MIAMI - A two-day conference addressing issues of the super yacht market will debut at the 2005 Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami Beach. The first International Super Yacht Symposium is scheduled for March 16-17, 2005, in conjunction with the four-day Seatrade Convention conference, which runs March 14-17 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
From a few targeted sessions on large yacht-related topics included in past Seatrade Cruise Shipping conferences, the Super Yacht Symposium has been expanded into a full slate of panel discussions covering all aspects of this growing sector. The Seatrade Cruise Shipping Exhibition offers symposium participants valuable opportunities to network and meet exhibitors showcasing products and services used by both super yachts and cruise ships in the design, building, operations and supply sectors. The exhibition also features the world's largest gathering of port, harbor, and marina operators and infrastructure suppliers.
"There are many synergies between the large yacht and cruise ship markets," said Michael Kazakoff, vice president of CMP Princeton Inc. "They share a number of issues, from regulations to insurance to crewing, safety and shipbuilding. This symposium will provide an international forum where industry experts can address those important issues."
The lineup of symposium sessions includes:
The State of the Super Yacht Industry
The super yacht sector is growing at 6 percent annually worldwide, and during the past decade the global fleet has nearly doubled. The market for repair and refit is expected to grow at the same pace. An increasingly active charter market, as well as new concepts such as fractional ownership and time-share, are adding new options for owners.
Operations
This session will provide an overview of the regulatory environment for super yachts and discuss some of the operational challenges facing the sector, from manning and certification to security and environmental compliance.
Destinations and Infrastructure
This session will examine what makes a destination attractive to the super yacht market and what are the current and future hot destinations. The essential infrastructure needs, in terms of marina design, and the potential economic impacts of yacht calls also will be discussed.
Design, Construction and Refurbishment
Super yacht building is now big business, and international competition for design, construction and supply is growing. This session will look at the latest trends in design and outfitting, and the increasingly demanding specifications of yacht owners.
The Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention is the world's largest annual cruise-related event and in 2004 drew more than 9,000 visitors from 116 countries and regions. The three-day trade show and four-day conference attract more than a thousand cruise line executives from around the world.
The nearly 150,000-net-square-foot exhibition features national pavilions as well as special sections for destinations, ship equipment, ship services and hotel operations, food and beverage, design and technology.
The 21st annual Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention is scheduled for March 14-17, 2005, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
CMP Princeton Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Business Media plc (NYSE: UNEWY) which is a leading provider of business information services to the technology, healthcare, media, automotive, financial services and property industries. UBM offers services in trade shows, news distribution, market research, and publishing to customers across the globe. Its brands include CMP, the B2B media and exhibition group operating in the United States, Asia and Europe; PR Newswire, the world's leading corporate news distribution service; and NOP World, one of the largest market research groups globally.
CONVENTION CONTACT: Conference registration or exhibitor information for the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention is accessible on-line at www.cruiseshipping.net. For further information contact CMP Princeton Inc., 125 Village Blvd., Ste. 220, Princeton NJ 08540; phone: 609-452-2800; fax: 609-452-9374; e-mail: info@cruiseshipping.net.
SUPER YACHT SYMPOSIUM CONTACT: info@superyachtmiami.com; visit www.superyachtmiami.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Stuart Newman Associates, 305-461-3300
Buck Banks, press@cruiseshipping.net
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