ECC 2012 CONFERENCE – 25/26 June 2012 – Event Programme:

25 June 2012:    ECC Ports Forum: 2.30pm-6pm;   Reception: 7pm-8pm;   Speakers and delegates dinner: From 8pm

Special Guest Speaker at the Dinner: Maria Damanaki, EC Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

26 June 2012:    Full Day ECC Conference: 9am-5pm

For full programme details please go to the end of this page

Please indicate which events you plan to attend:

Ports Forum (25 June: 14:30 – 18:00)
       (Only open to port representatives or members of port associations)
Welcome Reception (25 June: 19:00 – 20:00)
Delegates and Speakers Dinner (25 June: 20:00 – 22.30)
Conference (26 June: 09:00 – 17:00)
Conference Day Buffet Lunch (26 June: 13:00 – 14:30)

Please confirm the level of your participation:

Conference, Ports Forum and Dinner:

Sponsor Rate
Register by 31 May 2012: £648
Register after 31 May 2012: £679

Conference and Dinner only:

Sponsor Rate
Register by 31 May 2012: £460
Register after 31 May 2012: £482

The event code ECC2012 should be quoted on all correspondence. Payments by bank transfer and cheque should quote the delegate’s name as well as the event code of ECC2012.


DELEGATE
(Please complete one form for each delegate as selections are required).

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Please check one of these boxes to describe your company/organisation

ECC 2012 Member


The information you have provided will be safeguarded by Ashcroft & Associates who will use it to only to keep you informed of ECC conferences in the future.


Payment
Payment can be made in one of three easy ways - please check the appropriate box.

These should be made through Barclays Bank Plc, Chiswick Branch, 153 Chiswick High Road, London W4 2BA, UK.
Beneficiary: Ashcroft & Associates Ltd. Account No: 46632444 Sort code: 20-35-90, IBAN No: GB22BARC20359046632444 Swift Address: BARCGB22 quoting ECC2012. All charges to be paid by sender.

To make a payment by credit card, please check this box and send registration to: registration@ashcroftandassociates.com and the company will follow up your registration with further details of making payment by credit or debit card – for which a £10 fee is added.

should be made payable to Ashcroft and Associates Ltd. and mailed to Ashcroft and Associates Ltd., PO Box 57940, London W4 5RD, UK.

Please complete and return this form together with a copy of your bank transfer or cheque, payable in £ to Ashcroft & Associates Ltd and sent by post or email to: Ashcroft & Associates Ltd., PO Box 57940, London W4 5RD, UK.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 89944123
Email: registration@ashcroftandassociates.com
www.ashcroftandassociates.com


Administrative Information
Venue
All ECC events will be held at the Conrad Hotel Brussels, Avenue Louise 71, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Telephone: +32 2 542 4242

Conference Hotel Accommodation
A preferential rate of €179 exclusive of breakfast has been negotiated with the five-star Conrad Hotel for registered delegates. It is advised that you book into the Conrad Hotel immediately - it will be first come first served at this rate and you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. The rate quoted on this site is €169.72 as this excludes city tax of €9.28 which will be added to the bill. Go to the Conrad Hotel’s dedicated link to arrange your accommodation:

http://conradhotels.hilton.com/en/ch/groups/personalized/B/BRUHCCI-GASHA-20120625/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

Cancellation policy
All delegate bookings are considered binding on receipt of booking form. Payment is required on receipt of event invoice, which will be emailed, unless the registration is made on or after the 30th May 2012, when payment must be made at the time of registration. This is a prepaid event. If you cannot attend you must cancel your registration in writing no later than the 30th May 2012 to receive a refund minus a 10% administration charge.

We cannot accept verbal cancellations. Cancellations made after this time are liable for the full conference fee. We suggest you send a substitute to attend in your place at no extra cost.

Registration fee
The registration fee includes participation in the ECC conference, lunch and documentation material which will be distributed at the beginning of the event. Paid delegates have the option of attending the welcome reception and the delegates and speakers dinner on the evening of 25 June 2012. All bookings are considered binding on receipt of the registration form.

For further information on this event, please call:
(UK) +44 (0)20 8994 4123
Alternatively email: info@ashcroftandassociates.com

Ports Forum and Conference Day Programmes

26 June 2012: Full Day ECC Conference Programme

CRUISE INDUSTRY’S RESILIENCE TESTED BY
ECONOMIC, GEOPOLITICAL AND OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES

The cruise industry’s resilience has never been so severely tested as it confronts a combination of economic, geopolitical and operational challenges. This conference programme delves into many of the issues of concern during what has already been a momentous year for the industry.

09:00-09:30 OPENING SESSION

WELCOME
Tim Marking,
ECC Secretary General

ECC CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS
Manfredi Lefebvre D'Ovidio,
Chairman Silversea Cruises

SHIP SAFETY - OUR FIRST PRIORITY
David Dingle,
CEO Carnival UK

EUROPE'S SHIPBUILDING HERITAGE
Corrado Antonini,
Chairman Fincantieri

9:30-10:00 SESSION 2: KEYNOTE ADDRESSES
Chairman: Pierfrancesco Vago, Chief Executive Officer MSC Cruises

Michael Thamm, President AIDA Cruises
CRUISE INDUSTRY ECONOMIC IMPACT AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

Special guest speaker:
David Scowsill
, President and CEO World Travel & Tourism Council
GLOBAL TOURISM TRENDS

10:00-11:15 SESSION 3: PANEL DISCUSSION AND Q&A
STATE OF THE EUROPEAN CRUISE INDUSTRY

Moderator: John Richardson, Maritime Policy Advisor FIPRA

Panel:
Pierfrancesco Vago, Chief Executive Officer MSC Cruises
Gianni Onorato, President Costa Cruises
Dominic Paul, Managing Director RCL Cruises Ltd
Tom Wolber, Chief Operating Officer Disney Cruise Line
Sebastian Ahrens, Managing Director Hapag Lloyd Cruises

11:15-11:45 COFFEE BREAK

11:45-13:00 SESSION 4: REGULATORY UPDATE
The regulatory environment in Europe has a reach that impacts in many ways on cruise ship operations. Air Emissions, Ship Tracking and Waste Disposal are just three topics at the forefront of current thinking. What impact are these having on the cruise industry in Europe and how is the industry reacting?

