Meeting Planner Careers

Cruise ships are best known for their luxurious amenities and travel to exotic locations. Although sometimes criticized for their actions by the media, the cruise industry continues to help people affected by natural disasters. The Celebrity Eclipse is the latest case in point.

This solstice class cruise ship canceled at least the first part of her launch festivities in order to help travelers stranded due to the effects of recent volcano activity in Iceland. Celebrity Cruises are working with UK tour operators to arrange passage back to England for travelers who have not been able to return due to flight cancelations and airport closings. At least 2000 people, some of whom have been stranded for seven days, will sail back to England and enjoy the amenities of this ship.

Cruise ships have a history of offering aid in times of crisis. In January 2009, the Royal Caribbean delivered desperately needed food and supplies to earthquake victims in Haiti. Carnival Cruise ships rented out three of their vessels to shelter victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Ecstasy, Holiday, and Sensation provided shelter for seven thousand weary people who lost everything to the hurricane. In 2009 when Typhoon Ketsana hit Manila, Star Cruises, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises of Australia, and others committed resources and money to help victims of this natural disaster and the subsequent tsunami.

Newly launched Seasite.com provides 24/7 access to all cruise brands, and the most content-rich and searchable database for the cruise industry.

Miami, FL (Vocus/PRWEB ) January 21, 2010 — Planning a group cruise requires searching for detailed ship information and not always finding what you need – even on the cruise lines’ own web sites. Now, with Seasite.com, the first cruise portal for meetings and events, group organizers can find all the ship data they need in one place – at no cost.

I’ve bookmarked Seasite.com – it’s invaluable in selecting the right ship for a group and to verify it’s a good fit before I present it to my client. And for operational planning, it has all the info I need – which isn’t on cruise line web sites.

"I’ve bookmarked Seasite.com – it’s invaluable in selecting the right ship for a group and to verify it’s a good fit before I present it to my client,” said Millie Evans, President/CEO Alliance Incentives and Meetings. "And for operational planning, it has all the info I need – which isn’t on cruise line web sites.”

Seasite.com provides 24/7 access to all cruise brands, and the most content-rich and searchable database for the cruise industry, so that planners can:

1.   Find ship data never before offered online or in print, such as:
   - Meeting/function room capacities
   - Dining room seating, and details for private group dining
   - Outdoor group function areas
   - A/V equipment lists
   
2-   Search, compare, and save favorite cruises; then create one RFP and submit it to multiple cruise lines. (Group pricing is the same as booking direct.)

3-   See the cruise lines most committed to groups, and search their mini-sites (all laid out the same — when you’re familiar with one, you’re familiar with all!)

4-   Search by ship name for a chronological list of future Itineraries and Basic Ship Information, and find it faster than a brochure.

5-   Search for a cruise anywhere in the world by any date range (as short as several days or as long as several months). Sort your results by meetings-specific criteria.

6-   Refer to the Knowledge Center to answer all your questions, including these:

7-   Discover a list of "Cruise Gems” – those rare, hard to find, short cruises.

"Everyone who plans group travel should take a good look, and bookmark Seasite.com if they want to simplify cruise sourcing and planning” said Jo Kling, CEO Seasite.com.

For more information on Seasite.com, A Landry & Kling Company, visit www.seasite.com or call 888-713-1371.

About Seasite.com/Landry & Kling
Seasite.com is designed for meeting and event planners who want more control in the cruise sourcing and planning process. It’s the fastest and easiest way for group organizers to master the world of cruising, building on all that’s been learned by Landry & Kling, who are credited with being the first distribution channel between the cruise industry and corporate America. Now, 28 years since their startup, they have responded to changing times by creating Seasite.com, with innovative cruise sourcing tools that enable meeting planners and other travel intermediaries to be more pro-active and confident in booking cruises. Seasite group pricing is the same as booking direct, with the advantage of impartial Cruise Advisors to assist as needed.

Planning a career as an incentive travel specialist?  Take a cue from these ladies, and aspire to be the best in the industry.  Read more about the acheivements of Landry & Kling.

Incentive Travel Specialists Landry & Kling Named among Top Women-Led Businesses in Florida 2009

The Commonwealth Institute and Florida International University recently named Landry & Kling, corporate cruise specialists, among the ”Top 50 Women-Led Businesses in Florida.” The Miami-based cruise meeting experts ranked #13 in the state.

Coral Gables, FL (Vocus/PRWEB ) July 31, 2009 — The Commonwealth Institute and Florida International University recently named Landry & Kling, corporate cruise specialists, among the ”Top 50 Women-Led Businesses in Florida.” The Miami-based cruise meeting experts ranked #13 in the state.

Joyce Landry and Josephine Kling, Pioneers of the meetings-at-sea concept and founders of cruise event firm, Landry & Kling, in South Florida.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by TCI South Florida and FIU,” said Joyce Landry, CEO, Landry & Kling. “This, plus our recent induction into the CLIA Hall of Fame (Cruise Lines International Association) at the Cruise3Sixty Gala dinner, fills us with gratitude for having been able to create a business in the cruise industry, where many women have achieved top leadership roles.”

The College of Business Administration at Florida International University and The Commonwealth Institute (TCI) undertook this study to discover what distinguishes women who have made it to the top in Florida-based organizations. Nationwide, only 3% of top positions in organizations are filled by women although 50% of professional and managerial positions are held by women.

Women who are the senior executive or primary owner of companies or corporate subsidiaries with at least $1M in revenues or 25 employees were surveyed about their backgrounds, career progression, work habits, life choices, and motivation, along with their approaches to business strategy, operations, leadership, and personal development.

The study found that women-owned businesses are faring better in the down economy. One reason is that women tend to incur less debt so their businesses were less encumbered by financial obligations and stress. And, women are more optimistic about the future, which results in changing business practices to adjust with the times in order to retain good employees. They are less likely to cut staff as a first cost savings measure.

About Landry & Kling
Landry & Kling Inc. is a business-to-business resource founded in 1982 by Joyce Landry and Jo Kling to produce incentive cruises, full ship charters and all types of cruise events & meetings, team building, and business meetings at sea. In the fall 2009 they will introduce Seasite.com, the first online platform for cruise meetings and events. The company is based in Miami, the Cruise Capital of the World and is certified as a diversity supplier by WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council). Find oceans of information at www.landrykling.com and www.seasite.com

About The Commonwealth Institute
The Commonwealth Institute is a dynamic non-profit organization founded in 1997 to help women entrepreneurs, CEOs, and senior corporate executives build successful businesses. The goal of TCI is to reach women leaders during critical stages of their business and to provide them with the tools and resources needed for growth. Since its inception, The Commonwealth Institute has worked with several hundred woman-led companies in New England and Florida. www.commonwealthinstitute.org