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.jpg) Miami, FL May 10, 2007 - Diversity Business.com, the nation's leading multicultural internet site, recently named Landry & Kling Cruise Event Services among the "Top 500 Diversity Owned businesses in the United States (Div500)".
The Div500 is the 7th annual listing of the Nation’s Top 500 Diversity Owned businesses. Ranging in revenue size from $11.8 million to over $2.6 billion, the companies represent all business sectors including technology, manufacturing, and professional services such as corporate event planning. See a complete list of winning companies at diversitybusiness.com.
Large organizational buyers throughout the country who want to increase their spending with diversity owned companies use the Div500 list. They recognize buying products and services from diversity owned companies positively impacts business. Small and Diversity-owned businesses contribute over $1.4 trillion in sales to the U.S. economy.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by DiversityBusiness.com”, said Jo Kling, President, who accepted the award on behalf of her company at the publication’s recent annual meeting in Las Vegas. “Incentive travel programs represent a significant line-item in the corporate budget, so meeting management people are happy to discover they can procure a cruise ship charter or business cruise through us.”
About Landry & Kling
Landry & Kling Cruise Event Services is the business-to-business resource for incentive crusies and all types of cruise meetings and team building, ship charters and meetings at sea. The company is also certified as a diversity supplier by WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) is based in Miami, the Cruise Capital of the World, and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Find oceans of information at www.landrykling.com
Launched in 1999, with over 32,000 members, DiversityBusiness.com is the largest organization of diversity-owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies. Its research appears in Fortune, Forbes, Business Week and numerous other publications. The site has won national recognition and numerous awards for its content and design. DiversityBusiness.com is produced by Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAii.com) of Southport, CT. CCA was founded in 1980 by CEO Kenton Clarke.
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.jpg) Miami FL, April 26, 2007- Landry & Kling Cruise Event Services celebrates their 25th anniversary this year thanks to the trust of their meeting-planner clients, and the cooperation of cruise line partners and suppliers who made their track record of innovative cruise events possible.
“At first, meeting planners doubt their programs can be adapted to the cruise environment” said Joyce Landry, CEO, “but the way the cruise lines accommodate our unusual requests, and trust us to try things never done before impresses our corporate clients. It opens their eyes to a new world—and that brings the industry more future business.”
Early mentors told Landry & Kling there wasn’t enough cruise business to warrant specialization but now, 25 years later, there’s quite a bit of evidence to the contrary. Research by CLIA, (Cruise Lines International Association, www.cruising.org shows the cruise industry is the most exciting growth category in the entire leisure market. Since 1980, the industry has averaged an annual passenger increase of 8.1% per year. The awakening of the corporate and incentive cruise sector is one of several factors contributing to that growth.
Company founders Joyce Landry & Josephine Kling ignited the corporate cruise market beginning in 1982 and have consistently been the most visible industry spokesmen for cruise meetings ever since.
“I recall they created quite a buzz speaking at the Seatrade Conference in 1986”, said Chris Hayman, Managing Director—Seatrade. “They dangled a bunch of carrots from the podium, challenging cruise lines to match hotels in rolling out the red carpet for corporate groups”. www.seatrade-global.com
Over the years Landry & Kling established a reputation for innovation based on many firsts:
- Introduced many Fortune 500 companies to cruising for the first time.
- Planned the first dockside ship charters used as "floating hotels" for global events in cities with insufficient hotel rooms in: Jacksonville for Super Bowl, Boston for DecWorld, New Orleans during the American Heart Association's annual meeting and the Caribbean for Cricket World Cup.
- Negotiated many first-time cruise solutions for corporate groups such as side-by-side ship charters, half-ship charters, and sit-down dinners on deck for over 1800 guests – none of which had been executed before by the cruise lines involved.
- First to establish a strategic cruise alliance with a meetings industry giant, Experient (formerly Conferon Global Services) who chose to partner with Landry & Kling as the most cost- efficient way to ensure successful cruises for their clients. "Teaming up with industry leaders known for quality, professionalism and innovation such as Landry & Kling is simply good business" said Rick Binford, CMP, Senior VP, Chief Marketing Officer, Experient. www.experient-inc.com
Partners Landry & Kling met while working at Holland America Line. Later they formed their business to serve as the first distribution channel between cruise lines and corporate America. “Cruise lines didn’t have corporate & incentive departments then”, said Jo Kling, President; “so we decided to get out there to educate everybody – we pitched stories to the media, spoke to the meetings industry, appeared on TV, wrote magazine columns, a newsletter, anything to get the word out to event planners that using a cruise venue instead of a hotel enables them to do more -- with less stress and lower budgets.”
