b'BUILDING VALUE THROUGH DIALOGUEB efore 1985, before the Marine Hotel Association, vendors hop-ing to supply the cruise industry had almost no way to reach purchasers. Those cruise line purchasers were stuck doing business with the same suppliers, unaware of new products, qualitative dif-ferences, or competitive pricing. Caroline Pritchard was one of those purchasers. Working for a small cruiseI know how important it line, she found herself and her counter-parts blindly going along with what hadwas for this association to always been done, suspecting more wasexist, and how things have out there but having no way to reallychanged.know.When I took over the job that I did,Dialogue Were evolv-one of the things I started doing wasIts very di erent today. There is aingastheindus-looking for other alternatives and othercommunity. Vendors feel that the indus- try evolves, she said. options because the company had dealttry is very tangible for them, she said.Today, the industry has with the same people over and again forThere was no dialogue that existed be- far more access to just about years. Theynally realized, maybe theyfore. Vendors couldnt get their foot inany option they want out there.werent getting good value, Pritchardthe door.said. Thats something I was very muchNow there are hundreds of MHADiversi cationinvolved in, thats looking for suppliers ofmemberscruise lines and vendorsinPart of that growth is an extraordinary goods and services we needed that wouldconversation about the best way to meetdiversi cation of products. In the cruise be better alternatives: better pricing, bet- the industrys needs. This includes prod- industry, one size nevert all, but thats ter options and quality. uct innovation, pricing, logistics, supplyever more true as the industry embraces It was 35 years ago that Pritchard andchains and future trends. niche products within larger lines, blur-therst MHA board launched an orga- When we put our annual gatheringring lines between expedition and luxu-nization to bridge that knowledge gaptogether, they feel perfectly comfortablery segments, and a passenger far moregetting vendors and cruise purchasersto meet and speak with the cruise lineworldly and experienced than almost any together in conversation and informationindustry people who are there. cruise connoisseur 35 years ago.sharing. Cruise lines are under a tremendousThe MHA may have helped that di-It changed everything. amount of pressure to continue to evolve,versi cation take hold. I know both sides of the coin here. Imeet customer expectation, and keep upThe current variety found in the in-know how important it was for this as- with the pace they themselves have set.dustry comes in part because of the di-sociation to exist, and how things haveOpen, streamlined communication be- versity of product it o ers, which means changed. I mean, theyve changed dra- tween purchasers and vendors is morepurchasers need to know whats out there, matically from what it was 35 years ago. vital than ever. which leads us directly to the MHA. 12 Cruise Industry News: MHA 35 thAnniversary'