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Seatrade Europe chalks up record attendance

seatrade europe state of the industry
'State of the European Cruise Industry' executives included, from left, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Karl J. Pojer (also chairman of Cruise Germany), AIDA Cruises' Felix Eichhorn and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s Gavin Smith
Seatrade Europe, the leading trade event for the European ocean and river cruise industry, closed Friday in Hamburg after chalking up record attendance.

With footfall exceeding 5,000 and a record-breaking number of cruise line executives attending, the event’s success indicates the European cruise market continues to go from strength to strength.

CLIA Europe Chairman Michael Thamm kicked things off by addressing a 450-strong audience at the opening ‘State of the European Cruise Industry’ session, reporting: ‘The growth of our business year after year is reflected in fleet size, which currently counts 290 ships with an orderbook of 114 newbuilds arriving over the next eight years, many of them in the expedition and luxury segments.’

First MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, powered by SMM

Co-located with the first MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, powered by SMM, the two events staged new elements in both exhibition halls including free-to-attend content in the Showcase Deck and MARINE INTERIORS Forum.

Showcase Deck standing room only

Visitors filled the Showcase Deck theatre of the trade show floor, with standing room only available in interactive sessions such as Lightning Pitch, ‘What’s New at My Port/Destination?’, which saw ports, destinations and service providers representing countries from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean and North Europe to the Cape Verde Islands present to a panel of cruise line judges.

The show welcomed 95 speakers, the highest number ever, with the conference programme covering topical issues and trends ranging from greener cruising and sustainability to technology, expedition cruising and interior design.

Newcomers Boulevard

The Newcomers Boulevard positioned in the central walkway of the show floor was bustling as 15 new exhibiting suppliers of products and services from safety equipment to electronics and lighting to uniforms and amenities networked with visiting buyers and cruise executives looking for new options.

The final day concluded with a focus on shore excursions.

Next Seatrade Europe: Sept. 8-10, 2021

The next Seatrade Europe will be held at the Hamburg Fair site Sept. 8-10, 2021, alongside the co-located MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo.