Virtual Event to Feature Appearances by Leading Travel & Culinary TV Personalities Samantha Brown, Joanne Weir
WHAT In honor of International Women’s Day, AmaWaterways is inviting travel advisors and guests to a virtual “Sip & Sail” hosted by Co-Founder and Executive Vice President Kristin Karst. During this celebratory event on March 8, Karst will be joined by Samantha Brown, AmaMagna’s Emmy award-winning Godmother, as well as Chef Joanne Weir. Each special guest will share personal insights into their experiences within travel and tourism, highlighting their favorite river cruise journeys. Female Cruise Managers from AmaWaterways will also provide insider tips and personal testimonies on how to best personalize a river cruise for any type of traveler, whether for a couple embarking upon a romantic sailing, a group of girlfriends taking a bucket list getaway or a family reuniting on the river.
TOPIC “A Celebration of Empowering Women on Our Rivers”
WHEN March 8, 2021 at 5 p.m. EST/2 p.m. PST
PRESENTERS Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways co-founder and executive vice president
A native of Dresden, Germany, Kristin Karst has become one of the leading executives in the river cruise industry. After obtaining her degrees in Hospitality & Business Management and an MBA from the University of Dresden, Karst worked for American Express for eight years. Karst relocated to the United States and, in 1999, entered the river cruise segment. Three years later, she co-founded AmaWaterways with Rudi Schreiner and Jimmy Murphy. Karst is well known for her extensive knowledge of Europe’s rivers, culture and traditions, as well as her commitment to providing top-notch customer service and support to the travel advisory community. Karst was recently named one of 2020’s “Top 100 Female Founders” by Inc. magazine.
Samantha Brown, television host of PBS’s Samantha Brown’s Places to Love
A seasoned travel expert and TV personality, Samantha Brown got her start in television in 1999 as a host for Travel Channel’s Great Vacation Homes. For the next decade, Brown hosted a variety of different series and in 2017 moved to PBS to create her show, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, which is sponsored by AmaWaterways. Brown has earned a reputation for truly immersing herself in the cultures she visits and in 2019 was named the Godmother of the revolutionary AmaMagna.
Joanne Weir, television host of PBS’s Plates & Places
A fourth-generation professional chef, Joanne Weir spent five years cooking at Chez Panisse after receiving a Master Chef Diploma with Madeleine Kamman. Proud sponsor of PBS series Joanne Weir’s Plates & Places since 2017, AmaWaterways last welcomed Weir aboard AmaMagna where she filmed episodes featured in the third and fourth seasons of her series. Weir is the author of 18 cookbooks, including her latest, Kitchen Gypsy.
WHERE The virtual “Sip & Sail” will be broadcasted on Facebook Live at Facebook.com/AmaWaterways and on YouTube at YouTube.com/AmaWaterways. Travel Advisors are encouraged to sign up for the event via the Travel Advisor Portal on AmaWaterways.com.
OVERVIEW First launched in April 2020, the virtual “Sip & Sail” series was created to help the award-winning river cruise line remain personally connected with travel advisors and past guests until AmaWaterways’ much anticipated return to the rivers. The actual onboard complimentary “Sip & Sail” pre-dinner cocktail hour was first introduced on the ships in 2018 and has received rave guest reviews as the perfect moment to unwind and share experiences of the day.