Cruise lines and competitors have come and gone during the past 25 years, but Landry & Kling has survived by adapting to market changes prompted by technology, terrorism, and economic downturns. Their vision of growing the business by selling to a public entity, and the opportunity 7 years later to buy it back now gives them the best practices of both large and small companies. Through it all, Landry & Kling has maintained consistently high standards of service because of their long-time professional staff.
“They study ships, they know the senior players in the cruise industry and they’re able to get access, quite frankly, better than anyone I’ve ever known in the industry” said David Morris, Executive Vice President, Silversea Cruises; “this is an industry that requires energy and passion and they’ve got both.”
For more about cruise meetings and charters, ship procurement and other cruise event services, there is an ocean of information online at www.landrykling.com or by phone at 800-448-9002.
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MIAMI, FL-- September 19, 2006 -- Landry & Kling Meetings At Sea, specialists in ship selection & cruise event management , proudly announces three staff members have just officially achieved the Certified Meeting Professional designation (CMP) by the Convention Industry Council. This is the meetings industry’s highest standard of professionalism.
“These employees met the professional experience requirements, and undertook the challenging CMP examination to enhance their credentials, further clarifying what sets us apart” said Cyndi Murphy, Landry & Kling’s VP Finance & Operations. “There are so many people offering cruise-meetings on the internet, event planners would be wise to compare credentials and experience of travel suppliers’ ownership and staff before choosing a company to work with…”
Landry & Kling’s three new CMPs are Marisol Rangel, Johana Mejia, and Darrell Drason – all cruise industry veterans who can now add “CMP” after their names, as many of their clients do.
Marisol Rangel was one of Royal Caribbean’s earliest incentive specialists for 5 years before joining Landry & Kling in 1996. Her exclusive focus for the past 10 years as Senior Program Manager has been to anticipate the needs of busy meeting and incentive planners who have to provide an exceptional cruise experience their group participants couldn’t duplicate on their own.
Johana Mejia worked for 4 years in port operations, first for Premier Cruise Line and later for Cunard/Seabourn where she created specialty tours and programs for ship charter clients and incentive groups. She joined Landry & Kling in 2001 as a Program Manager, customizing plans for incentive groups and full ship charters in cruise destinations all over the world.
Darrell Drason went to sea during summers in college as a youth counselor then sports director for Celebrity Cruises, and later worked shore-side coordinating their ship charter programs. After 5 years he joined Landry & Kling as a Program Manager in 2001 and has recently moved into an Account Executive role where he brings a wealth of cruise event experience to his clients.
About the CMP Program: Regarded as the premier certification program in the meetings industry, the CMP designation recognizes those who have achieved the industry’s highest standards of professionalism. The examination tests the candidates’ knowledge and proficiency in meeting management. In addition to passing this rigorous examination, candidates must also demonstrate employment in the field as well as responsibility and accountability for successful meetings. Established in 1985, the CMP Program is designed to increase the professionalism of meeting managers in any component or sector of the industry, recognize and raise industry standards, and increase the value of these practitioners to their employers and individuals to whom their services are provided. A Certification Board designated by the Convention Industry Council governs the program and serves as a voice for stakeholders who have an interest in maintaining a high meeting industry standard.
Those who want to know more about site selection for ships and cruise event management can find oceans of information at www.landrykling.com or toll free by phone at 800-448-9002. Landry & Kling Meetings At Sea is a women-owned business founded in 1982, and based in Miami, FL -- the cruise capital of the world. The company was recently certified as a diversity supplier by WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council).
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Miami, FL Dec 21, 2006 -- Landry & Kling Meetings At Sea, recognized specialists in cruise meeting services, recently launched a new website developed just for event planners and incentive travel buyers. The content of this website is 100% focused on ship selection, planning and delivery of specialized cruise events and ship charters -- Landry & Kling’s exclusive focus for 25 years.
