tan, commercial director, Asia Pacific for Celebrity Cruises, in recognition of his long, outstanding engagement within the cruise industry in Asia. Tan maintains a passionate belief in the potential of the Asian source markets and has enthusiastically promoted new ports and itineraries within the region, helping in no small part to establish Asia as an exciting new market within the industry. Having been originally hired by Rama, Kelvin Tan worked with him for thirteen years and established a long friendship with him.
Dr Liu spoke at the Award Ceremony, saying it was ‘a great honor and a privilege to present the award to someone who leads a team for all commercial development including strategic planning, sales, marketing, harbour relations, deployment and port development. Tan is also part of a pioneering team that successfully drove Royal Caribbean business into Asia. Among his many milestones he developed the cruise business in Asia and launched the company’s Singapore and Hong Kong season in 2007. He was a close friend and colleague of Rama, and like Rama, he has passion and energy and made a significant contribution to Asia’s position in the cruise business.’
Upon receipt of the award, Kelvin Tan said ‘I am very honoured and humbled to receive the award, not just for myself but for the Asia cruise industry as a whole. Rama was my boss and my mentor. We shared a lot together, especially in the early phases when we were trying to bring our ships into Asia. Rama was definitely the visionary and I consider myself as his strategist. Over the span of almost 20 years I have seen how the Asia cruise industry has grown and I am very happy that it is now at a stage when it is about to explode in terms of growth and I hope I have played a small part in contributing in what it is now, and over the past 15 years.’
Photo:
Dr Zinan Liu presents the 2014 Rrama Rebbapragada Award to Kelvin Tan
**END**
Editor – Nina Marston at Seatrade, Tel +44 1206 545121 or email [email protected]
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NOTE TO THE EDITOR: Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific is organized by UBM in partnership with Seatrade.
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UBM connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their brands and expand their markets. Through premier brands such as Routes, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show and many others, UBM exhibitions, conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors.
About UBM Asia (www.ubmasia.com)
Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is Asia's leading exhibition organizer and the biggest commercial organizer in mainland China, India and Malaysia. Established with its headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia and in the US, UBM Asia has a strong global network of 30 offices and over 1,200 staff in 25 major cities. We operate in 19 market sectors with 160 exhibitions, 75 conferences, 28 trade publications, 18 vertical portals and virtual event services for over 1,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world.
