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The Ultimate Guide to Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe

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The Ultimate Guide to Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe (CSIE) is a highly focused cruise interiors industry trade show organised by Elite Exhibitions, a Brighton-based event organiser. Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe caters exclusively to the European cruise market with a unique focus on river and expedition cruising. The event hosts the entire cruise interiors supply chain under one roof. This includes designers, architects, outfitters, and interior suppliers, attracting key representatives from Europe’s leading cruise brands, shipyards, and design studios.

Over the course of two days, visitors and exhibitors alike can take part in fantastic networking opportunities, a show floor featuring hundreds of leading suppliers, as well as an engaging conference and workshop programme. CSIE also hosts the free to attend Cruise Ship Interiors Awards, held on day two of the event.  To find out more, read our CSI Europe show information and FAQs. You can also read our blog, five ways CSI Europe and CSI Americas are different, to learn more about how these two events differ.

CSIE first launched in 2019 in Barcelona, a few months after Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas debuted in Miami. Since then, it has held successful shows in Excel London and grown to accommodate more exhibitors and visitors. This growth wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the cruise interiors industry. We are extremely fortunate to be working with the brightest minds and most established designers who make up our Advisory Board. Not only does the Advisory Board help shape the focus of the event, but they are huge advocates of CSI Europe. Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe also owes much of its success to the backing of its incredible sponsors and supporters.

an aerial shot of the happy hour drinks reception at csie
a group of people networking at csi design expo europe

Exhibiting at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe

CSI Europe hosts hundreds of exhibitors on its vibrant show floor at Excel London. This places them in front of representatives from the world’s leading design firms, cruise lines, outfitters and shipyards, who attend CSIE looking to do business with the industry’s best suppliers.

In addition to the in-person exposure to the entire Europe cruising industry, our marketing team also offers CSIE exhibitors dedicated year-round support. This includes a unique visitor registration link, pre-written social posts, and digital banners, and more. Additionally, you can become an event sponsor for increased brand exposure opportunities. For more information about exhibiting at CSIE, read our blog, 5 reasons to exhibit at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe.

a cruise ship interiors expo europe exhibitor showing their lighting to three attendees
a cruise ship interiors expo europe attendee using a vr headset on YSA Design's stand at cruise ship interiors expo europe 2019

Visiting Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe is the only cruise convention that caters exclusively to the European cruise interiors industry. As such, this cruise trade show is dedicated to uniting the entire European cruise interiors community from representatives of leading cruise lines and shipyards to innovative suppliers and cutting-edge design firms, for two days of making connections, getting inspired at leading conferences, catching insightful workshops as well as sourcing from hundreds of cruise ship suppliers all under one roof. Find out what’s on at CSI Europe here.

Industry buyers can also apply for a VIP pass to receive exclusive access to the VIP lounge, Speed Networking sessions, on-site guided tours of the cruise expo and more. Find out more about visiting as a VIP in our blog, A Day in the Life of a Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo VIP.

CSI Europe is the perfect show if you work for a media publication or outlet involved in covering the latest news and products from cruise design. Find out about our Media Passes and press opportunities here.

two attendees networking at cruise ship interiors expo 2021 during the happy hour
three attendees networking at cruise ship interiors expo europe 2021

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2024

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe will be returning to Excel London for its fifth year on 4 – 5 December 2024. Marking its biggest edition yet, CSIE will introduce many new features for both visitors and exhibitors. These include hospitality@CSI, a new zone hosting hospitality brands that provide galley products & services, bedding & linen, housekeeping products & services, cabin amenities, and more. These will both be found across CSIE’s action-packed show floor, where hundreds of the European cruise interior industry’s leading suppliers, design firms and outfitters will share their expertise. Registration opened in August 2024.

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe caters exclusively to the European river, expedition, and ocean cruise interiors industry. Each year, the CSI team carefully curates an itinerary focused on fostering connectivity within the community. From a vibrant opening party through to speed networking, happy hour drinks, and show tours, there’s something for everyone! See what will be taking place at CSI Design Expo Europe 2024 here.

Close up of three chairs next to each other
two women networking at csi
a group of people celebrating at csi awards

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe Conference and Workshop Programme 2024

The Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe Conference and Workshop Programme will be returning for its fifth year at CSIE 2024. Following the launch of Hospitality@CSI, this year’s conference program will debut a new format consisting of both an interiors track and a hospitality track of talks. Throughout the entire program, experts from across European river, ocean and expedition cruise interiors will weigh in on the biggest opportunities, challenges and trends facing the industry across two days in CPD accredited sessions. Access the full conference schedule here.

The interiors conference track will host speakers from across the entire industry including Meyer Turku, Royal Caribbean Group, JOI-Design, Mystic Cruises, Studio Dado, Makinen and more in six sessions taking place over two days. Topics discussed will include refurbishment design, sustainable ship materials (including an exclusive opportunity for suppliers to pitch their sustainable products to Meyer Turku), meet the brand with Royal Caribbean Group, an SDS working group lunch, closing with an audience with Greg Walton from Studio Dado.

The hospitality conference track will include speaker panels lined with experts from JAG Hospitality, Marella Cruises, Hurtigruten, Blooloop, SMC Design, Virgin Voyages, Luthsana Industry Solutions, and more. From designing back of house for new dining concepts to the future of technology-enabled service, all aspects of hospitality design will be discussed. Other sessions include a lunch & learn with Blooloop, theatrical lighting design, and an insight on designing optimal people flow and making the most of multi-use spaces.

a panel of speakers at csie
cruise ship interiors design expo europe 2021 attendees watching the conference

Previous shows

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2023

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe returned to Excel London on 29 – 30 November 2023. Many initiatives introduced in CSIE 2022 made a return. Among these were CSIE’s popular Speed Networking sessions, taking place throughout both days of the event. Here, suppliers were matched with key industry decision makers and buyers to make introductions and share their elevator pitch. Attendees were also able to expand their network through a series of engaging events, starting with the opening party on 28 November.

Throughout CSIE 2023, delegates had a plethora of opportunities to unwind and connect with peers at the happy hour closing day one and in the CSIE Pub across both days, where social games and classic British pints were aplenty. Also returning to the CSIE Pub for its second year running was the Pitch and Pint competition. This high energy event gave participating suppliers the chance to pitch one headline product or service to design studio and cruise line judges. The 2023 Pitch and Pint winner was Sunbury Design.

At the heart of CSIE was the dynamic show floor, where 250 of the European cruise interior industry’s leading design firms, outfitters, and suppliers shared their innovation and expertise. Here, attendees could find a display of the best in fabric and textiles, spa and wellness, lighting, and many more. Registration for CSIE 2023 opened in July.

csie exhibitor speaking with attendees at their stand showing them something on a laptop
close up of fabrics in various colours
a csie attendee looking a product while a supplier speaks to her

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe Conference and Workshop Programme 2023

The Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe conference and workshop program returned to CSIE for a fourth year. Featuring interactive sessions that were exclusively hosted at exhibitor stands across both days of CSIE, these engaging talks were CPD accredited, allowing delegates to grow their cruise design knowledge. Design experts delved into the industry’s most pressing topics and trends, ranging from project management to appealing to the next generation of cruising. These were wrapped up by an exploration into what it takes to design for immersive experiences in authentic expedition cruising.

close up of a speaker at csie conference 2023
panel of speakers at csie 2023

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2022

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe returned to Excel London on November 30 – 1 December 2022. Now in its fourth year, CSIE had evolved into Europe’s biggest interior design exhibition and conference dedicated exclusively to the cruise industry, shining a spotlight on the industry’s ever-expanding river and expedition markets. CSIE 2022 hosted hundreds of exhibitors. Among this edition’s exhibitors were attractions and entertainment innovators, fabric and textiles experts, spa and wellness suppliers and 12 forward thinking design studios! Registration for Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe opened on 14 July 2022. Read what took place at this edition of CSIE on the 2022 show itinerary. See key moments captured throughout CSI Europe in the 2022 gallery.

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo is constantly looking for more ways to reduce its impact on the environment. In 2022, ahead of its upcoming show, CSIE released its sustainability mission. This set out many of the changes Elite Exhibitions is making to its shows to reduce its carbon footprint.