Thousands of travel suppliers compete online for the attention of meeting planners. Fortunately, the internet makes it easy for planners to compare suppliers, and Landry & Kling’s website clearly separates them from the pack.
On this website, www.landrykling.com real planners speak in flash video clips about their experiences with corporate/ incentive cruises. Users can pick up tips and insights from the clips, and from the site’s “Success Stories” about high-profile events using ship charters. The site will expand users’ cruise industry knowledge via news, planning tools, and ideas drawn from Landry & Kling’s insider perspective.
The site also offers the most recent information on tax deductibility for cruises, and shows destinations available by season; plus photos of many different types of function rooms, and video footage (not available elsewhere) of real incentive winners at awards presentations onboard. Planners can also hear their peers describing initial concerns about cruising vs. their actual experiences.
Busy planners looking for a “one-stop” source for cruises can compare Landry & Kling’s track record, and depth of experience saving clients’ time and money for all kinds of events at sea including incentive cruises, conventions with kids, corporate meetings, continuing education, customer recognition and special dockside “floating hotel” programs such as Jacksonville’s 5 ship charters for Super Bowl 2005.
In today’s highly competitive world, what differentiates a cruise provider is the ability to do more with less, on a consistent basis. This new website will reassure any planner who’s wrestling with cruise-feasibility issues or complex requirements that Landry & Kling’s service can help them find the right cruise solution for every situation.
“When it comes to cruise procurement”, said Jo Kling, President of Landry & Kling“, savvy buyers know that working with us is like cloning themselves, and adding a dollop of cruise clout. After all, if you want your guests to have a unique memory-maker experience, you have to turn a plain vanilla cruise into a hot fudge sundae – and that’s been our claim to fame for 25 years.”
Landry & Kling is a business-to-business cruise resource for meeting and event planners worldwide. Services include ship selection & contract negotiation, cruise planning and on-site management. The company was recently certified as a diversity supplier by WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) and has been named one of the “Top Small Businesses in the United States for 2006 by DiversityBusiness.com”. Landry & Kling Meetings At Sea is based in Miami, Florida, the Cruise Capital of the World.
For more about site selection for ships and cruise event services, planners can find oceans of information online at www.landrykling.com or by phone at 800-448-9002.
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Landry & Kling Meetings At Sea now Certified as a "Women Owned" Supplier -
A Valuable Distinction for Organizations that Track Spending with
Diversity Suppliers of Meetings and Incentive Travel Programs
Miami, FL - June 14, 2006 - Landry & Kling Meetings At Sea, a business-to-business resource
specializing in ship selection, ship charters, and cruise event management recently completed their
national certification as a Women's Business Enterprise by the Women's Business Development
Center - Florida, a regional partner of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council
(WBENC).
Many corporations and government agencies track their spending with women-owned businesses
and
other "diversity" suppliers to demonstrate a commitment to fostering diversity. And, because
travel for meetings and incentive programs usually involves sizeable budgets, it's an added benefit to
choose
WBENC certified suppliers such as Landry & Kling - leaders in their field for 25 years.
Founders Joyce Landry and Jo Kling were recently named as two of the ten top women making a
difference in the incentive industry today by Incentive magazine's May 2006 cover story. To learn
more about Landry & Kling's leadership role in the meetings/incentive cruise industry and to
sample some of their company's success stories, please visit www.landrykling.com
About WBENC
The Women's Business Enterprise National Council is the nation's largest third-party-certifier of
businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC is a resource for the more
than 700 US companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC's certification as an
integral part of their supplier diversity programs.
WBENC's national standard of certification is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of
the business, its records and an office inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm
the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. In this case,
Joyce Landry and Josephine together own, operate and control the business 100%.
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Miami, FL May 17, 2006 - Landry & Kling Inc., specialists in meetings at
sea and cruise event management since 1982; today announced that Steve
Milo has been named Director of Sales.
Milo will oversee the Landry & Kling sales department, developing cruise
incentives and meetings with many of the worldÕs largest corporations.
Milo has 18 years of sales experience in the meetings industry. Most
recently, he spent eight years with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as Senior Sales Manager,
representing both Disney Cruise Line and DisneyÕs convention resorts to the corporate and incentive
market.
Prior to his tenure with Disney, Milo spent three years at Landry & Kling as Account Executive for
the northeast US region. MiloÕs previous experience includes sales positions with Royal Caribbean
and Marriott Hotels.
