19:30 WELCOME RECEPTION An exclusive event for speakers, sponsors and press, by invitation.
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18th NOVEMBER
08:00 - 08:45 RECEPTION AND BADGES
09:00 - 09:10 INAUGURATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRUISE SUMMIT 2025 Carolina Toledo Martínez de Galinsoga, Deputy General Director of Tourism Promotion COMUNIDAD DE MADRID Gustavo Santana Hernández, President PORTS OF SPAIN Virginia López Valiente, CEO CRUISES NEWS MEDIA GROUP
09:10 - 09:20 INTRO AND “LET’S THINK DIFFERENTLY TOGETHER” Nicky Guerrero, CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Virginia López Valiente, CEO CRUISES NEWS MEDIA GROUP
09:20 - 09:30 KEYNOTE SPEECH Niels Wammen-Jensen, Executive Vice President International Regions CLIA
09:30 - 10:15 Session 1: THE GREAT DEBATE. The most important current topics in the industry, chosen by a live audience and discussed by our panel of executives and experts. Host: Virginia Quintairos, Business Development Director INTERCRUISES SHORESIDE & PORT SERVICES Wybcke Meier, CEO TUI CRUISES Ferdinand Strohmeier, CEO MYSTIC CRUISES / MYSTIC OCEAN Nick Hoogeweij, General Manager CRUISE PORT ROTTERDAM Francesca Antonelli Ibáñez, Head of Cruises & Marketing, Commercial & Business Development PORT AUTHORITY OF VALENCIA
10:15 - 10:30 Presentation: HOW DO WE GO BEYOND CHANGE TO TRANSFORMATION? In a world of constant change, we're witnessing staggering accounts of change failure, lack of engagement, adoption, fear, and resistance to traditional leadership approaches. And that doesn't include politics! The cost of failed digital change initiatives will soar past $2.3Trillion by early 2026 globally. To understand this, we must uncover what it means to change and how can we actually engage and transform our own ways of living and working within and beyond cruise and hospitality. Dr Grant Van Ulbrich, Founder & CEO SCARED SO WHAT LTD
10:30 - 10:45 Presentation: CRUISE TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION Innovation at Sea - The Tech Behind Tomorrow’s Cruise Industry. Luca Pronzati, Chief Business Innovation Officer MSC CRUISES
10:45 - 11:15 Presentation: EXPLOITING CYBER RISKS IN AI AND IOT: SECURING SMART PORTS AND CRUISES As cruising becomes increasingly connected, ensuring secure and seamless navigation is more critical than ever. This presentation will explore how AI-driven systems, smart navigation technologies and cybersecurity advancements are revolutionising the cruise industry in the open seas, making open-sea travel safer and more accessible. Sali Osman, Award-winning Emerging Technology & AI CEO, Former IMF CISO and Aramco Risk Advisor, Ex-leader in Amazon and GE, Avid Sailor
11:15 - 11:45COFFEE BREAK FOR ALL THE DELEGATES
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11:45 - 12:00 Presentation: LUXURY MARKET - PREPARING FOR A DIFFERENT CRUISE PRODUCT Jonathan Daniels, Executive Director MARYLAND PORT ADMINISTRATION
12:00 - 12:15 Presentation: INTRODUCING AMAN AT SEA Jonathan L. Wilson, President and CEO AMAN AT SEA
12:15 - 12:45 THE INTERVIEW Jonathan L. Wilson, President and CEO AMAN AT SEA Virginia López Valiente, CEO CRUISES NEWS MEDIA GROUP
12:45 - 13:15 NICKY IN CONVERSATION - New ports and destinations discovering the potential of cruise tourism Exploring the untapped potential of emerging cruise destinations, this session focuses on how new or smaller ports can strategically position themselves to attract cruise companies, stimulate tourism growth and create compelling visitor experiences that drive long-term business success. Nicky Guerrero, CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Elizabeth Moreau, Business & Cruises Development Director PORT OF BAIE-COMEAU Marcus Puttich, Director Destinations, Cruise Operations & Strategy, Driving Innovation in Port, Ground & Shore Experiences TUI CRUISES Morgan Pravos, Cruise Manager CAEN-OUISTREHAM NORMANDY CRUISE
13:15 - 14:00 Session 2: SALES & MARKETING - WHERE EVERYTHING STARTS Redefining the voyage - Next-Gen sales & marketing strategies driving cruise industry growth. Moderator: David Selby, Managing PARTNER TRAVELYIELDS Luigi Stefanelli, Vice President Worldwide Sales COSTA CROCIERE Lynn Narraway, Vice President UK & EMEA SEABOURN Janet Parton, Vice President of Business Development for Western Europe CELESTYAL James Cole, Founder & CEO PANACHE CRUISES Marc Bellows, Senior Sales Manager Europe PRINCESS CRUISES
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14:00 - 15:15NETWORKING LUNCH FOR ALL THE DELEGATES
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15:15 - 16:00 Session 3: INNOVATION IN DESTINATION DISCOVERY Is there room for innovation? Reimagining shore experiences. Moderator: Mark Robinson, Managing Director BC CRUISE SERVICES (MOBICO & ALSA GROUP) Figen Ayan, Strategic Advisor TURA TURIZM & Founder AYAN CONSULTING Fabrizio Rebuffo, Director EMEA & APAC, International Destination Development ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP Michele Bosco, Manager Shore Excursions and Operations PRINCESS CRUISES Vitor Alves, Executive Director Guest Experiences & Product Development AROYA CRUISES Spyros Almpertis, Vice President of Port, Ground & Destination Operations THE RITZ-CARLTON YACHT COLLECTION
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16:00 - 16:15 MASTER ICS - Our annual test of your knowledge of the industry Who will be crowned Master ICS 2025? Nicky Guerrero, CONFERENCE DIRECTOR
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16:15 - 17:00 Session 4: PRE AND POST CRUISE. THE LAND PROGRAMMES Tailored itineraries, hotel accommodation in embarking or disembarking cities, exploring additional land locations, transfers, transport connections and much more. Let’s look at data and experiences. Moderator: Mateo Asensio, Cruises Area Director BARCELONA TURISME Odette McFarlane, Director Port & Shore Operations CARNIVAL UK (P&O and Cunard) Deborah Vega, Global Key Account Manager INTERCRUISES SHORESIDE & PORT SERVICES Andrea Ferla, Manager Destination Product Development SILVERSEA Abdulrahman Al-Baker, Cruise Terminal Manager MWANI QATAR
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17:00 CLOSING OF THE FIRST DAY
20:00FOOD & DRINKS PARTY. Exclusive event for speakers, sponsors and press, by invitation.
