By
Susan Sadolin |
The travel landscape is evolving, and every cruise operator is exploring how to minimise their environmental footprint while delivering increasingly luxurious ships and guest experiences that prioritise health and wellness. These topics will be top of the agenda at ILM Summit, which will be uniquely hosted during an all-inclusive cruise onboard Transcend Cruises’ luxury river ship Advance on the Rhine between 30 October and 3 November 2023.
The summit will offer an exclusive opportunity for the industry’s most discerning sustainability-minded suppliers, buyers and other delegates to connect with pre-qualified, senior-level decision makers in the hospitality and cruise industries. During the event, attendees will be able to engage in business discussions, acquire valuable insights and knowledge on sustainable tourism and hospitality, exchange ideas on sustainable practices, and enhance their competitive advantage.
Conference sessions will run while delegates are sailing from Cologne to Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Mainz and Andernach and will cover a series of sustainability topics. Some examples will include how performance improvements are being achieved in hospitality, the impact of new trends and eco materials, strategies for green business growth, supply chain transformation, unlocking the potential in the circular economy, and planning for a greener tomorrow.
Confirmed speakers include Jens Gorka, senior vice president of shipboard operations at The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection; Spiros Almpertis, vice president of port operations at Crystal Cruises; Jason Millhouse, director of architecture and interior design management at IHG Hotels & Resorts; Helena Sawelin, partner and business director at Tillberg Design of Sweden.
Spending four days onboard a ship will also provide delegates with countless opportunities to network and make meaningful connections with industry peers. In addition to one-to-one meetings and networking breakfasts and lunches, participants will be able to forge new alliances during morning yoga, champagne receptions, gala dinners and during shore excursions. Some of the highlights will include a trip to a winery in Koblenz, a journey into the heart of Rüdesheim’s cultural heritage, a brewery tour in the historic Kupferberg, and an immersive cooking demonstration.
Hans Rood, chief operating officer of shipping agency Medov, is one of many delegates already signed up to attend the event. “The ILM Summit promises to be an extraordinary four days of mind- and sales-enriching meetings and discussions,” he says. “The approach to engage with the cruise and resort suppliers in a direction many years ahead is unique and will require us to make decisions and purchases that are investments for current and future generations of consumers. I’m most excited to be part of this group of thinkers, buyers and suppliers in shaping relationships with likeminded industry professionals.”
ILM is offering 50 delegates the opportunity to attend the all-inclusive (minus flights) summit to foster meaningful relationships, facilitate impactful purchases, and enhance their understanding of the innovative and sustainable products and services that cater to our shared vision of a future-oriented industry. If you would like to take one of the remaining 27 places, contact ILM for more information.
Susan Sadolin is CEO of Innovation Lounges Marketplace