SINT MAARTEN/Miramar, FL - The cruise industry was anchored in Mazatlán, Mexico last week, with 600 destination stakeholders and cruise line executives gathering for the only official cruise conference and trade show taking place in and representing the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico: the 29th annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Cruise Conference & Trade Show.
“I want to applaud everyone throughout Mazatlán and the State of Sinaloa, especially Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, for coordinating this successful event and showcasing the spectacular destination,” said Michele Paige, FCCA CEO. “It was also humbling to see the continued conviction in FCCA’s mission witnessed by all the attendees and cruise executives, with a record number of early registrations by executives.”
Taking place November 7-10 at the Mazatlán International Center, the event featured its usual blend of workshops, meetings, and networking functions for the attendees and 100 high-level executives from FCCA Member Lines, with the recipe focused on one-on-one meetings further perfected through 700 preset 15-minute sessions between attendees and cruise executives.
How to further enhance benefits for the destinations – and entire regions – was front and center at the ‘Heads of Government Meeting,’ featuring high-ranking government officials and a cruise executive panel that included Gus Antorcha, President, Holland America Line; John Padgett, President, Princess Cruises; Richard Sasso, Chairman, MSC Cruises (USA); and Joshua Weinstein, President & CEO & Chief Climate Officer, Carnival Corporation & plc. The meeting focused on mutual benefits, such as purchasing and sourcing opportunities, in addition to overall cruise tourism topics that were open to input by the government officials.
Those Presidents and above participated in numerous other functions during the event, with Weinstein delivering the opening ceremony’s ‘State of the Industry Address’ – where he detailed cruising’s growing demand, the importance of partnerships, and Mexico’s prominent role in cruise tourism – and all four leading government discussions and attending high-level meetings.
Attendees also learned how to maximize cruise tourism through a robust and interactive workshop schedule led by cruise executive panels and moderated by destination representatives. The schedule included three separate workshops focused on port operations and destination partnerships; providing emotional and logistical support during a crisis; along with itinerary planning and the destination experience.
Additionally, attendees interacted with cruise executives during numerous networking functions joining them in more casual environments to develop business and relationships, while also showcasing some of Mazatlán’s authentic culture and history. Mazatlán and the State of Sinaloa pulled out all the stops to display its products and cruise tourism potential to the prestigious audience, including exclusive tours, site visits, and meetings with cruise executives.
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