The 2019 International Cruise Summit is now less than 1 month away and we spoke with Ian Richardson, CEO and co-founder of TheICEway, to find out what makes the ICS a must for cruise companies who see themselves as active players in the cruise industry.
Firstly, why go to ICS 2019?
It’s a great event for cruise and that’s really where our focus is as we approach 2020. The cruise industry is one in particular that’s full of opportunity and despite the fact that it is in a pretty strong position at this point, there are still lots of challenges to face. At the International Cruise Summit we’ll have a terrific platform to discuss those challenges and hopefully come up with some tangible solutions.
ICS 2019 is potentially going to experience an even bigger turnout than it did in 2018, when over 400 delegates were in attendance – why do you think the forum is growing as it is?
I think this will be the ninth cruise summit since its inception and it’s built up quite an extensive following in that time. When you think about the various events and showcases in the cruise industry calendar, you’d be hard-pushed to name too many that covered off the really important topics in a way that offered so much thought and more importantly, so many potential solutions to challenges.
Last year’s sessions dealt with a wide variety of different questions and topics; as a speaker and moderator at this year’s event, what do we have in store?
The pressure’s on! Last year was a really great event and it will be difficult to top that but you’ll definitely see an expanded list of speakers including myself. There’s a very interesting programme lined up, with sessions on cruise industry transformation and cruise ship creation, plus lots of networking opportunities and Q&A’s to attend. I think it’s going to be a fantastic show and I’m looking forward to it.
And what about your own session, what can we expect from that?
Ours takes place on the second day and is based around data and technology; we’ve seen in recent years how cruise lines who are data-driven are turning to insights for personalisation, more targeted marketing and yield and revenue management. This is all in an attempt to essentially beat the competition, and with connectivity at sea now starting to become more cost effective, we’re essentially asking how much technology can alter the shape of the cruise industry in the future...
You have managed to gather quite an ‘all-star’ line up for the session!
We’ve been very fortunate; we’ve got Mike Hall, the Head of Marketing at Cruise and Maritime Voyages, Esther Arnalte, IT Manager for Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services, Clare Ward, Director of Product and Customer Services at Fred Olsen Cruise Line, Tony Roberts, Vice President UK & Europe for Princess Cruises, Luca Pronzati, Chief Business Innovation Officer at MSC Cruises and Adam Sharp, Head of Business Development EMEA, Destination Development at Royal Caribbean Cruises – it’s a great panel and we’re hoping for a great session.
And with a great moderator?!
I don’t know about that...!
Ian Richardson is CEO and Co-Founder of TheICEway ecosystem of companies and is always happy to speak about all things cruise and IT-related. If you see him next month at the ICS Cruise show 2019, be sure to say hello!
Top Tip
If you are interested in finding out more about IT in cruise, do not miss the ‘Data – the new Gold!’ session on November 28th at 10am…
Glossary
TheICEway – An ecosystem of companies including ICE Technology Services, CRIBB Cyber Security and eTestware. Together these companies can help those seeking improvements to their existing IT structure, practices and processes.
ICS – International Cruise Summit.
Cruise and Maritime Voyages – A British passenger shipping company with offices in the UK, Australia and the USA.
Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services – A global business offering ground handling and port agency services to the ocean and river cruise industry.
Fred Olsen Cruise Line – A UK-based, Norwegian-owned cruise line.
Princess Cruises – A cruise line with headquarters in Santa Clarita, California.
MSC Cruises – A global cruise line based in Geneva and founded in 1989, MSC Cruises is the world's largest privately held cruise company.
Royal Caribbean Cruises – A global cruise holding company based in Miami, Florida, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is the world's second-largest cruise line operator.
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