MIAMI (May 12, 2009) — The 25th annual Cruise Shipping Miami Convention closed March 19 with participants calling it another success. The global exhibition and conference drew 10,154 attendees and 941 exhibiting companies from 119 countries and regions.
The event celebrated its 25th anniversary with a new name and logo, branding it as Cruise Shipping Miami. The event’s new tagline, “Home Port of the Cruise Industry,” which emphasizes the event’s importance to the cruise industry, was also prominent at the show site.
“Given the current economic times, it was essential for exhibitors and visitors to participate in this year’s event to show their ongoing support for the cruise industry,” said Michael Kazakoff, vice president of UBM International Media, the convention organizers.
“Unlike other events these days where it is common to see delegate and attendee numbers drop up to 30 percent per year, CSM’s attendance kept pace with the 2008 event showing a total attendance decline of only 7.7 percent,” Kazakoff said. “We were very pleased with the strong visitor numbers we saw in March, under this harsh economic climate, and particularly in the number of cruise line owners and operators who attended the event, which included over 1,700 attendees from 73 companies.”
Exhibitors from the seven specialized pavilions and sectors reported steady amounts of traffic and many inquiries from quality buyers.
The four-day conference program covered pertinent industry issues including shipbuilding and design, sustainability, destination development, shipboard management, technology and the future of the cruise industry.
In addition to the cruise portion of the conference, CSM featured the fifth annual International Superyacht Symposium, a two-day series of sessions focusing on the growth and issues of the Superyacht Industry.
For the second year in a row, Travel Agent Thursday, a travel trade education program, allowed agents to attend the trade show, see the latest shipboard trends and gather valuable destination information. Organized by UBM International Media in cooperation with Cruise Lines International Association, the day included two educational sessions offering points toward CLIA certifications.
Cruise Shipping Television (CSTV), returned for the second year in a row, featuring scores of exhibitors and daily news from BBC World News, CSTV’s media sponsor.
The 26th annual Cruise Shipping Miami event is scheduled for March 15-18 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
The complete Cruise Shipping Miami 2009 Fact Sheet can be found online at
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MEDIA CONTACT: NewmanPR, (305) 461-3300, Buck Banks,
press@cruiseshippingmiami.com
EVENT CONTACT: UBM International Media, 212 Carnegie Center, #203, Princeton NJ
08540-6236; Phone: (609) 759-4700; Fax: (609) 759-4774; E-mail:
info@cruiseshippingmiami.com, <
UBM International Media is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Business Media plc (LSE: UBM) a leading provider of business information services to the maritime, travel, fashion, technology, healthcare, media, and property industries. UBM offers services in trade shows, online, news distribution, and publishing to customers across the globe. Its brands are represented in more than 30 countries and are organized into specialist teams that serve their business communities helping them excel in their market by working effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com.
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