The Association of Cruise Experts is offering early-booking prices for this year’s UK Cruise Convention as it reveals two key speakers and an agent competition ahead of the event in May
Tickets have gone on sale for the 2011 UK Cruise Convention with agents being encouraged to take advantage of an offer for bookings made before January 31.
For the first time, the convention will feature Columbus Day, an invitation-only event specifically for agent owners, managers and Ace ambassadors to meet key business associates and to hear industry opinion.
Andy Stuart, executive vice-president of global sales and passenger services for Norwegian Cruise Line, and Jan Swartz, executive vice-president of sales, customer service and marketing for Princess Cruises, will both be Columbus Day speakers.
They will cover topics including how to boost profitability through social media and how to learn from the experiences of the more mature US cruise market.
Ace director Flo Powell said: “The 2011 UK Cruise Convention is focused on helping both managers and frontline staff to increase their cruise sales. We’re delighted Jan Swartz and Andy Stuart, will be sharing their experiences of the US cruise market. We have new initiatives for this year’s event, including pre-bookable meetings, and we’ll soon be announcing details of guest speakers from outside the industry.”
The convention will take place in Southampton on May 3-5. Delegates can book a three-day ticket for £125 and a two-day ticket for £75 until January 31, with prices rising to £150 and £95 respectively from February 1.
The convention’s theme is 365, highlighting the fact there’s a cruise holiday for everyone any day of the year.
The event is expected to attract more than 600 delegates and will include seminars on ocean, river, expedition and small-ship cruising.
Delegates will be offered the chance to visit four ships including Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth, P&O Cruises’ Aurora, Fred Olsen’s Balmoral and Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas.
Ace in the Pack
The card on this page is one of six we’ll be posting on Cruise Convention preview stories. The letters on the cards form a cruise-related word – find it and you could win one of a huge bag of prizes, courtesy of Ace operator members…