Cruise Line Presidents and CEOs to Lead New Regional State of the Industry Sessions at Cruise Shipping Miami

-- Panels to discuss trends, status of the global industry's three largest markets

MIAMI, Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In addition to Cruise Shipping Miami's highly anticipated "State of the Global Cruise Industry" led by the heads of the four largest cruise corporations, three additional new panels of cruise line chief executives will analyze critical issues and trends in the world's largest cruise markets — the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australasia.

As the rapid globalization of the cruise business continues, understanding the complex trends and forces shaping the industry becomes ever more challenging. Responding to that challenge, UBM, organizers of Cruise Shipping Miami 2014, created three panels that will examine and discuss the three major cruise markets.

"The plenary session Tuesday morning will paint the global big picture, and the new sessions will provide a tightly focused view of the cruise business within each region in 2014 and beyond," said Daniel Read, director of UBM's Cruise Events Portfolio. "The regional discussions will look at how each market might develop in the coming years, trends in consumer sourcing and the impact of new port developments and infrastructure."

Tuesday afternoon the "State of the Industry: The Americas" will feature Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International; Rick Sasso, chief executive officer of MSC Cruises USA; and Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.

Wednesday morning the "State of the Industry: Asia & Australasia" session will empanel Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International; Tammy Marshall, senior vice president of Carnival Australia; and Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.

Wednesday afternoon's panel will discuss the "State of the Industry: Europe," featuring Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises; David Dingle, chief executive officer of Carnival UK; Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises and chairman of CLIA Europe; and Richard Vogel, chief executive officer of TUI Cruises.

Organizers expect to announce additional top-level regional panelists soon.

The "State of the Global Cruise Industry" will kick off the sessions Tuesday morning, March 11. Moderated by the BBC America's Katty Kay, it will feature Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc; Richard Fain, chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; Kevin Sheehan, CEO and president of Norwegian Cruise Line; and Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises.

Cruise Shipping Miami, scheduled March 10-13, 2014, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, is the global flagship of UBM's Cruise Events Portfolio, which includes the annual Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific and the biennial Seatrade Med Cruise Convention.

To register to attend Cruise Shipping Miami, visit: https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=710

For more information about Cruise Shipping Miami or to exhibit visit: www.cruiseshippingmiami.com

HOTEL RESERVATIONS: https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=10739532

MEDIA CONTACT: Buck Banks, +1 305-461-3300, toll-free +1 855-446-7935; press@cruiseshippingmiami.com

CONVENTION CONTACT: UBM Live, 300 American Metro Blvd., Suite 125, Hamilton NJ 08619 USA

Phone: +1 609-759-4712; fax: +1 609-759-4774
email: sales@cruiseshippingmiami.com

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Since 1985 Cruise Shipping Miami has been the premier annual event of the worldwide cruise industry. From a small gathering of 150 cruise industry executives in a hotel meeting room in New York City, Cruise Shipping Miami has grown into a four-day conference and three-day exhibition drawing 11,000 attendees, more than 900 exhibiting companies from 123 countries and over 300 international journalists to become the cruise industry's annual marketplace of ideas, products and services.

Cruise Shipping Miami is exclusively supported by Cruise Lines International Association and Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.