After an exhilarating evening of networking and celebrating at the Official Reunion Party, Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas (CSI) got off to a flying start! Before the show doors even opened, the European Pavilion and VIP Networking Lounge were buzzing with action during the Newcomer’s Breakfast. The breakfast was hosted by leading design studio Joi-Design. Industry experts from leading cruise lines, design studios, shipyards and outfitters, as well as IMO certified suppliers reconnected with peers and made new connections over coffee and pastries.
At 10am, CSI welcomed the entire cruise interiors community to the Miami Beach Convention Center. The expo hall quickly filled up with cruise line executives, senior interior designers, shipyard and outfitting experts, as well as IMO certified suppliers from across the globe.
Cutting-edge exhibits
Attendees took to the show floor to see the most innovative products and services from CSI’s 200 cutting-edge exhibitors. The booths on display were certainly impressive, particularly SmartArt Inc, who wowed visitors with their vibrant art displays. Attendees also gathered to watch their owner/artist in action at this dynamic stall.
K10’s booth was also one that was not to be missed! Here, visitors got the chance to see their stunning new translucent gemstone line, available in slab, tile and plumbing fixtures. K10 also previewed an upcoming, brand new lighting package to CSI attendees. This is currently in development and will be included with their gemstone line.
Visitors also had a chance to have some fun at Panaz and Table Designs’ booth, featuring a giant Jenga made from wood scraps and stained with their standard stains. Everyone who visited this stand would move a block to the top in traditional Jenga style. Panaz and Table Designs would also take each visitor’s name and donate a dollar per block to the Plastic Ocean Project. This led to some fierce but friendly competition between Toby Walters (Elite Exhibitions), Petu Kummala (Carnival Cruise Line), Darren Smith (SMS Group), Gary Annett (MJM Marine), Jacco Van Oberdeek (Bolidt) and Boris Ruskovsky (Norwegian Cruise Line)!
Lasvit also had an impressive display on their booth. Here, they installed eye-catching chandeliers and modern lighting options in the ceiling of their spacious booth. This was in line with their belief that light gives form to a space. One chandelier featured was Fireborn, a romantic take on modern industrial design. It gets its name from the materials used to build it – glass and metal, which are both forged in fire. The scale is completely customisable, the hewn and polished glass chunks are backlit by LED strips and, in a smart solution, wires are enclosed in the metal fittings.
Additionally, for those who couldn’t wait until the 5pm Wednesday Happy Hour, Tarkett, Progenta, and Bourne Group held some impromptu drinks receptions at their booths. This gave guests a chance to unwind after a long day of sourcing suppliers and networking.
An insightful conference
Cruise Conversations Live, Cruise Ship Interior Expo’s two-day conference, also kicked off on day one. At 10:15am, the conference theatre was packed with delegates ready to hear Greg Walton from Studio DADO moderate the first keynote session, ‘Design Leadership: We are One Cruise Industry’. Dee Cooper, My Nguyen and Petu Kummula, from Virgin Voyages, Holland America Group and Carnival Cruise Line, joined him in the discussion. They explored the future of cruise interiors and the importance of creating a collaborative industry. Delegates gathered to hear more about the role design plays in attracting passengers, creating a feeling of safety and providing wellness from the experts themselves. This session also provided the opportunity to hear from leading cruise lines as they covered what entails a good design and how it can be achieved across the supply chain.
“There’s certain things that you need to do in person. Looking, touching materials, you can’t do that remotely. Photographs lie. For example, a chandelier. Light is a special element, you cannot do it virtually.”
Petu Kummala, Senior Director of Interior Design & Architecture at Carnival Cruise Line
Numerous networking opportunities
Throughout the day, visitors were presented with many opportunities to make meaningful connections with the cruise lines, design studios, IMO suppliers and shipyards in attendance. One key opportunity was our networking lunch event, hosted in The Miami Beach Convention Center’s dining area.
Then, after a busy day of conference sessions, live product demos and meeting exhibitors, guests were able to kick back and relax once again with the Wednesday Happy Hour. This was hosted by Cambria, Eumar Design, and Vistona. Visitors, exhibitors and speakers all united in the show hall to unwind after a busy day with complimentary beer and wine.
With so many things to see and do, day one at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas was surely one to remember! We have enjoyed seeing the entire cruise interiors industry reunite under one roof for the first time in two years for a day of connecting, learning, and collaborating at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas.
Source, learn and network with Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas. Find out all about the next event here.