Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced that its 2017 Summit at Sea – an exclusive, flagship event for cruise industry stakeholders, will be taking place from 9 -12 May 2017 on board Cunard Cruise Line’s Queen Elizabeth.

Before embarking on the Queen Elizabeth, attendees will receive an exclusive tour of the Airbus Factory producing some of the Emirates A380 aircraft and Carnival Cruise Line’s maritime fleet, followed by a welcome reception and dinner at the Penthouse Elb-Panorama. In Hamburg and welcomed by Carnival chairman, David Dingle, senior cruise industry leaders will engage in business discussions on the most important topics facing the cruise industry today, including an exclusive discussion led by CLIA cruise line member presidents.

“I am delighted that Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth has been chosen to host the 2017 CLIA Summit at Sea,” said Cunard’s senior vice president, Simon Palethorpe. “Our ship and crew look forward to welcoming our industry partners and colleagues aboard for what I am sure will be an extremely informative and enjoyable conference.”

While on board, the attendees will also have access to behind-the-scenes tours, networking opportunities and social functions before the cruise docks in Southampton.

This year’s event follows the inaugural summit that took place last year aboard the MSC Preziosa in the Mediterranean. CLIA’s annual Summit at Sea is an exclusive event as part of CLIA’s Executive Partner Programme. Bringing together key suppliers and partners to the cruise industry, the programme boasts more than 300 partners across the port and destination, travel and tourism, technical and supply chain, and professional services providers.

“Ensuring that our community works together toward the same industry goal is key to our success, and that is why coming together at events like our Summit at Sea is so important,” said Bo Larsen, senior vice president, Strategic Partnerships, CLIA. “I am grateful for the hospitality provided by the Cunard team both ashore and on board, and for the valuable commitment of our industry executives.”

For more information on the event, visit the CLIA website.