Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

A record-breaking Seatrade Cruise Global 2019, by the numbers

Seatrade Cruise Global 2019
Top row, from left: Dominica delegation including Tourism Minister Robert Tonge, CLIA Chairman Adam Goldstein of Royal Caribbean, Carnival Corp.'s Arnold Donald with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' Frank Del Rio. Middle row, from left, MSC Cruises' Pierfrancesco Vago with Miami officials including PortMiami's Juan Kurlya; Agunsa's Juan Esteban Bilbao with Carnival Corp.'s Giora Israel and Chile Tourism Undersecretary MĂłnica Zalaquett; Princess Cruises' Jan Swartz. Bottom row, from left, Viking meets Koreans, Incredible India delegation, Taiwan's Yang Ming Keng with CMI Leisure's Dietmar Wertanzl (click on images to enlarge) PHOTOS: Anne Kalosh
2019 was a historic year for Seatrade Cruise Global as the leading annual business-to-business event in cruising returned to Miami Beach with record-breaking numbers.

150,000-square-foot show floor

Registered attendees increased 15%, conference program delegates 19% and registered cruise line delegates 23%. This year’s event hosted more than 750 exhibitors, 190 of them first-time exhibitors, showcasing products and services from around the world on the massive 150,000-square-foot show floor, 19% larger than the 2018 floor in Fort Lauderdale.

More than 13,000 attendees

The more than 13,000 registered attendees had access to over 60 educational sessions and countless hours of networking and insights, including the highly anticipated State of the Global Cruise Industry keynote with more than 2,000 attendees, its largest audience in the event's 35-year history.

Another highlight was the first all-women keynote panel titled 'The Rise of Female Leadership in the Cruise Industry.'

Also new for Seatrade 2019 were an increased number of 'Seatrade Talks' featuring intimate conversations with industry leaders, including Orlando Ashford, president, Holland America Line; Josh Leibowitz, SVP Cunard North America and chief strategy officer, Carnival Corp. & plc; Barbara Muckermann, chief marketing officer, Silversea Cruises; Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises; and Daniel Skjeldam, CEO, Hurtigruten.

Media and news

More than 300 registered media were on site, a 37% increase from 2018, covering diverse announcements including MSC Cruises’ design for its dramatic new multi-ship terminal at PortMiami, Windstar Cruises' $250m Star Plus ship lengthening initiative and Fincantieri's unveiling of a model of Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady.

The impact of Seatrade’s growth this year extended well beyond the walls of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Events helped raise more than $20,000 for Seatrade Cruise Global’s nonprofit partners, Mercy Ships and the FCCA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.

Seatrade Cruise Global returns April 20-23, 2020

'Our success at this year’s event is a testament to the growth within the cruise industry at large,' said Chiara Giorgi, brand director for Seatrade Cruise Global. 'We cannot wait to continue to evolve and elevate the Seatrade experience and look forward to our 2020 event.'

Returning to the Miami Beach Convention Center, Seatrade 2020 will take place April 20-23.