Sponsored by
19th NOVEMBER
09:00 - 09:30 INTRO AND FEEDBACK ON OUR “THINKING DIFFERENTLY TOGETHER” SUBJECTS Nicky Guerrero, CONFERENCE DIRECTOR
09:30 - 09:45 Presentation: VARIETY CRUISES A big fleet of small boutique ships. Malvina Vonta, Chief Commercial Officer VARIETY CRUISES
09:45 - 10:00 Presentation: THE FUTURE OF CRUISING: EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR OCEAN PRESERVATION This session explores tools for pollution monitoring and assessment needed to achieve long-term regenerative marine management for a sustainable cruising industry. We will examine different types of pollution and technologies for detection and early warning. Many challenges extend beyond MARPOL regulations and require innovative solutions. We will show how in-situ inspections can be combined with oceanographic sensors, remote methods (drones and satellites), and digital twin infrastructures that predict pollution before it occurs. This proactive approach is essential for resilience and mitigation, supporting societal and economic growth and enabling proper integration of cruising activities into an ever-changing marine environment. Mario Špadina, CEO and co-founder SEACRAS
10:00 - 11:00 Session 5: CRUISE DESTINATIONS - THE REAL ECONOMIC IMPACT - BLUE ECONOMY Quantifying the Blue Economy: Data-Driven Insights into the Economic, Social, and Employment Impacts of Cruise Development, Including Investments in Terminals and Infrastructure and Their Broader Effects on Cities, Regions and Countries Beyond the Tourist Experience. Moderator: Gemma Greenwood, Director CONTENT INC. Dave Goodger, Managing Director EMEA TOURISM ECONOMICS, AN OXFORD ECONOMICS COMPANY Anne-Marie Spinosi, Senior Vice President MEDCRUISE and Cruise Manager Corsica Ports Omar Al Jaber, Chief of the Tourism Development Sector QATAR TOURISM Ana Lourenço, Chair of Sustainability Committee CRUISE EUROPE and Director of Maritime Tourism Port of Lisbon Ceylan Erzi Yaman, Marketing Director GLOBAL PORTS HOLDING
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11:00 - 11:15 Presentation: MIRAY CRUISES Osman Erler, General Manager MIRAY CRUISES
11:15 - 11:30 Presentation: PRIVATE ISLANDS - THE CRUISE LINES TAKE CONTROL OF SHORESIDE ACTIVITIES Why do all cruise companies have private islands? The process of turning private islands into must-visit cruise destinations. Could this model be replicated in other regions? Jonathan Daniels, Executive Director MARYLAND PORT ADMINISTRATION
11:30 - 11:45 Presentation: CRUISES IN THE DIGITAL AGE. INNOVATION IN ONLINE DISTRIBUTION Detlev Schäferjohann, Co-Founder and CEO E-HOI and E-VACATION GROUP HOLDING
11:45 - 12:30 Session 6: NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY: DESIGNING ITINERARIES AND CRUISE OPERATIONS IN CHALLENGING REGIONS From instability to regulatory hurdles – how geopolitical and destination pressures shape itineraries in the Middle East, Red Sea, Black Sea, and more established destinations. Moderator: Richard J. Vogel, Industry Consultant and former Cruise Line CEO Spyros Almpertis, Vice President of Port, Ground & Destination Operations THE RITZ-CARLTON YACHT COLLECTION Michael Braathen, Director Itinerary Planning, Port Operations & Land Programs MYSTIC CRUISES - MYSTIC OCEAN Hussain Kadir, Manager, Global Deployment & Itinerary Planning SEABOURN CRUISE LINE Maria Tauschke, Head of Shore Operations TUI CRUISES
Session sponsored by
12:30 CLOSING OF THE ICS 2025 Nicky Guerrero, CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Virginia López Valiente, CEO CRUISES NEWS MEDIA GROUP
12:30FAREWELL NETWORKING BRUNCH FOR ALL THE DELEGATES
