Third Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum Unveils Speaker Line-up

Photo source: Posidonia

Senior officials from major international cruise companies will meet in Athens in May for the 3rd Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum to engage with government officials, network and do business with representatives of the Eastern Mediterranean’s port authorities, cruise ship suppliers and other industry players.

Scheduled to be held at the Greek capital’s Megaron Athens International Conference Center on May 26-27, the forum will also welcome leading players from the yachting sector, including association representatives from MYBA and ICOMIA, as well as yacht charterers and marina developers and managers.

In total, some 800 professionals of the sea tourism sectors with a keen interest in the Eastern Mediterranean will table and debate issues of significant importance to the future of an industry that contributes well in excess of 39.4 billion euros and 339,000 jobs to Europe’s economy, a figure that does not incorporate revenues generated by yachting activity.

Highly topical issues including growth potential for the cruise industry in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, projected increase of regional deployment for 2016 and current barriers to growth of both cruise transit calls and homeporting in Greece are among those to be discussed during the Executive Committee Meeting of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which will take place on day two of the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum.

Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum’s Exhibition is also a platform for port destinations, port authorities, prefectures, chambers of commerce, airports, airlines, tourist services providers and marinas to showcase their offering to an influential audience of important decision makers from the international cruise industry.

Speaker line-up

Pierfrancesco Vago, Chairman, CLIA Europe. Photo © GTP

Cruise Line participants: Pierfrancesco Vago, Chairman, CLIA Europe & Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises; Larry Pimentel, President & CEO, Azamara Club Cruises; Edie Rodriguez, President & COO, Crystal Cruises; Kyriakos Anastassiadis, CEO, Celestyal Cruises; John F. Tercek, Vice President, Commercial and New Business Development, Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity Cruises;Michel Nestour, Vice President Global Port & Destination Development-EuroMed, Carnival Corporation; Adam Sharp, Head of Port Operations & Guest Port Services – UK, N. Europe & M. East, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; Darius Mehta, Vice President Air & Land Programs, Silversea Cruises; Andra Howie, Manager, Shore Excursions, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn

Stavros Hatzakos, President, Cruise and Ferry Port Network. Photo source: Med Cruise

Port representatives: Carla Salvado, President, MedCruise & Marketing and Cruise Director, Port of Barcelona; Saygin Narin, CEO, Global Ports Holding; Roberto Perocchio, Managing Director, Venezia Terminal Passengeri SpA; Yiorgos Anomeritis, President, Greek Ports Association & Chairman & Managing Director, Piraeus Port Authority; Stavros Hatzakos, President, Cruise and Ferry Port Network & General Manager, Piraeus Port Authority; Costas Moutzouris, President, Regulatory Authority for Ports, Greece; Ioannis Bras, Chairman & Managing Director, Heraklion Port Authority

Oscar Siches, Partner and Manager, Amarres Deportivos SL. Photo © GTP

Yachting and Marina representatives: Jonathan Beckett, Chief Executive, Burgess Yachts; Mick Bettesworth, Principal, Mick Bettesworth Marina Consultants Ltd; Rosemary Pavlatou, Director, A1 Yacht Trade Consortium & BWA Yachting & Member of MYBA; Roberto Perocchio, President, Assomarinas; Kemal Saatcioglu, CEO, D-Marin Marinas Group of Dogus Holding; Oscar Siches, Partner and Manager, Amarres Deportivos SL, Marina Consultant (Marina Matters SL); Thierry Voisin, Chairman, Thierry Voisin – Partnership; Michael Wyer, Captain, Gladius Yacht; Stavros Katsikadis, Managing Director, LAMDA Flisvos Marina & President, Greek Marinas Association; Stefanos Machrymichalos, Partner, Cape4Yachting

Andreas Andreadis, president of Greek Tourism Confederation. Photo © GTP

Association & Industry Representatives: Andreas Andreadis, President, Greek Tourism Confederation; Michalis Sakelis, President, Association of Passenger Shipping Companies; Theodore Kontes, President, Union of Cruise Shipowners and Associated Members; George Vernicos, Secretary General, Greek Tourism Confederation; Andreas Stylianopoulos, President & CEO, Navigator Travel and Tourist Services & Member of the Board, Greek Tourism Confederation

F&B Cruise Ship Supply Workshop: Emanuele Lavarello, Procurement Director, MSC Italcatering SpA; Michael Nomicos, President, Donomis Cruise Services; Emanuel Schwarzwald, Cruise and Sales Manager, Puerto y Bahia

The 3rd Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum is organized under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism.

GTP is a media sponsor of the forum.