ÒWe are pleased to welcome Steve back to Landry & Kling as our new Director of Sales. His
combined cruise and hotel experience and strong Disney management training will be a tremendous
asset for the future growth of our company,Ó commented Josephine Kling, President.
Miami-based Landry & Kling, Meetings At Sea is a business-to-business resource offering ship
selection and cruise program management services for Fortune 1000 companies and independent
meeting planners worldwide. Services include incentive cruise management, meetings and special
events at sea.
Joyce Landry, CEO & Josephine Kling, President, were recently honored by Incentive Magazine who
named them two of the top ten Òbrightest women in the industryÓ in the May 2006 issue.
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Landry & Kling Made the Vision of "Super Bowl on the River" a Reality
MIAMI, FL. - Landry & Kling, known for planning corporate events at sea, helped set
an historic precedent in Jacksonville Florida when they took on the challenge of chartering
a fleet of ships for four days dockside at Super Bowl XXXIX last month.
ÒWe may be the smallest market ever to host a Super Bowl, but we think bigÓ, said
Michael Kelly, President & COO of the Super Bowl Host Committee. ÒOur biggest
challenge - a shortage of quality hotel rooms - sparked the creative idea of using cruise
ships as floating hotels along the St. Johns River. The ships not only brought extra
housing, but extra pizzazz to the annual event. That was the key to winning the NFLÕs
attention for Super Bowl XXXIX.Ó
Overnight, five exciting resorts floated into downtown Jacksonville, adding a total of
3,617 deluxe sleeping rooms, 35 bars, 25 entertainment venues, 15 restaurants, 15
nightclubs, and five health clubs and spas to the cityÕs infrastructure to help meet the
NFLÕs bid requirements during Super Bowl week.
ÒTo pull off a successful Super Bowl takes teamwork on and off the fieldÓ, said Joyce
Landry, President & CEO of Landry & Kling, Meetings At Sea. ÒWe helped turn
JacksonvilleÕs vision into reality by coordinating with over 20 different organizations
including federal, city, county and state agencies; transportation companies; the
Jacksonville SheriffÕs Office; security companies; the Coast Guard; Jacksonville Port
Authority, utility & waste management companies; and three separate cruise lines.Ó
Landry adds, ÒAny corporation who thinks their meeting requirements are too complex to
use a cruise ship should come talk with us. We made the ships work for Super Bowl, so
we can tackle anything now.Ó
As the exclusive management company for the ship charter project, Landry & Kling
successfully navigated numerous complex details to bring the five ships to Jacksonville.
Not only did the ships need to have top quality rooms and service, but they also had to
fit under JacksonvilleÕs scenic bridges. Other considerations included depth and length of
the vessels, as well as the cruise linesÕ flexibility to reposition vessels from their normal
routes and customize their 2005 schedules to call in Jacksonville.
ÒLandry & Kling was instrumental in helping us narrow down the options and choose
ships that would meet all of our requirements for this monumental event,Ó said Pat
Duncan, Director of Lodging & Accommodations for the Jacksonville Super Bowl Host
Committee. ÒThe job was enormous. It took a full year to identify, select and commit the
five ships, and almost four years from start to finish on Super Bowl Sunday.Ó
The five ships chosen - Holland AmericaÕs Volendam, Zuiderdam and Zaandam, the
Carnival Miracle, and the Radisson Seven Seas Navigator Ð provided an outstanding
variety of accommodations, dining and entertainment options for the NFLÕs corporate
sponsor groups housed aboard. And, to help the Host Committee offset their charter
investment, Landry & Kling negotiated with the cruise lines to offer dining and
entertainment packages for sale to the general public (through the internet and on-site
kiosks) so that Jacksonville residents and visitors could experience shipboard life
firsthand during this unprecedented ÒSuper Bowl on the RiverÓ.
One of Landry & KlingÕs most difficult challenges was to help transform the active
working cargo port at JAXPORTÕS Talleyrand Marine Terminal into a temporary
docking facility for three of the cruise ships, complete with a 32,000 square foot fabric
building for passenger check-in and baggage handling.
ÒLance Wieland, Landry & KlingÕs on-site Logistics Manager, had a privotal role in the
concept, design and construction of this terminal and the shuttle system required to
transport guests from the terminal through the cargo areas out to the three ships docked at
Talleyrand,Ó said Rick Ferrin, executive director of JAXPORT.
