Royal Caribbean Group executive Russell Benford to receive 2026 CMEx honor
The government relations leader will be recognized at a Miami-area fundraiser supporting Caribbean education, youth development and professional training.
Russell Benford, Royal Caribbean Group’s vice president of government relations for the Americas, will be honored at the 2026 Caribbean Media Exchange Leadership Awards and Fundraiser. The event will take place Dec. 6, 2026, at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel in the Miami area.
Benford oversees Royal Caribbean Group’s government relations across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Before joining the cruise company, he served as deputy mayor of Miami-Dade County and brought more than two decades of public-sector leadership experience to his current role.
Carnival Corporation is among the event’s major sponsors, alongside the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, Marketplace Excellence Corporation and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Proceeds will support educational programs, youth development initiatives and professional training intended to assist the next generation of Caribbean tourism and media leaders.
