Following a successful first day, Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas (CSI), attendees joined us bright and early at the Miami Beach Convention Center for another day of connecting with suppliers, networking, and gaining knowledge at Cruise Conversations Live. Additionally, new to CSI, day two of this unmissable event was focused on the theme of sustainability in the industry. Read on for our day two highlights…
Before the doors to the Miami Beach Convention Centre even opened, delegates joined us for a morning of making new connections over coffee and a delicious breakfast spread at the second Speed Networking breakfast event. This was sponsored by JOI-Design. The CSI Plus Members’ Lounge was also buzzing with activity during the CSI Plus Networking Breakfast. This event was sponsored by YSA Design.
After a successful first day of CSI, the cruise interiors industry donned their best popstar and rockstar looks for the Rock ‘N’ Pop party that evening. The venue was the cruise ship interiors industry’s own rockstars, ready to dance the night away! Having stayed out until the early hours, many CSI delegates and exhibitors were rocking sore heads this morning. However, CSI staff came to the rescue with the perfect remedy: hangover cures! Made with freshly pressed ginger and turmeric, these were a hit, even among exhibitors without a hangover!
An action-packed show floor
Come 10:00, delegates took to the show floor once more, where there were many exciting discoveries to be made. With over 300 exhibitors ranging from carpets and upholstery to attractions, the booths on display were certainly impressive! This year, Eumar went virtual with an all-VR stand where visitors were lining up to see the latest innovations using VR headsets.
Winner of the ‘Best Booth Design’ award Studio Dado boasted a tantalizing and colourful booth featuring a delicious, candy-pink ice cream van, where delegates could stop by for free ice cream!
Additionally, we overheard many compliments on Sekers Fabrics’ booth, which displayed plenty of their high-quality, vibrant textiles, including four new collections, that can be used for upholstry, drapery and more! Grottini’s booth also boasted a sleek design that drew in as many compliments as it did visitors. Frameworks’ booth looked like an illustration brought to life – even the furniture looked hand-drawn.
Sustainable suppliers
With the day being themed around sustainability, CSI launched its exciting new sustainable show route. Walking this route gave visitors a chance to see 10 of the industry’s most innovative suppliers and their planet-friendly innovations. Along the route, visitors got the chance to see the industry’s most cutting-edge sustainable products from the likes of Radici Marine, where delegates could find learn about their latest sustainable innovation, Bloom. Bloom is a textile flooring designed with econyl yarn which is made from waste and infinitely recyclable to generate a loop. Bloom can be recycled, recreated and remoulded again and again in a perfect example of the circular economy.
Also along the sustainability route was Dansk Wilton, who presented their Cradle to Cradle certified carpet solution Colortec ORIGIN. This is made using natural, undyed wool. Other innovations along the route included DAMPA’s new aluminium ceiling material, which is made using 75 per cent post-consumer recycled aluminium in a manufacturing process that reduces their carbon footprint by 69 per cent.
Between attending conference sessions and supplier’s booths, cruise line executives were also given the opportunity to catch up with colleagues and make new connections over a delicious spread at the VIP lunch networking event, held in the Networking Zone.
The knowledge sharing continued…
Keynote – Addressing Project Delivery Challenges
Cruise Conversations Live resumed on day two of CSI with the keynote ‘Addressing Project Delivery Challenges’. Hundreds of delegates gathered to hear insights from a panel consisting of Stephen Fryers (STF Project Management Marine Specialists), Helena Sawelin (Tillberg Design of Sweden), John Paul Brigneti (JPB Global Trade Solutions), and Michele Masini (De Wave Group). Discussions centred around the challenges currently faced by companies at every level of the supply chain and how these can be overcome. Some key insights that came out of this session included how crucial cooperation and communication are when working within today’s supply chain issues, as well as the importance of planning across the chain.
“Placing an order for dry dock today requires immediate planning for all parties.”
John Paul Brigneti, JPB Global Trade Solutions
The panel also discussed the experienced labour shortage, with Michele Masini (De Wave Group) commenting:
“We need industrial volumes but every element is customized. So we need a particular skill and that takes time.”
Another key point made in this session included John Paul Brigneti calling for a cultural change within buyers. He noted that “delays due to understaffing can lead to changing ocean freight to air freight, and then you have spent more than if you had hired more people.”
Workshop – Is it Intrinsically Green?
Following the day’s theme of sustainability, Captain Antonio Prestigiacomo (DNV) and Trond Sigurdsen (YSA Design) hosted a dedicated workshop, ‘Is it Intrinsically Green? Utilising Certifications to Demonstrate Green Credentials’ in the aptly decorated CSI Plus lounge (sponsored by YSA Design). Suppliers gathered to learn about the green credentials cruise lines and designers are looking for. The session also covered how suppliers can acquire credentials and also how to utilize them.
Keynote – Designing to Last
The knowledge sharing concluded at the end of the day with a sustainability focused keynote, ‘Designing to Last’. In this session, moderator Greg Walton (Studio DADO), along with speakers My Nguyen (Holland America Group), Dee Cooper (Virgin Voyages), Petra Ryberg (P&O Australia), and Joanna Gonzalez-Guerra (Royal Caribbean Group), looked at the ways in which cruise interiors could be designed to last beyond the next refurbishment window. The session contained titillating discussions on what it would take to design for the longer term at the outset, with a focus on sustainable materials, considerations for future proofing designs, designing for brand alignment and many more.
And that’s a wrap! Thank you to all those who joined us and made Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America the great success it was. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Miami Beach Convention Center for Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas 2023.
Want more of this?
Check out the Cruise Ship Interiors (CSI) Design Expo Americas blog for more design insights and the latest industry updates. CSI Design Expo Americas is the world’s only exhibition and conference exclusively dedicated to connecting the buyers and suppliers of the cruise design industry. The next event will be taking place on 3 – 4 June 2025 alongside Hotel & Resort Design South and Cruise Xperience Innovation Summit at the Miami Beach Convention Center.