This is a must see event for cruise ship lovers, with the very best of Made in Italy on show at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping tradeshow exhibit, to be held March 14 - 17 in Miami Beach, Florida.

The task of representing the latest Made in Italy offerings will be entrusted to a collective effort of 50 participants, including manufacturers, port authorities and local organisations, all of which are coordinated by the Italian Foreign Trade Institute, in partnership with the industry association Assonave, with the aim of maintaining Italy’s long-lasting leadership position in the sector.

Italy has been the world’s leading supplier of large vessels for years now. Its highly innovative, technologically advanced and design oriented ships hold a 43% share of the global market in the cruise ship sector, and a 44% market share for ferries. The Seatrade Cruise Shipping tradeshow is thus an exceptional event, providing a window that showcases the quality of Italy’s shipbuilding sector and of the entire industry: from on-board equipment to internal fittings, and related port and tourism services.

At the exhibition booths set up by Italian suppliers, visitors and industry operators will be able to admire furnishings designed for cabins and common areas on yachts and mega-yachts; mini bars and mattresses for ships created using a special flameproof fabric; carpeting designed to render on-board spaces warmer and more comfortable; hardware products for the nautical and naval sector, such as lock fittings, hinges and clothes hooks. The innovative products of the sector’s leading manufacturers will be showcased in a preview set up next to the port authority stands, which will also be providing information on the shipping of cargo and passengers.

A total of 279 cruise ships are currently in service globally, running at 91% average user capacity, amounting to 16.9 million passengers. The cruise sector’s dynamic development potential is also demonstrated by growing worldwide demand, a fact which is reflected in the number of ships made available by shipping companies. The American market, in particular, which constitutes the primary target for the trade exhibit in Miami Beach, is one of the largest cruise ship markets, with a total of 149 available ships that transported an estimated 11.2 million passengers in 2009. This is an extremely promising market segment, especially in relation to future business opportunities: according to the Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s foremost association dedicated to the promotion and growth of the cruise industry, the total turnaround in the United States generated by the cruise sector in 2008 amounted to some 40.2 billion dollars.

The numerous international buyers and visitors expected at the exceptional location provided by the Miami Beach Convention Center will be able to admire the very best of Italian shipbuilding architecture and components engineering on display.