Moderator: Tom Strang, Carnival Corporation & plc VP Maritime Policy and Compliance

Participants:
Minas Myrtidis
, Norwegian Cruise Line VP Fleet Regulatory Compliance
George Koumpenas, Louis Cruises Senior General Manager Fleet Operations
Robert Ashdown, European Cruise Council Director Technical, Environmental and Operations
Bud Darr, Cruise Lines International Association Director of Technical and Regulatory Affairs
Christine Berg, European Commission Head of Unit DG MOVE

13:00-14:30 LUNCH

14:30-16:00 SESSION 5: INSIDE THE ECC - INDUSTRY ACTIVITY
The developing role of the ECC is most noticeable in the growth of its sub-committee structure to reflect the diverse range of topics and issues the industry has to deal with in Europe. Heads of five of the ECC sub-committees provide insight into the topics high on the agenda.

Moderator: David DIngle, Chief Executive Officer Carnival UK

Participants:
Fiscal Policy: David Dingle, Chief Executive Officer Carnival UK
Ports: Neil Palomba, Corporate Operating Officer MSC Cruises
Health & Hygiene: Ruth Marshall, International Legal Director Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd
Consumer Affairs and Tourism: Maria Pittordis, Partner Hill Dickinson
Seafarers and crew: Tino Hensel, Fleet Personnel Management Director AIDA Cruises

16:00-17:00 SESSION 6: ECC MEETS EU
The EU Council – representing Member States - together with the European Parliament negotiate and approve legislation proposed by the European Commission – its executive body. How does each institution regard the cruise industry? What is the view of ECC member lines on current regulatory initiatives?

Chairman: Manfredi Lefebvre D’Ovidio, Chairman ECC and Chairman Silversea Cruises

Industry speaker:
Pierfrancesco Vago
, ECC vice chairman and CEO MSC Cruises

Special guest speakers:
Mike Penning MP, United Kingdom Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport
Brian Simpson MEP, Chair of the TRAN Committee of the European Parliament
Siim Kallas, Vice-President and European Commissioner for Transport

CLOSING REMARKS
Manfredi Lefebvre D’Ovidio, Chairman ECC and Chairman Silversea Cruises

* Programme topics, timing and speakers subject to change.

25 June 2012
ECC PORTS FORUM
2.30pm-6pm

ECC Ports sub-committee members and representatives from other ECC member lines descend on Brussels to meet the port community during a period when regulatory activities and the trading conditions cruise lines face have never been as challenging.

This year the ECC Ports Forum will have two sessions each with a mix of executives from cruise lines, ports and port associations.

Session 1 will consist of Neil Palomba of MSC Cruises, Giora Israel of Carnival Corporation, Harald von der Osten-Sacken of AIDA Cruises, Stavros Hatzakos of MedCruise, Carla Salvado of Port of Barcelona and Patrick Verhoeven of ESPO.

Session 2 will have a panel of Tine Oelmann of TUI Cruises, Elisabetta deNardo of Costa Cruises, Adam Sharp of RCCL, Bo Larsen of Cruise Baltic, Roberto Perocchio of VTP Venice and Thomas Granfeldt of Port of Kristiansand.

The format this time is designed to allow plenty of time for all participants to ask questions, exchange comments and communicate opinions on the topics being discussed. You can have your say on shaping the future direction of relations between cruise lines and ports across Europe.

Session 1
The overall growth of cruise ship deployment to Europe has continued its upward trend for many years – and this remains the case even during these most challenging of trading conditions. But statistics hide the real impact that higher operating costs have had on the owners. There is much that cruise lines have done to reduce costs – but it is the impact on ports that will be the subject of the first session at the Ports Forum.

A presentation by Neil Palomba, ECC Ports Sub-Committee chairman, will act as the catalyst for further discussion among the panel and open debate among delegates.

Session 2
It has not taken current economic conditions for the cruise lines to urge ports to improve berthing conditions – it has simply brought it into sharper focus. Their view is that most port facilities simply are not up to required standards. ECC members claim that ports have not invested enough to meet their requirements which need to be able to service the much larger ships being deployed to the region.

The topics for the second panel presentation will deal with Best Practices with regard to service standards; Consistency in product delivery - and improvement; as well as the educational role the ECC’s economic impact studies play in helping local partnerships inform local and regional governments. This presentation will be made by Bo Larsen, Director of Cruise Baltic and again will lead to a panel discussion and open debate among delegates.

The Ports Forum will be a highly interactive afternoon with the full participation of port delegates. Luis de Carvalho of Consult DC will moderate the sessions and he will ensure that you will be able to have your say on current thinking among ports about current trading conditions and shaping the future direction of relations between cruise lines and ports across Europe.

If you want answers to the question: How have operating conditions impacted European cruise ports? – register for the ECC Ports Forum - Don’t miss this opportunity to listen to the answers and join the debate.