TRAVEL AGENT THURSDAY TO DEBUT AT SEATRADE CONVENTION MIAMI Feb

							‘TRAVEL AGENT THURSDAY’ TO DEBUT AT SEATRADE CONVENTION

MIAMI (Feb. 4, 2008) — A new travel trade educational program has been
added to the agenda of the 2008 Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention. Travel
Agent Thursday @ Seatrade Cruise Shipping is set to debut March 13, the final
day of the convention, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Organized by CMP Information in cooperation with Cruise Lines International
Association, Travel Agent Thursday @ Seatrade Cruise Shipping combines
educational opportunities with complimentary access to the world’s largest
annual cruise industry trade show.

“Most cruises are sold by travel agents, and working with CLIA we’ve added an
educational element to Cruise Shipping Miami that will help agents develop their
skills,” said Michael Kazakoff, vice president of CMP Information, organizers of
the convention. “We’ve also built time into the schedule to enable agents to
attend the trade show and see the latest shipboard trends and gather valuable
destination information.”

CLIA trainers will conduct two educational sessions aimed at increasing agents’
knowledge and productivity. The seminars earn points toward CLIA certifications.

Travel Agent Thursday @ Seatrade Cruise Shipping
Schedule of Events for Thursday, March 13
Miami Beach Convention Center

9:00–10:00 a.m.
Trade Show Viewing Time
With more than 330,000 square feet of exhibit space and almost 1,000 exhibiting
companies, the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention is the most important
annual gathering in the industry. The exhibition is organized into seven product
sectors: destinations, ship equipment, ship services & hotel operations,
information technology, design, food & beverage and entertainment technology.
A large portion of the trade show is made up of national tourism boards and
destinations from around the world.

10:00–11:30 a.m.
Professional Selling Skills
Bernie Blomquist, MCC, CTC, Manager, Training Development
Geared toward front-line counselors who have experience but want to sharpen
their sales skills. The seminar will enable participants to recognize the five steps
of the sale, qualify a client, overcome the most common barriers to cruise sales,
add value to every sale and employ strategies to get and keep the business.

11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Trade Show Viewing Time
2:30–4:00 p.m.
Building Client Loyalty
Tom Cogan, MCC, CTC, Director of Training
This program will show agents how to read customers and sell from the client’s
perspective. Participants will learn how to uncover hidden client needs and
provide quality service, and discover the 10 fundamentals of building and
maintaining client loyalty.

How to Register
Visit http://www.cruiseshipping.net/conferenceRegistration.html, select “Proceed
to Online Registration,” select “Register Now” located at the top of the page and
complete the attendee registration information and enter Priority Code: THU8.

CONVENTION CONTACT: Conference registration or exhibitor information for
the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention is accessible online at
www.cruiseshipping.net. Contact CMP Information, 212 Carnegie Center, Ste.
203, Princeton NJ 08540; (609) 759-4700, info@cruiseshipping.net.

CMP Information is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Business Media plc
(LSE: UBM) a leading provider of business information services to the travel,
technology, healthcare, media, automotive, financial services and property
industries. UBM offers services in trade shows, news distribution and publishing
to customers across the globe. Its brands include CMP, the business-to-
business media and exhibition group operating in the United States, Asia and
Europe; PR Newswire, the world’s leading corporate news distribution service;
and Commonwealth Business Media, the leading information provider to the
global trade and transportation markets.

MEDIA REGISTRATION: Media credentials are issued to bona fide journalists
seeking to cover the convention. Review the Seatrade Cruise Shipping
Convention media registration policy or request a complimentary media
registration at: http://www.cruiseshipping.net/pressRegistration.html or contact
Stuart Newman Associates.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Stuart Newman Associates, (305) 461-3300
Buck Banks, press@cruiseshipping.net

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