Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Schlesinger to address Shanghai Maritime students on sales, marketing

2b08968af1263d2181e4c4b04e1ac835_XL
Mitchell Schlesinger - Chinese market primed for the creation of Chinese-operated cruise lines
Miami-based consultant Mitchell Schlesinger, who has held senior sales and marketing roles at companies including Norwegian Cruise Line, Orient Lines and Voyages to Antiquity, has been invited to conduct a lecture series on marketing and sales management as part of the Shanghai Maritime University’s Executive MBA program on the cruise industry.

Scheduled to lecture at the end of October in Shanghai, Schlesinger plans to present a three-day course that includes cruise product segmentation, ship acquisition, deployment and itineraries, marketing and branding, sales management and organization, and the implementation of strategic business and marketing and sales action plans.

The Shanghai Maritime University Executive MBA program was developed in response to the dramatic growth of China's cruise market. The program is designed to educate Chinese officials and entrepreneurs interested in participating in the creation of new cruise companies. Previous lectures have focused on financial and operations management, and cruise terminal development.

'There is a significant opportunity for the Chinese marketplace to organically develop its own cruise companies in light of the rapidly growing competition from existing brands,' Schlesinger said. He added that the sizable source market, which seeks mainly three- to five-day cruises, is primed for the creation of Chinese-operated lines.

'It is a bit reminiscent of the US cruise industry in the very early '80s, and I am looking forward to assisting the program participants learn how to build their own cruise industry,' Schlesinger said.