OREANDA-NEWS. On May 08-10, 2008 XVII Annual General Meeting of the Cruise Europe Association (the member of which Port Authority is since 2001) and the International Cruise Conference “Communicating with our Customers” was held in Klaipeda (Hotel “Klaipeda”, Naujoji Sodo g. 1), reported the press-centre of Klaipeda State Seaport.
 
The organizers of the event, Cruise Europe Association and SE Klaipeda State Seaport Authority, during the three-day-long event, besides the afore mentiond Conference and Annual General Meeting, arranged a number of other important events: the meetings of the Council of this Association take place, as well as of Marketing and Strategy Committees, Marketing Seminar and the meetings of the four regions acting in the frame of the Association (The Baltic, Iceland and Norway, UK and Ireland as well as Europe West Coast).
 
The most attention among the members and guests attained the International Cruise Conference „Communicating with our Customers“ held in May 9th, 2008 (Hotel “Klaipeda” XX floor conference hall). The aim of this rewarding event was to disclose the members of the Association the effective tools, possibilities and ways to promote cooperation among cruise lines, travel agencies, ports and potential passengers.
 
Of special significance was the first time participation of the representatives of cruise lines “Thomson Cruises”, “Carnival UK” and “Phoenix Reisen” in the conference. They analyze and introduced the audience to the needs and requirements raised to ports, development of rendered passengers services, aspects of organizing shore excursions.
 
During the conference the presentations were made by the representatives of Port Authority, Cruise Europe Association, international media, Cruise Experts Association, Klaipeda Tourism and Culture Information Centre, who presented the tendencies and novelties, preparation of ports for increasing cruise shipping, analyzed the development of cooperation among the subjects acting in the cruise shipping sphere as well as disclosed the audience steady increasing influence of media on the promotion of cruise shipping.
 
The event furnished the listeners with important know-how and great knowledge in the field of cruise shipping. For Klaipeda port – a very important thing is making contacts with cruise lines, improvement of the image of Klaipeda port as a cruise port and acquired know-how as well as gained experience.
 
The Annual General Meeting is the highest body of the organisation, and meets every year in the different member port. This year the Annual General Meeting will discuss the performed activity strategy and policy of the Association, finance allocation to promotion tools, summarize the work performed and the results achieved. Moreover, after a 4 year term, there will be new Council members and the Chairman elected.
 
The International Cruise Europe Association was founded in 1991 and then it joined only 24 European ports. Currently Cruise Europe Association unites 104 ports. Seeking to attract more cruise ships and passengers to the ports of this region, the Association creates and implements common promotion strategy for cruise ports in the European region, pays visits to cruise lines companies, organizes conferences and seminars, participates in exhibitions, shares experience in the sphere of cruise shipping, carries out studies and researches.
 
Cruise Europe also maintains close connections with the cruise lines on such matters as promotion of cruise shipping, safety issues, environmental matters and improvement of facilities offered by the ports. The members of Association all contribute to the work being done in co-operative way by informing and supplying the cruise lines with information concerning their port and the sights of interest.
 
The growth of cruise shipping in the ports of European region and permanent growth of the number of members of the association show the importance, significance and benefits both for the members themselves and the companies working in the field of cruise shipping.