Seatrade Cruise Global is the annual “deal floor” for cruise where itineraries, port calls, onboard product, ship services, and destination strategy get negotiated in parallel. The 2026 edition in Miami Beach is built for fast matchmaking between cruise lines, ports and destinations, and the supplier base that touches everything from newbuild and refit to hotel ops, connectivity, and guest experience.
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Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 — Event Snapshot
Apr 13–16, 2026
Dates
April 13–16, 2026
City
Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Venue
Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Format
Multi-day conference plus exhibition with a heavy networking and meetings cadence
Who attends
Cruise lines, ports and destinations, shipyards and designers, and the supplier base across onboard services, tech, equipment, and operations
Show floor scale
Large supplier marketplace, commonly referenced at 650+ exhibitors
2026 conference theme
Beyond the Horizon: Leveraging Cruising’s Strength and Scale to Drive Innovation
Miami Beach location supports high meeting density. Expect busy morning arrivals, and plan buffer time if you are stacking off-site port and destination meetings.
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What makes it different
Cruise industry annual hub
Seatrade Cruise Global is structured around the cruise value chain, so commercial conversations, port calls, onboard product, and technical decisions tend to happen at the same time.
The value is speed: meeting density plus a supplier marketplace that makes shortlisting and reference-checking easier in a single week.
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Itinerary and port call decisions are in the room
The show is a strong fit for ports and destinations that need direct access to cruise line planners and shore-excursion stakeholders while supplier teams are also present.
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Guest experience meets ship operations
Unlike general maritime events, onboard product, hotel ops, tech, safety, and ship services sit close together, which helps teams validate end-to-end impact quickly.
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Refit and newbuild conversations are practical
Design, interiors, equipment, and yard-facing conversations tend to be grounded in delivery timelines, class and compliance constraints, and the operational realities of turnaround.
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Meeting density is the main advantage
Many weeks are won by structure: short meeting loops, fast shortlisting, and end-of-day closeouts that turn conversations into next steps.
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Best-fit reasons to attend
Ports and destinations looking to influence itinerary choices and strengthen cruise line relationships.
Suppliers who need rapid shortlisting across multiple cruise brands and decision teams in one week.
Teams aligning onboard product, tech, and operational changes with refit windows and procurement cycles.
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2026 week game plan
Apr 13–16, 2026 • Miami Beach
Seatrade is large and meeting-heavy. The best weeks usually come from running it like a pipeline sprint:
shortlisting targets, stacking short meetings, and closing each day with a small set of decisions and next steps.
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Before you arrive
Pick two outcomes: one commercial outcome and one partnership or operational outcome.
Create a one-page brief that makes it easy to route you to the right decision team.
Pre-book the top 10 meetings. On-site calendars fill quickly and reschedules cost throughput.
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Winning meeting format
Short meetings win at Seatrade. The common pattern is 12 to 18 minutes plus a follow-up slot.
Aim for a clear “fit or no fit” decision and a next action on the calendar.
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Bring a “fast routing” packet
What you do in one sentence and what problem you remove
Proof in 2 bullets: results, references, or deployments
Scope and timelines: what can be done in 30, 60, 90 days
Suggested time split for Seatrade week
Designed for meeting density and conversion
Pre-booked meetings
45%
Show floor discovery and shortlisting
28%
Conference sessions
15%
Daily closeout and follow-up capture
12%
If the goal is deals or partnerships, meetings and closeout time usually produce the highest ROI. Sessions are best used for directional signal and targeted introductions.
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Four-day flow that fits Seatrade
Day 1
Establish the week’s rhythm. Confirm the meeting loop, do one full show-floor sweep, and lock any missing meetings while calendars still have gaps.
Day 2
Run the highest-density meeting day. Keep 15-minute buffer windows for overruns and opportunistic introductions that appear after sessions.
Day 3
Convert “interesting” into “actionable.” Schedule follow-ups, align on scope, and gather internal stakeholders for any decisions that need sign-off.
Day 4
Closeouts and clean handoffs. Confirm the top 5 next steps, assign owners, and leave with dates on the calendar rather than open-ended “let’s follow up.”
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Conversation prompts that fit Seatrade
Which decision team owns this: procurement, operations, hotel, IT, or fleet technical?
What is the procurement calendar, and what is the next decision gate?
What does success look like in 90 days, and what data proves it?
What is required to integrate this onboard without disrupting guest experience?
What constraints matter most: space, weight, turnaround time, training, or support?
Who is the internal champion, and who needs to be comfortable to move?
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Outcome scoreboard for the week
Green-light outcomes
Decision team identified and routed to the right owner
Scope and timeline agreed for a pilot, trial, or proposal
Follow-up date set with required stakeholders included
Watch-outs
Good conversation but no procurement path or owner
Unclear integration constraints or onboard support model
“We should talk” without a calendar hold
Fast wins
One-page capability brief shared the same day
Reference-check call scheduled while both sides are on-site
Top 10 targets ranked with next action and owner
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Practical notes for Miami Beach and the venue zone
Miami Beach Convention Center
The convention center sits in the Miami Beach core with heavy event traffic patterns. Short schedules work best when lodging and meetings stay within walking distance.
Venue map
The venue is walkable from many Miami Beach hotels. Morning drop-off congestion is common around major conferences.
Arrivals and transfers
MIA: Miami International is the main hub airport for most arrivals.
FLL: Fort Lauderdale can be a workable alternative depending on schedules.
Leave buffer time for bridge traffic into Miami Beach, especially mornings and late afternoons.
Staying close
Walkable hotels protect meeting density and reduce missed slots.
Mid-Beach and South Beach both work, but check walking time and bridge traffic assumptions.
Plan one off-site block per day at most, or the schedule starts to fragment.
Evening meeting rhythm
Book dinners early. Miami Beach gets busy and last-minute plans slip.
Protect a nightly closeout slot to capture next steps and assign owners.
Short dinners usually preserve a strong morning start for day-two and day-three meeting loops.
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Night-before checklist
Meeting loop confirmed with times, booth numbers, and backups
Top 10 targets ranked with “fit decision” criteria
One closeout slot reserved to schedule follow-ups
One-page capability or destination brief ready to share
Integration constraints or delivery windows noted (refit, procurement, port call planning)
Follow-up calendar holds staged for the next two weeks
