Michael Bayley, EVP, International, Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited, Carol Marlow, Managing Director, P&O Cruises, Gianni Onorato, President, Costa Crociere SpA, Neil Palomba, COO, MSC Cruises, Charis Papacharalambous, Sales & Marketing Director, Louis Cruises and Kevin Sheehan, President & CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line to discuss state of the Mediterranean cruise industry during opening session. Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, Chairman, ECC, and Chairman, Silversea Cruises to lead with keynote address.

The much anticipated conference programme and speaker list for the Seatrade Med Cruise Convention has been announced. High-calibre industry players will lead discussion on key issues surrounding the rapid expansion of cruise in the Med during this wide-ranging conference from 30 November to 2 December 2010 at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres in Cannes, France.

With ten of the new cruise ships being delivered this year calling at Mediterranean ports, major opportunities for the region abound. More ships mean the search for new ports of call and homeports is stepped up as some cruise lines go year-round. A session on Itinerary Expansion will examine winter cruising in the Med as well as the potential of North African destinations, with the Greek cabotage issue and connectivity between the Med and the Black Sea also on the agenda.

As the industry emerges from the economic downturn relatively unscathed, all eyes are on what has arguably been the worst affected sector - newbuilds. Now that orders are trickling in again, the heads of two of the most prominent shipbuilders in the region, Corrado Antonini, Chairman of Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani SpA and Jacques Hardelay, General Manager, STX Europe, will present their opinions on the outlook for this sector during what promises to be an engaging session on Cruise Shipbuilding & Refurbishment.

Organised in association with the French Riviera Cruise Club, and supported by MedCruise, the Seatrade Med Cruise Convention is the largest gathering of the industry in the region and incorporates a major exhibition, Cruise Agent Day by Top Cruise and an exciting social programme, including an evening of music at the spectacular City of Nice Opera House, during which the Seatrade Insider Cruise Awards will be presented.

Seatrade Med 2010's principal sponsors are Palais des Festivals et des Congres, Riviera Ports Authority and Ville de Nice. Other main sponsors of the event are Club Croisiere Corsica, Club Croisiere Var Provence, Fidelio Cruise Software GmbH, Marseille Provence Cruise Club, MedCruise, Port Vauban & STX Europe. Seatrade Med is a UBM event organised in association with Seatrade.