The event, whose theme for 2023 is ‘Scaling Sustainably,’ takes place September 6-8.
The full conference programme, featuring a total 25+ sessions and 80+ speakers, can be found here.
September 6
The State of the Industry Keynote on Wednesday September 6 that kicks off the three-day event will be followed by panel discussions, workshops and presentations spanning numerous topics, from sustainability to expedition cruising to virtual reality and biometrics, and more.
‘Navigating ESG Goals Industry Wide: Charting Sustainable Horizons from River to Ocean’ will unravel the escalating importance of ESG to stakeholders, passengers, and regulators and allow audience members to ask their burning questions. The lineup consists of MSC Cruises VP Sustainability & ESG Linden Coppell, RINA Head of Passenger Ships Excellence Centre Maria Garbarini, Cruise Lines International Association VP Environment and Sustainability Sascha Gill, Uniworld Director of Hotel Operations & Sustainability Officer Julie Higgins, IG River Cruise Director Nautical Planning Michaela Julian, Simwave CEO & Founder Marcel Kind and Costa Group Director EU Affairs Bernard Vanheule.
‘There's New Players in Europe!’ will see attendees get acquainted with some of the new players entering the industry and their distinctive offerings in a session involving Crystal Cruises VP Port Ops, Itinerary Planning & Fuel Management Spyros Almpertis, Compagnie Française de Croisières (CFC) Co-Founder and Chairman Clément Mousset and Explora Journeys SVP Itinerary Planning and Destination Experience Sacha Rougier, and moderated by Five Senses Consulting and Development CEO Ioannis Bras.
The principal of Lizgammon.com, Liz Gammon herself, will take those joining ‘Expedition Edge Workshop: the Art of Destination Differentiation’ on a journey of discovery, alongside Hapag-Lloyd PM Expedition Cruises Regina von Hesse, Swan Hellenic Director Port Operations Hugues Lamy and Silversea VP Itinerary Planning & Destination Development Justin Poulsen.
To help inform attendees about the way smart ports and biometrics are charting a course towards enhanced embarkation experiences, fortified security, and a new era of port operations is the session ‘Smart Ports & Biometrics: How is Tech Improving Embarkation & Security?’ where attendees will hear from Cruise Saudi Chief Asset Management & Operations Officer Barbara Buczek, Royal Caribbean Group Manager, Port Services EMEA, Matthew Ducharme, Global Ports Holding & Ege Port Kuşadası Regional Director East Med & General Manager, Aziz Gungor, Maritime Solutions LHIND Consultant Fereshta Yazdani and moderator Ian Richardson, CEO & Co Founder of theICEway.
The day’s conference sessions and activities draw to a close with the highly anticipated ‘Celebrating Cruise Brilliance: The Speakers Reception & 2023 Seatrade Cruise Awards' (by invitation only.)
September 7
Thursday September 7 is River Cruise Day, bringing multiple sessions dedicated to the sector.
Participating in the ‘State of the River Cruise Industry’ panel will be Rivertech CEO Otto Groen, Marella & TUI Rivercruises MD Christopher Hackney, Rivercruise Europe Chair Monic van der Heyden, Scylla & IG RiverCruise CEO & President Arno Reitsma and CroisiEurope Director Lucas Schmitter.
Further sessions on the river cruise market follow throughout the day, including ‘Journey Through the European River Cruise Market,’ ‘Navigating the River Cruise Process: From Inception to Inaugural Cruise,’ ‘River Cruising vs. Ocean Cruising Through a Passenger's Eyes,’ ‘River Cruise Destination 101’ and ‘Charting a Course for Success: River Cruise Charterers.’
The river-focussed programme is interspersed by a series of sessions taking all areas of cruising into account, among them, ‘Infrastructure for Successful Shore Excursions’ involving MedCruise & Galataport İstanbul President & Chief Port Officer Figen Ayan, Azamara Product Development Manager Joni Lunsford, AIDA Cruises Head of Shore Excursions Sandra Neffgen, Cruise Gate Hamburg Special Project Co-ordinator Tine Oelmann, Intercruises Business Development Director Virginia Quintairos and Consultant Richard J. Vogel.
Several industry professionals will share their experiences and provide practical advice during ‘Streamlining Port Operations: Maximizing Efficiency for Ships and Ports’ that will delve into the evolving landscape of port management, identify opportunities for improvement, and provide valuable insights to optimize operations and meet the demands of the growing cruise industry. Moderated by PWL Port Services MD Alexander Napp, the panel will comprise SMS International Shore Operations EVP Christopher Blanchard, Intercruises MD Port Operations Olga Piquera, Roma Cruise Terminal GM John Portelli, Global Ports Holding & Barcelona Cruise Port Regional Director West Med & GM Javier Rodriguez and Royal Caribbean Group Director Port Services EMEA Lotfi Trabelsi.
Looking to the future of Northern Europe will be Copenhagen Malmö Port and Cruise Europe Council Member Commercial Cruise Director Luis de Carvalho, TUI Cruises Director Destinations Fleet Operations & Newbuild Marcus Puttich and Cruise Baltic Senior Manager Louise Røssell in ‘Collaboration Through Crisis: Shaping the Future of Cruise Operations in Northern Europe.’
An analysis of the shifting perceptions of the cruise industry and its lasting impact through inspiring case studies and an enlightening discussion will come via ‘The Legacy of Cruise Tourism in Communities: What Cruise Leaves Behind,’ bringing together Access Cruise Inc. President Shannon McKee, Carnival Corporation & Plc SVO Government & Destination Affairs Marie McKenzie and Global Ports Holding Director, Marketing, Ceylan Erzi Yaman.
After River Cruise Day closing remarks a Lightning Pitch Competition for ‘Tomorrow's Talent, Today’ gets underway, inviting exhibitors to step forward and share their groundbreaking strategies to combat the prevailing labour shortage and entice new talent into the cruise industry. The day concludes with festivities at the Cruise Night exhibitor party.
September 8
Shore power is the focus on Friday September 8, starting with 'Industry Innovation Spotlight: Investing in Shore Power Infrastructure.' The conference programme concludes with ‘Shore Power 101: Empowering Ports for a Sustainable Future’ involving Cruise Gate Hamburg MD Simone Maraschi, Port of Aarhus Commercial Manager Morten Kusk, Port of Heraklion CEO Minas Papadakis and ShoreLink COO Levan Chikviladze.
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