Carnival Corp. and all of its brands are the opening day General Session sponsor this year for Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld, which is set for Nov. 7 to 9 in Fort Lauderdale. With more than 800 travel advisers already registered and a gathering of nearly 1,300 travel industry participants anticipated, the 2018 event is expected to be the largest in CruiseWorld history.
CruiseWorld features C-suite keynote speakers, supplier workshops, peer-to-peer training, a one-day Exhibitor Showcase, sponsored meal functions, ship inspections and significant networking opportunities.
Carnival's day will kick off with Holland America Line hosting the opening lunch. Holland America president Orlando Ashford will be the first speaker to take the stage, and following the luncheon, Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald will join Travel Weekly's editor in chief, Arnie Weissmann, for the first CEO Conversation of the event. All Carnival brands will be in attendance during the opening events: Aida, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, P&O Australia, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn.
The opening day's jam-packed general session features a crowd favorite, the Masterminds of Sales & Marketing panel, including: John Chernesky, vice president of North America sales, Princess Cruises and Cunard Line; Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support and service, Royal Caribbean International; Eva Jenner, vice president of sales, Holland America Line and Seabourn; 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 of sales and trade support and service, U.K. and APAC, Celebrity Cruises; Doug Seagle, vice president of sales for North America, Seabourn; and Lori Sheller, senior vice president of groups and strategic sales, MSC Cruises (USA).
Also planned for opening day is the debut of TW Tech Talks with John Ische, president of Trisept Solutions.
Rounding out the opening day content will be three TW Talks sponsored by Uplift and introduced by Uplift head of commercial Tom Botts. Taking the stage to share their thought leadership on Wednesday will be: Michelle Fee, co-founder and CEO, Cruise Planners; Jackie Friedman, president, Nexion Travel Group; and Jenn Lee, vice president of sales and marketing, Travel Planners International.
Over the course of the event, breakout sessions will be held covering every segment of the leisure travel space. Certification programs and CLIA classes will also be offered.
The signature one-day Exhibitor Showcase will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8, with companies representing diverse segments of the travel industry, including airlines, attractions, business tools, car rental, cruise, destinations, hotels and resorts, professional services, tour operators and packaged vacations. Suppliers interested in joining the Exhibitor Showcase should contact Emmy Morales at emorales@travelweekly.com.
CruiseWorld's robust programming provides value for all types of travel sellers, from home-based professionals to cruise-centric advisers, from seasoned veterans to those new to the industry.
For more information on Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld and to register, visit www.cruiseworldshow.com.