Second Annual Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific Called a Success by Conference and Exhibition Participants

SINGAPORE, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The second edition of Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific closed today, September 18, with participants — cruise line representatives and exhibiting companies — agreeing the event holds great promise for the future of the cruise industry in the Asia-Pacific region. The two-day conference and trade show, organized by UBM and held at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, attracted attendees from across the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of world.

Organized by UBM, the event included a full conference program of panel discussions, a trade fair, business-matching program and travel agent training sessions. Cruise Shipping Asia 2013 is scheduled for September, and will be held in Singapore.

"We were very pleased with the level of excitement and interaction between the attendees over the two days of conference sessions, trade show activity and social functions," said Daniel Read, director of UBM's Cruise Shipping Portfolio. "Just days before the show opened, Carnival Corporation announced it was opening a Carnival Asia unit here in Singapore. There's no better proof of the region's significance than having the world's largest cruise company establish a permanent presence here."

The tone of the conference and trade show was upbeat. Under the theme of "Optimizing Opportunities in the Asia-Pacific Cruise Industry," the conference focused on the growth potential of the pan-Asia region and how to accommodate the rapid market expansion predicted for the Asian cruise business.

Participants in the conferences included Christine Duffy, president and chief executive officer of Cruise Lines International Association; Ann Sherry, chief executive officer of Carnival Australia; Gianni Onorato, president of Costa Crociere; Roberto Giorgi, president of V.Ships, and Dr. Zinan Liu, managing director China and Asia for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Exhibiting companies included Tourism Malaysia, Port Klang Cruise Center, Brunei Tourism, Sembawang Shipyard, Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism Western Australia, TEAM Ports & Maritime and Maritime Communications Partners, among many more.  To view the complete exhibitor list click here: http://www.cruiseshippingevents.com/asia-exhibitor-list

Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific is supported by the Asia Cruise Association, Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association and International Cruise Council Australasia, and has the exclusive support of Cruise Lines International Association, the global advocate for the industry.

About Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific

Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific is an annual event organized by UBM, organizer of cruise and maritime events including Cruise Shipping Miami, Seatrade Med, Marintec China, Naval Shore and Sea Japan. Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific is supported by Asia Cruise Association, Florida–Caribbean Cruise Association, International Cruise Council Australia and has the exclusive support of Cruise Lines International Association, the global marketing and communications organization for the cruise industry.

Conference program: www.cruiseshippingevents.com/asia-conference.

Registration and updates: www.cruiseshippingevents.com/asia-register-now.

Exhibit sales: Richard Regan, +1-609-759-4742 sales@cruiseshippingmiami.com

Press registration: http://www.cruiseshippingevents.com/asia/press-registration

Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific Contact: Allison Dowd, Cruise Shipping Portfolio Brand Marketing Manager, +1-609-759-4702; allison.dowd@ubm.com

Media Contact: Buck Banks, +305-461-3300; press@cruiseshipping.com

Cruise Shipping Portfolio (http://www.cruiseshippingevents.com) The Cruise Shipping Portfolio organized by UBM Live includes Cruise Shipping Miami, Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific, Seatrade Med and an array of digital products including webinars and Cruise Shipping Virtual online tradeshows. Since 1985 Cruise Shipping Miami has been the world's premier annual event for the global cruise industry, featuring a three-day exhibition and four-day conference that draw more than 11,000 attendees and over 900 exhibiting companies from 120 countries. Focused on the emerging pan-Asia region, Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific's tradeshow, conference and social program are the gateway to tomorrow's marketplace. Seatrade Med's exhibition, conference, travel agent training and social events constitute the Mediterranean region's largest cruise gathering. Using cutting-edge technology, Cruise Shipping Virtual's online events include educational and networking virtual tradeshows and webinars accessible via computer.

UBM Live is a division of UBM plc, a leading provider of business information services to the maritime, travel, fashion, technology, healthcare, media, and property industries. UBM Live offers services in trade shows, online, news distribution and publishing to customers across the globe. Its brands are represented in more than 30 countries and are organized into specialist teams that serve their specific business communities. For more information, visit www.ubmlive.com.

About UBM Asia (http://www.ubmasia.com)

Owned by UBM plc, UBM Asia operates in 18 market sectors with headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia. UBM Asia has more than 200 products including trade fairs, conferences, trade publications, B2B/B2C portals and virtual event services. As Asia's leading exhibition organizer and the biggest commercial organizer in China and India, the company stages leading events across Asia. UBM Asia has 1,000 staff in 21 major cities across Asia, from Japan to Turkey.

SOURCE Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific