Industry veteran Jim Smith has been named director of marketing for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Smith brings extensive experience in sales, marketing, branding, event planning and public relations to the assignment.
Smith’s responsibilities will include managing the association’s consumer and trade marketing efforts, including agency membership and training, collateral production and development, e-marketing and Web content and trade advertising.
He will also take charge of CLIA’s annual National Cruise Vacation Month and World’s Largest Cruise Night and other CLIA promotional initiatives and programs.
As principal of Market Share, Inc. in Boca Raton, FL, Smith was retained by leading travel companies as a consultant, motivational speaker and lecturer for more than 20 years. He has also held numerous executive positions in the industry.
Smith served as senior vice president of industry relations for Auto Europe and vice president, sales and marketing for Delta Vacations/Certified Vacations Group and was president of GEM, the travel consortium based in Islip, NY. He also was regional director of sales for National Car Rental in New York. Smith began his career as a retail travel agent and teenage ski tour promoter.
CLIA represents the interests of 24 member lines and counts 16,000 agents as members.
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