The Marine Hotel Association (MHA) is ready for its conference and trade show from Naples, Florida, this week, which will mark its 40th anniversary.
The show, which is sold out, is taking place at the Naples Grande Beach Resort.
Program:
Thursday, March 27:
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Registration, Royal Palm Foyer
- 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Exhibitor setup, Royal Palm and Orchid Ballroom
- 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — Opening Event, Mangrove Pool
Friday, March 28:
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Registration, Royal Palm Foyer
- 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. — MHA Tribute Breakfast with the Cruise Line Chefs, Vista Ballroom
- 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Trade show open, Royal Palm and Orchid Ballroom
Saturday, March 29:
- 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — Registration, Royal Palm Foyer
- 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. — Conference Breakfast, Vista Ballroom
- 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Trade show open, Royal Palm and Orchid Ballroom
- 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — Grand Finale on the beach
According to MHA, the event will feature a number of highlights. The MHA Breakfast on Friday morning will feature food stations by chefs from the MHA Culinary Council. Board President Philippe Faucher will also present a commemorative video of MHA’s history.
On Friday evening, the trade show will feature the “Yacht Rock!” event, honoring MHA’s original charter in 1985. Guests are encouraged to join in on the theme with fun attire.
A live auction benefiting the scholarship program will also be held on Friday evening, featuring cruises, luxury getaways and sporting events.
Additionally, a conference breakfast on Saturday morning will feature a 45-minute discussion by MHA board members.
The conference will include a Q&A with the MHA Board, discussing growing successful supplier/cruise line partnerships.
According to MHA, the three main topics to be covered during the conference include:
- Industry trends (regulation changes, new products, areas of focus, innovations, product features and supply challenges)
- A new member/refresher discussion regarding the cruise lines’ perspective (what they look for in a great supplier relationship) and the suppliers’ perspective (what they need to support/be successful), and
- MHA’s role in supporting the industry and helping members to maximize their memberships.
