Written By: Mary Pat Sullivan, Content Director – Travel Weekly Events
The CruiseWorld team is fully underway planning general sessions, ship inspections, workshop options and industry certification programs for 2018.
Leaders from the cruise and vacation market will take the stage to address the hundreds of travel advisor attendees. Travel professionals are more important than ever, booking everything from unique leisure vacations to massive corporate retreats. The executives attending are excited to share their stories and get to know the CruiseWorld audience, and garner their respect and their bookings!
The CruiseWorld team is excited to announce a crowd favorite: the Mastermind Sales & Marketing Panel. This high-energy, industry star-studded group features leaders in sales and marketing from all major cruise lines. Always a pleasure for the CruiseWorld audience, this panel sets the energy level for the entire event and is designed to spark new ideas and excitement for 2019 and beyond.
This year’s panel will feature the following industry superstars: John Chernesky, Vice President of North America Sales, Princess Cruises and Cunard Line; Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Support & Service, Royal Caribbean International; Eva Jenner, Vice President, Sales, Holland America Line and Seabourn; Joe Jiffo, Senior Vice President, Sales MSC Cruises; Camille Olivere, Senior Vice President, Norwegian Cruise Line; Adolfo Perez, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Marketing, Carnival Cruise Line; Dondra Ritzenthaler, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Support and Service, UK & APAC, Celebrity Cruises; and Doug Seagle, Vice President of Sales, North America, Seabourn.
All the panelists are great supporters of the travel trade and are enthusiastic about being on stage in front of such an important audience. Each of these executives values the relationship with their customers, the travel advisors in the audience, and they want to get to know them. The Mastermind panel is different from all other general sessions because the speakers share on a personal and professional level. They, too, work hard every day to succeed and they know how hard the audience works to succeed as well. It’s a lighthearted, fun, and informative way to begin the event.
“The general sessions are an excellent way for executives in the industry to connect in a personal way with those selling their products. The speakers at CruiseWorld come because they want to do their part to support the efforts of today’s travel professionals. Being on stage allows them to directly address their most important audience,” said Alicia Evanko-Lewis, Senior Vice President, Events, Northstar Travel Group.
Three days of workshops will allow attendees to earn CLIA credits, Travel Institute CEUs, various certifications, and gain hands-on workshop training from nearly a dozen suppliers. Travel advisor peers will lead a series of workshops on topics like digital marketing, group sales, business practices and considerations, and niche travel segments.
This year’s Travel Weekly CruiseWorld event will be held November 7-9 in Fort Lauderdale, with ship inspection opportunities available at both Fort Lauderdale and Miami ports on November 10 and 11.
CruiseWorld is once again offering its Select Travel Advisor Recognition (STAR) program. The core component of the STAR Program is a series of business connections scheduled between exhibiting suppliers and prequalified travel advisors committed to business growth. Selected advisors will receive complimentary registration and hotel accommodation for two nights. Those spots are filling quickly, with more than half already committed.
Visit www.cruiseworldshow.com for more information and to register. Use code HBTA at checkout to receive $25 off the current registration rate.