During Super Bowl week, Landry & Kling managed a professional staff of 40 and
coordinated over 1,000 volunteers on rotating assignments at three separate terminals and
on board the five ships. The company also served as the cruise linesÕ liaison with all of
the NFLÕs corporate sponsor groups housed aboard ship and coordinated over 60
shipboard events with their meeting planners.
About Landry & Kling Inc. -- Landry & Kling was founded in 1982 as the first
business-to-business resource for cruises. The Miami-based company offers a shipbroker
service as well as full program management for incentive cruise programs & meetings at
sea for groups ranging in size from 50 to 15,000 people. In addition to the Jacksonville
Super Bowl, Landry & Kling has organized other dockside charter programs in Boston,
New Orleans and Barcelona.
For more information on Landry & Kling, the most experienced cruise resource
for business events at sea, visit www.landrykling.com.
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Miami, FL April 12, 2006 Ð Landry & Kling Inc., specialists in meetings at sea and cruise event
management since 1982, today announced that Program Manager Darrell Drason been promoted to
Account Executive for the western region of the United States and Canada.
Drason has worked for Landry & Kling since 2001. During his tenure as Program Manager he was
responsible for overseeing all operational aspects of cruise programs from the initial planning stages
to onboard implementation. In his new role as Account Executive, Drason will be responsible for the
development of cruise incentives and pure meetings for corporate meeting planners and other special
event companies.
ÒThe promotion of Darrell into a sales role was an obvious transition for one of our most
accomplished Program Managers. We are confident that his worldwide planning expertise will
greatly benefit our clients,Ó commented Jo Kling, President.
Prior to joining Landry & Kling, Drason worked for Celebrity Cruises, both shipboard and shore side.
He is a graduate of Muhlenberg College where he earned a double degree in Business Administration
and Communication.
Miami-based Landry & Kling, Meetings At Sea is a business-to-business resource offering ship
selection and cruise program management services for Fortune 1000 companies and independent
meeting planners worldwide. Services include incentive cruise management, meetings and special
events at sea.
Landry & Kling is the only ship charter specialist recommended by Douglas Ward, author of the
prestigious Berlitz Ocean Cruising and Cruise Ships, the industryÕs definitive guide, now in its 20th
year.
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Landry will serve as CEO, and Kling, who recently rejoined the company to partner with Landry in the buy-back, will serve as President. The two partners purchased 100% of the stock in Landry & Kling, Inc. and all of its assets from NLG.
“We’re extremely positive about the ever-expanding opportunities that are available in the cruise industry for corporate meetings and incentives,” Landry said, “and the timing is right for cruises to capture a larger share of that market.”
“Strategic partnerships are a key part of our plan going forward”, added Kling, “however, the company’s biggest asset is our own staff, many of whom remember when we were privately owned. By taking control of our own destiny and budget, the whole office has been re-energized.”
Landry & Kling was the first true cruise-specialist agency when it opened on New York’s Madison Avenue in 1982. “Industry executives told us there wasn’t enough volume to support specialization, but our business plan targeted corporations from the start”, Landry recalled. Landry & Kling were promoting corporate cruises even before cruise lines established their own corporate and incentive departments.
The company relocated to Miami in 1988. It was acquired seven years ago by publicly held Travel Services International (later re-branded as My Travel), which was sold to Airtours, a U.K. public company. Airtours sold its cruise divisions to NLG, the Boston-based giant, in 2003.
Miami-based Landry & Kling Meetings At Sea is a business-to-business resource offering ship selection and cruise program management services for Fortune 1000 companies and independent meeting planners worldwide. Services include incentive cruise travel, meetings and special events at sea. In February 2005 the firm managed the largest single-client charter event in history: five vessels chartered to the Host Committee in Jacksonville to serve as floating hotels and entertainment venues for Super Bowl XXXIX.
Landry & Kling is the only ship charter specialist recommended by Douglas Ward, author of the prestigious Berlitz Ocean Cruising and Cruise Ships, the industry’s definitive guide, now in it’s 20th year.
For more information on a corporate incentive cruise or meeting, call us at 800 448 9002 /
305 661 1880 or e-mail inquiry@landrykling.com.
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