We will meet again – at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo and CSH Expo

The cruise industry is going through a period of recuperation. Heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, cruise lines were forced to delay ship launches, cancel sailings and cut costs. However, if there is one thing the pandemic has been good for, it has been in providing a pause, a period of reflection, both in personal and business lives. During this time for reflection, the cruise industry has shown that it is one of the most innovative, creative, and flexible industries out there – and there is a supportive community of designers, hotel managers, architects, executive chefs and more, ready and willing to offer help, offer opinions, and provide assistance to those in need.

This was perhaps most eloquently wrapped up in a quote from Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Advisory Board member My Nguyen – “With the gift of time, you can innovate.” And the cruise industry most certainly has.

During the pandemic, the cruise industry has seen the receipt of countless ships, including P&O’s largest vessel Iona, Virgin Voyages’ millennial-fuelled Scarlet Lady, and Celebrity’s Apex – complete with the magic carpet floating deck.

Exhibitors at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo (CSI) and Cruise Ship Hospitality Expo (CSH) have also seen great success in the industry during this period. CSH exhibitor ALMACO has embarked upon a number of projects, including providing the cabins for Swan Hellenic’s new Vega project, and completing a catering project for Saga Cruises; CSI exhibitor Marine Interiors won a contract to supply 2,800 cabins for Carnival Cruise Line’s new Chinese-market ship; and CSI exhibitor Studio DADO is working with American Cruise Lines as their first external designer.

In addition, several CSI and CSH exhibitors have innovated in completely new ways. Marine flooring supplier Bolidt launched virtual tours of their Innovation Center; and Shores Global collaborated with Tillberg Design of Sweden to create their Innovation Lounge, a curated on-land cruise ship interior design experience.

It is this collaboration that is a key part of CSI and CSH. The show organisers focused on this with Collaboration Week, publishing a series of pieces exploring the partnerships created between exhibitors. This included the collaboration between SleepAngel and Room to Breathe – two Cruise Ship Hospitality Expo Health & Hygiene Zone exhibitors who came together to strengthen both of their services, improving guest and staff safety.

CSI and CSH: an opportunity to reconnect

In light of recent circumstances, it has of course been impossible to meet in person to share and discuss ideas, such as those explored in last December’s Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Europe conference programme. It was for this reason the team behind CSI and CSH launched Cruise Conversations, an industry-leading series of discussions in different formats, featuring the brightest, most creative and innovative minds in the cruise design and hospitality industries, from key players at the cruise lines, to top designers, shipbuilders, outfitters, and hospitality professionals.

When we are able to reconvene, we will do so in style at CSI and CSH. Launching with the Reunion Party, the two-day, free-to-attend exhibition will provide unparalleled networking opportunities for exhibitors and attendees. With a show floor full of cruise industry executives, newbuild directors, hotel operations managers, medical officers and more, Cruise Ship Interiors Expo and Cruise Ship Hospitality Expo is the place to be for a marine products and services supplier. In addition, the exhibition features the Cruise Conversations conference programme – jam-packed full of industry leaders discussing the most important topics of the day. The exhibition promises to be a vibrant, exciting, and rejuvenating event for the industry, and the perfect opportunity to enrich business practices, forge new friendships, win contracts, and expand industry knowledge.

There is nothing quite like meeting in person – and the cruise industry will meet again at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 8–9 June 2021, at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo and Cruise Ship Hospitality Expo.