Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/910090
B M & T ••• September/October 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 30 MEETINGS LOVE CRUISE SHIPS WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY RUFUS MCKINNEY The cruise industry is the fastest growing segment in travel and tourism with demand outstripping sup- ply across all sectors. An emerging sector within the cruise industry is conferences at sea. Today's ships have meeting venues galore with all the latest in audio/video equipment to fit the needs of any meeting planner. Industry experts estimate cruise conferences are 25 to 40 percent less expensive tha n their land-based counterparts. There are lots of reasons for such tremendous cost savings. Meeting planners know all too well the headaches associated with negotiating every last nickel and dime with a hotel. If you host an event at a hotel, everything costs – meeting rooms, food, entertainment, audio/visual equipment, taxes, gratuities, compli- mentary activities for family and room service. On a cruise ship all of these items are included. A "Meeting Planner Guide" available on the Meetings on Ships web- site http://meetingsonship.com/assures that conferences at sea are "An exciting new way of doing business that is cost efficient and cost effective and produces high participant satisfaction! According to the guide, "Many newer ships have state-of-the-art meeting and conference facili- ties that are far more cost effective than land based hotel facilities. Additionally, many venues on ships such as production theaters etc., would be extraordinarily expensive to create in a hotel or simply not pos- sible to do and can be used for your events at no charge. The Meetings on Ships guide lists some benefits of shipboard events. They are: A1. Simplified coordination - details are taken care of for you. An onboard coordinator is assigned to work with you at no additional cost to ensure smooth operations. A World Voyager Vacations Meeting Division escort will be there working with you to ensure the most suc- cessful program possible. Special Hospitality/Registration desks can be set up for your group as well as cabin deliveries of Welcome Aboard gifts etc.. Daily bulletins will be delivered to your groups cabins and a special TV channel can be devoted to your group. A2. All transportation, meals and Broadway style entertainment are included which can save substantial dollars compared to doing these individually in a land hotel. A3. A variety of activities are available for all members of your group, which leads to a more enjoyable and valuable experience. A4. State of the art equipment and facilities are included in the price. LCD projectors and other top quality audiovisual equipment are included in your cost. Rental rates at hotels for this type of equipment can be quite high. A5. Shipboard events overall are less costly than land based Carnival Paradise at dock