For more information on what took place during the 2022 edition of CSI Europe, read these blogs:

delegates pouring bolidt liquid decking on bears
cruise conversations live conference speakers
delegates networking at csi awards 2022

CSI Conference & Workshop Programme 2022

Our accredited Conference & Workshop programme returned during Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe on November 30 – 1 December 2022 at Excel London. In September, the 2022 conference programme was announced. This included workshops, a brand new type of session debuting at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo 2022. Some of the topics being discussed at this year’s edition of CSIE included Futurist: Cruise Design in 2030, Multi-functional vs multi-useless: Designing with Purpose, and Young Designers: Designing for Gen Z and Beyond.

lone ditmer presenting a cruise conversations live workshop
delegates watching cruise conversations live 2022

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2021

The second edition of Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe took place from 1 – 2 December 2021 at Excel London. Registration for Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2021 opened on 1 July 2021. Europe’s only cruise interiors event kicked off on 30 November with a reunion party before doors opened on 1 December 2021. The day opened with a networking breakfast, with the rest of the day’s itinerary including knowledge led conference sessions, networking lunches, and plenty of chances to explore the many innovative booths. At the end of the day, visitors and exhibitors wound down with Happy Hour drinks.

During the second day of CSIE, the excitement continued. Attendees enjoyed more inspiring conference sessions, meeting with industry leading suppliers showcasing their innovative products and solutions, and taking part in networking opportunities. Finally, the show came to a close with CSI Awards 2021.

three male delegates networking at csi europe
a crowd watching a csi conference
a woman networking with two men at csi

CSI Conference & Workshop Programme 2021

The second CSI Conference Programme took place at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2021. Over the course of two days, delegates gathered to hear leading insights from 20+ speakers, including Anne Mari Gullikstad (YSA Design), Anu Shaw (Kudos Dsign), Soren Sonne (Dansk Wilton), and Fredrik Johansson (Tillberg Design of Sweden). Over the course of five stimulating panels and keynote sessions, they spoke about a variety of topics. These included Responsible Cabin Design, Interior Design on Expedition Vessels, and Creating a Cruise Experience Which is Accessible to All. CSIE later summarised the most thought provoking points in a blog post, 4 key takeaways from Cruise Conversations Live 2021.

cruise conversations live conference session
a man watching a csi conference session

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2020

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, unfortunately, Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2020 was postponed until 2021. This difficult decision was made to protect the health and safety of attendees and prevent the spread of COVID-19.  CSI confirmed the date for the next CSIE expo as 1 – 2 December 2021.

 

Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2019

Launched off the back of the successful Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas, Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe was first announced in April 2019. The two-day expo and conference was created specifically for the marine interiors industry with a focus on the river, ocean, and expedition cruise industries, as well as newbuilds and refurbishment projects. The event took place from 4 – 5 December 2019 at Fira Barcelona. When it was announced, CSIE received support from the industry’s major cruise lines, including MSC Cruises, Carnival Corporation, and Hurtigruten.

Super early bird registration for the two-day conference and expo opened on 28 May 2019. A few months later, the inaugural cruise trade show kicked off successfully with a launch party at KETTAL’s stunning showroom. The next morning, day one of CSIE began on 4 December 2019. During the cruise interiors event, attendees enjoyed conference sessions, networking opportunities, meeting with exhibitors, and unwinding at the Happy Hour. Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2019 concluded after its second day on 5 December 2019.

For more information on what took place in the 2019 edition of CSIE, take a look at these blogs:

attendees talking while drinking wine at the cruise ship interiors expo europe opening party 2019
close up of a speaker talking at cruise conversations cruise ship interiors expo europe conference 2019
attendees walking the show floor and speaking with exhibitors at cruise ship interiors expo europe 2019

CSI Design Expo Europe Conference Programme 2019

The first CSI Design Expo Europe Conference Programme took place at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2019. Over two days, 20+ speakers representing the cruise interiors supply chain weighed in on the most pressing topics, as well as opportunities and challenges faced by the cruise interiors industry in a series of panels and keynote sessions.

During the first day of the conference, industry leaders debated the pillars of design and how we can design more sustainable cruise interiors. Delegates also gathered to hear about the most innovative materials in the market. The day then finished off with a look into the future with design forecasting. The second day of the Conference Programme resumed with an exploration into specification and procurement processes. Here, speakers dipped into themes including durability and sustainability. Sessions throughout the day included ‘River Cruise Experience’, ‘Streamlining the Refit Process’, and ‘Design Imperatives for Expedition Interiors’. Finally, the programme concluded with a future outlook on global cruise design. Here, speakers explored how ships are expected to change in the future and how this will have an impact on interior design.

speakers at csi europe 2019
speakers at cruise ship interiors design expo europe conference

Cruise Ship Interiors Awards

The Cruise Ship Interiors (CSI) Awards celebrates the very best of cruise design. Held during Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe, CSI Awards welcomes members of the cruise interiors community to submit their entries for coveted awards in two key categories: Spaces and Products. Finalists are then selected by an expert judging panel representing leading cruise lines and design studios.

Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2024

The Cruise Ship Interiors Awards (CSI Awards), proudly supported by Global Headline Sponsor Kalmar Lighting, is back to honour the pinnacle of cruise design excellence. This year’s awards will be taking place at CSI Design Expo Europe on 5 December 2024.

This year’s edition of the CSI Awards will not just be celebrating the ingenuity and evolution of cruise ship interior design but will also commemorate the awards’ half-decade birthday, with new judges and exciting new categories to mark the occasion.

The new categories to the CSI Awards aim to shine a light on the amazing ways that interior design makes outstanding guest experiences a reality. Guest Experience Tech of the Year will celebrating groundbreaking technology that significantly enhances the overall guest experience. Galley Innovation of the Year will heap praise on everything from systems that transform the efficiency of the galley to products that elevate the onboard dining experience.

New award Best Refurbished Space will dive into the detail of successful vessel refurbishments. As refurbishments become more sustainable, architects and designers work near-magic to transform existing features and finishes into a space that feels new and refreshes the guest experience. Judges will be looking at improved functionality, aesthetic impact and remarkable transformations.

Find out more about what’s new for CSI Awards 2024 here.

A refreshed judging panel

For its fifth edition, the CSI Awards have made several exciting new additions to the judge’s panel. The panel now includes Jessica Payne, Windstar Cruises, who will be bringing her unique luxury yacht experience to the awards. The CSI Awards also welcomes for the first time a judge representing the customer perspective. Dave Monk, cruise writer for publications including The Daily Telegraph, and veteran of over 100 voyages across 41 river, ocean and expedition cruise lines, will be lending his expertise to the proceedings.

Other new judges include Kim Bjørge Hofslundsengen, Hurtigruten, Janice Davidson, Norwegian Cruise Line, Adrienne Chin, Carnival UK and Ben Wilson, MSC Cruises.

Entries for the CSI Awards opened on 26 July 2024. Finalists were announced and voting opened on 22 October 2024. Voting closed on 8 November 2024.

Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2023

Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2023, supported by Global Headline Sponsor Kalmar Lighting, returned for a fourth year at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2023. The awards ceremony took place on 30 November 2023, day two of this coveted event. Award nominations opened on 25th August and closed on 25th September 2023. This year there were 10 awards with 15 winners within two categories – spaces and products. The first category was dedicated to the key spaces on board that take guest experience to the next level and bring the brand to life. The second category, products, celebrated the industry’s best suppliers.

Two new awards, most sustainable interior and best crew area, were announced. This year there were two winners for multiple categories with a winner chosen for both a small and a large ship.  Nominees of these prestigious awards were judged by leading players within the cruise interiors space, as well as CSI Future Leaders. The CSI Awards 2023 finalists were announced and voting opened on 10th November 2023. Voting closed on 22nd November 2023. See the 2023 CSI Award winners here.

2023 csi award trophies lined up
csi award attendees toasting together at the ceremony
trimline speaking at csi awards ceremony 2023

Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2022

Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2022, supported by Global Headline Sponsor Kalmar Lighting, returned during day two of CSIE, on 1 December 2022. The awards covered four key categories, Spaces, Products, Projects and People. Finalists were chosen by an expert judging panel representing leading cruise lines and design studios. The winners were then voted for by the industry and will be crowned at the in-person ceremony. Entries for CSI Awards 2022 opened on 29 July and closed on 9 September. The 2022 CSI Awards finalists were announced on 28 October. Voting was open from then until 11 November. The CSI Awards trophies were designed and delivered by Volume Creative. These were awarded to the winners during the CSI Awards 2022 Ceremony, taking place on day two of CSIE on 1 December 2022. View the full list of 2022 CSI Award winners here.

toby walters presenting csi awards 2022
close up of csi awards 2022 trophies
csi award winners of the cruise line of the year award posing with their trophy

Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2021

In the run up to Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2021, CSI Awards entries and nominations opened in August 2021. A panel of esteemed judges including the likes of Dee Cooper (Virgin Voyages), George Scammell (Princess Cruises), Jon Ingleton (Cruise & Ferry), and Petu Kummala (Carnival Cruise Line) later reviewed the finalist’s submissions. A few months later, the winners were announced at the CSI Awards ceremony held on day two of CSIE 2021. Among these were Trimline, whose Trimline App won the Technology Award, Agua Fabrics, who won Supplier of the Year, and Eumar Design, winner of the Sustainability Award for its GelCeramic Lightweight® product line. CSIE exhibitor Archiglass designed the bespoke CSI Awards 2021 glass wave trophies.

toby walters presenting an award
close up of the cruise ship interiors awards trophies featuring a blue glass waves design
my nguyen speaking at csi awards 2021

Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2020

On account of Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2020 being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Cruise Ship Interiors Awards took place virtually. In June 2020, viewers tuned in to a live premiere of the ceremony where the judging panel revealed the CSI Award winners.

Sustainable Design Summit

In 2022, Elite Exhibitions launched a new event to tackle sustainability within the aviation, cruise and hotel sectors. The Sustainable Design Summit (SDS) provides the world’s only forum dedicated to making sustainable choices easier for interior designers in the cruise, hotels, and aircraft cabin sectors. SDS is the first event of its kind to unite these three sectors to discuss sustainability as it dominates conversations and market drivers.

Attendees at the summit exchanged ideas through talks and round-table discussions that encourage cross-sector insights and learning. The event also included a product showcase featuring innovative sustainable materials, textiles and other interior products that brought the ideas discussed to life.

The inaugural Sustainable Design Summit took place on 29 November 2022, at The Brewery London, the day before Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2022.

The second edition of Sustainable Design Summit took place on 28 November 2023 at a new location, Museum of London Docklands.

In March 2024, Sustainable Design Summit announced its transformation from annual summit to year-round sustainable design platform. The show’s new format has also expanded its audience to include all hospitality travel interiors including cruise, aviation, hotel and resort, rail and automotive. Regular Working Groups will take place throughout the year in addition to bi-yearly Summits. One of these in-person working groups will be taking place at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe 2024. The SDS Working Group Lunch and Product Showcase will provide decision-makers, interior designers, and sustainably-minded suppliers working within the hospitality travel interiors sectors with practical solutions and sustainability wins. It will also allow participants to discover new products and expand their library of sustainable materials.

close up of a green and grey patterned footstool from the product showcase at sustainable design summit
two female attendees at sustainable design summit networking
sustainable design summit conference session

Cruise Conversations

Cruise Conversations was a webinar series that facilitates discussions between cruise industry experts on the most pressing topics and trends facing the cruise interiors industry. There is also an in-person cruise industry conference occurring each year at Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe.

 

Cruise Conversations Webinars

In 2020, CSI launched the Cruise Conversations webinar series. This webinar series consisted of both longer, multi panel episodes, and shorter, more informal conversations (Cruiseday Tuesdays). All the Cruise Conversations webinars are available to members of CSI+, Cruise Ship Interior Design Expo’s exclusive member platform.

Cruise Conversations episodes typically featured three speakers moderated by Toby Walters, CEO, Cruise Ship Interiors. They provided an in-depth exploration into major topics. The first episode, COVID-19: Putting a Positive Spin on the Elephant in the Room, saw industry leaders discussing their top design priorities during the global pandemic. This sparked inspiration in DAUERFLORA, Pfleiderer and Fipro, who later collaborated to produce an innovative new screen design. In the second episode, Getting Specified: Top Considerations from Top Designers, cruise line representatives explored the future of cruise procurement. The discussion also gave many insights into the ways in which suppliers can get specified for cruise interiors. Speakers from the likes of MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises & Holland America Line shared their top tips.

Episode three of Cruise Conversations, Sustainability on the Seas, explored one of the industry’s most current issues. Webinar guests discussed the ways in which the pandemic has opened the door to a return to an even more sustainable cruise. The fourth episode of Cruise Conversations live was The Future of Cruise Hospitality. Here, leading voices in the cruise hospitality community explored how hotel operations, dining, and housekeeping must change to survive COVID-19.

 

Cruiseday Tuesdays

Cruiseday Tuesdays, another series hosted by Cruise Conversations, consisted of shorter episodes that ran between the Cruise Conversations webinars. These were informal discussions with one leading voice in the cruise interiors community. Speakers included Petra Ryberg (P&O Australia), Derek Barkas (YSA Design), and Callie Tedder-Hares (Volume Creative).