This week’s CLIA Executive Partner Conference brought together 200 delegates including 46 cruise executives from 21 countries. Two back-to-back forums covered important industry matters on Ports and Destinations and Technical and Regulatory topics.

CLIA technical and supply chain professionals were updated on the prime developments within the sectors of, technology, risk management, human resources, legislation, procurement and ship design.

Participants had the opportunity to discuss safety and security, medical, public health and environmental stewardship.

Elisabetta de Nardo, global head of port operations and destination management, Silversea Cruises, said: “This CLIA Europe Executive Partner Conference offered an ideal platform for professionals of the cruise industry to learn to work better together.

“Our industry is growing at a fast pace in Europe and it is essential to ensure that ports, destinations and cruise lines work together more proactively, identifying effective ways to ensure joint success. Both days of business sessions allowed all participants to learn more about the cruise industry and its legislative implications.”

The two days were linked by a cocktail reception and a ‘CLIA Connect Dinner’, where Kyriakos Anastassiadis, CLIA Europe’s new chairman and CEO of Celestyal Cruises, delivered his first keynote remarks on the importance of bringing all the actors of the cruise industry together.

“The European cruise industry has a promising future, but it is only by working together, as one industry with one voice, that we will positively impact the speed and the sustainability of this growth,” he explained.

This Conference demonstrates CLIA’s commitment to designing programmes that benefit the entire cruise community. CLIA hosts its next event – the Summit at Sea – aboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth from 9 – 12 May, 2017. A welcome reception and business sessions will take place in Hamburg, followed by a two-night cruise to Southampton. Registration will open soon