Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32NOVEMBER 2016 • FOGHORN 5 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR John Groundwater the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA. This year, we will offer two head- quarters hotels; the Grand Hyatt Seattle and the Olive 8 (also operated by Hyatt). These hotels are both excellent properties and we have negotiated a very competitive room rate for you. As you know, Seattle is a remarkable city with a wide range of interesting attractions. Seattle marketers say, “Seattle is an exciting urban city surrounded by unmatched natural beauty. Adventure awaits you.” In addition to offering an exciting destination, the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2017 also presents a spectacular convention program aimed squarely at the passenger vessel industry. When you attend, you can count of getting a wide range of informative sessions covering sales and marketing, operations and govern- ment and business management topics of particular sig- nificance for your businesses. You will also be treated to four (4) keynote addresses from leaders in business who will give you cutting-edge man- agement insights, information and tips. NEW PVA Ticketing and Reservation Software Forum We a r e p l e a s e d t o announce the addition of a PVA Ticketing and Reservation Software Forum. This exciting new roundtable session at the Seattle conven- tion will feature leading PVA member ticketing and reserva- tion software companies who will discuss current trends, new software features and, most importantly, answer your most pressing questions about ticketing and reservation software programs. Don’t miss this informative new session. Expanded PVA Sales and Marketing Conference The PVA Sales and Marketing Conference was first launched in 2016 and was wildly successful. It was so successful in fact, that plans are underway to expand this roundtable session to include more topics and more op- portunities for in-depth discussions. The PVA Sales and Marketing Conference capitalizes on the experiences and expertise of PVA members who delve into discussion about a variety of successful marketing strategies and A Strong Season Thanks to all who attended, and made pre- sentations at, PVA’s Region Meetings this fall. Throughout the course of these meetings, we heard consistent reports of successful operating seasons nationwide. Weather coop- erated, tourism was steady, corporate event planning was sound and overall ridership was up. A surge in recent new passenger vessel construction underscores this strong industry performance. Unquestionably, this is very good news for the passenger vessel industry and it certainly bodes well for the future. If you have attended one of PVA’s fall Region Meetings, you know that these events offer great value in that they bring together PVA members in each region to examine and discuss both regional and national issues. PVA associate members who attend also have an oppor- tunity to build and renew relationships with current and potential customers. A wide range of govern- ment officials also partici- pated in each of PVA’s Region Meetings.TheCoastGuardhad a strong turnout with sector commanders and marine in- spectors making presentations and answering questions. They also fielded questions and heard concerns from the PVA members present. In addition, we were honored to have Rear Admiral Michael F. McAllister, Commander of the 17th Coast Guard District, Juneau, AK; Rear Admiral June E. Ryan, Commander of the 9th Coast Guard District, Cleveland, OH and Rear Admiral Joseph A. Servidio, Deputy Commander of the Atlantic Area, Portsmouth, VA deliver keynote speeches at the PVA Western, Great Lakes and Original Colonies/Southeast Region meetings respectively. Their participation and comments were invaluable. Please watch your email in the coming weeks for a brief questionnaire seeking your thoughts and comments about this year’s region meetings as well as any ideas for new program elements to improve your overall meeting experience. Looking Forward: PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2017 The PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2017 is scheduled to be held January 29-February 1, 2017 at LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 Special thanks to our PVA Region Chairs for all of their hard work in making these meetings successful. PVA Western Region Patrick Murphy Blue and Gold Fleet San Francisco, CA Joe Hudspeth All American Marine Bellingham, WA PVA Original Colonies Region John Lake Potomac Riverboat Company Alexandria, VA James Robinson Robinson and Son LLC Hudson Falls, NY 12839 PVA Great Lakes Region Chip Collopy Shoreline Sightseeing Chicago, IL Larry VanderBosch Shoreline Sightseeing Chicago. IL PVA Southeast Region Bob Bijur Island Queen Cruises Miami, FL PVA Rivers Region Steve Jones Gateway Clipper Fleet Pittsburgh, PA