CLIA UK & Ireland has revealed that the theme for its flagship conference in 2020 will be Cruise Heroes.

The three-day conference, which next year takes place in Southampton from 26-28 April, is the largest of its kind in the UK, giving travel agents the opportunity to network with cruise lines and learn about the latest initiatives in the sector.

Speaking at the 2019 Cruise Forum, held as part of the association’s annual winter ball, CLIA UK & Ireland director Andy Harmer said: “We chose Cruise Heroes as our theme for next year’s conference to offer a chance to celebrate our community. 

“We are an industry that revolves around our people – from those who continuously strive to offer exceptional service on every ship, every day – to those working shore side in ports, in offices and of course the travel agents themselves.

“We are proud to be part of a community that is always supportive of one another and passionate about the industry we work in. We look forward to celebrating the people who make the cruise holiday experience so special.”

The CLIA conference will include a trade fair, a full day of conference sessions and a gala dinner. Delegates will also visit two cruise ships in port for the event – P&O Cruises’ Britannia and MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia.

2020 is shaping up to be an important year for the sector, with a number of trends – such as sustainability – firmly on the agenda and 19 new ocean ships launching, as recently revealed in CLIA’s 2020 state of the industry report.

CLIA travel agent members can register for a space at the 2020 conference via https://cruiseexperts.org/clia-agents/uk-ireland-events/