Freeport businesses make impression at Florida cruise conference

Freeport businesses make impression at Florida cruise conference

FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA — The recent SeaTrade Cruise Global (STCG) conference in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, was branded as “a major success” for The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited (GBPA) and its delegation of 20 Licensees attending the event.

According to a press statement from the GBPA, The 4-day conference and expo is considered the cruise industry’s premier annual event, a global gathering and networking point for cruise line executives, travel professionals, investors, vendors, and suppliers across all facets of the cruise and maritime industry.

GBPA’s delegation of Licensees, which represented Freeport’s tourism, industry, logistics, and maritime sectors, used the event as an opportunity to highlight the benefits of investing in Freeport, during the event from March 27 – 30 at the Broward County Convention Center.

Amongst the participants traveling from Grand Bahama were executives from the Freeport Harbour and Freeport Container Port, Pirates Cove Zipline & Waterpark, Elnet Maritime Services, H. Forbes Private Charters & Tours, Bahamas Distillery Co., Ltd., Pelican Bay Hotel, and Leslie’s Trade and Logistics Services.

“We are thrilled with the success of our participation at the 2023 STCG event. It allowed us to showcase the many investment opportunities existing in Freeport and to highlight the significant progress we’ve made in recent years in terms of business expansion, infrastructure development, and our focus on creating a more sustainable tourism economy for the future,” stated GBPA Vice Chairman, Sarah St. George.

“It was great to have our Licensees with us, showcasing the potential of Freeport as a premier investment destination, and we are confident that it will lead to new partnerships and opportunities for our Licensees,” she added.

Licensees shared their positive experiences at the event, with representatives from Elnet Maritime Services noting that they had made new contacts and laid the groundwork for future business deals.

“Elnet Maritime attends Seatrade Cruise Global annually, and this year we were excited to partner with the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Invest Grand Bahama,” said Ellie Hepburn, President and CEO of Elnet Maritime.

“It was a successful event for Elnet as we signed an exclusive cruise agreement with the world’s largest cruise port agency network, Inchcape Shipping Services, and we had the opportunity to network with cruise executives through our platinum partnership with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. The Bahamas took center stage at the event, and we look forward to partnering with the GBPA again in 2024.”

Hadley Forbes Sr, President of H Forbes Private Charters & Tours, said they were impressed with the level of interest and enthusiasm expressed by attendees visiting the Invest Grand Bahama Booth.

“Our sincere thanks go out to the Grand Bahama Port Authority for inviting H. Forbes Charter Services to exhibit at SeaTrade Global. Mrs. Dames and her team did an outstanding job organizing the event, and the networking opportunities were exceptional. Thank you again for the opportunity to partner with you and for a wonderful experience.” 

Pirates Cove Zipline & Waterpark also had a successful experience at the event, with David Wallace, their President and General Manager, noting: “There was a lot of interest in our adventure tourism offerings, and we are excited about the potential for growth in this sector.”

President of GBPA, Ian Rolle remarked that the success of the event is a testament to “the potential of Freeport as a destination for investment and business growth.” 

For their part, GBPA and its Licensees stated that they’re looking forward to building on the momentum generated at the event.

Partners have already begun discussions around the 2024 event, slated for April 8 – 11, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

“For 2024, we plan to have an entire pavilion with even more Licensees participating and doing so in tandem with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism,” stated Derek Newbold, Chief Investment Officer at GBPA.

“Following a post-mortem of the event, we’ve come away with some excellent ideas to ensure an even more extraordinary showcasing of Grand Bahama for next year,” Newbold added.