Benchmark your organisation’s innovation levels against the industry’s best.
FTE conferences deliver a memorable learning experience by providing progressive insights from industry leaders, technology giants, disruptors, parallel industries, academia and startups. We run plenary sessions to provide outside-the-box thinking and inspiration on the future, and also hone in on the most pertinent topics and areas of interest. Our sessions utilise diverse formats ranging from case studies and panel sessions to co-creation roundtables and elevator pitches.
You can expect the conferences to cover innovation efforts around digital transformation, customer experience, commercial revenues, inflight innovation, operational efficiency, future airports and sustainability.
APEX FTE EMEA Conference Agenda 2025
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Tuesday 10th June 2025
FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group meeting (members only)

The FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group (BIWG) brings together the most innovative and progressive baggage supply chain companies, airlines, and airports from across the industry to provide a unique platform for cooperation and industry advancement. It is the platform for developing new techniques, technologies, and business models to deliver tangible change in the baggage sector. There are over 130 BIWG members, all playing an active role in the industry’s leading learning and networking platform for those serious about baggage transformation. Topics to be covered in this meeting include AI and GenerativeAI, plus an exclusive update on the BOOST programme.
This meeting is open exclusively to members of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group.
Hosted by:
FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub meeting (Corporate Partners only)

In this members-only FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub meeting, our Corporate Partners can expect keynotes, interactive discussions, and quick-fire pitches from a selection of pioneering startups, plus plenty of opportunities to network with fellow innovators. The FTE Hub is a truly unique community, designed specifically for the individuals and organisations who are at the forefront of digital transformation and innovation in the aviation industry. Members openly share expertise, experiences and inspiration year-round through curated virtual and in-person meet-ups.
This meeting is open exclusively to Corporate Partners of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub.
City of Dublin Walking Tour

Brought to you by passenger disruption experts:
At FTE we pride ourselves on providing the very best in networking events; enabling our guests to unwind and connect with like-minded industry peers in a relaxed environment. To support this ambition, we have teamed up with passenger disruption experts Plan3, to invite attendees to join them on Tuesday 10 June for a City of Dublin walking tour.
Enjoy a local taste of Dublin in this two-hour guided tour of the historical and cultural sights of this beautiful city, before joining your fellow FTE Dublin attendees at the FTE Dublin Ice Breaker at Brewdog, Dublin Outpost.
The FTE Dublin Ice Breaker at BrewDog, Dublin Outpost

To kick off the show we invite delegates to join us at BrewDog, Dublin Outpost! A first opportunity to meet with your fellow FTE attendees and connect with industry colleagues both new and established. Featuring delicious brews from BrewDog, a mouth-watering menu and live music from local talents; whether you’re a craft beer enthusiast, a music lover, or just looking to recharge after a long flight, we invite you to grab a cold drink, play some bar games, and enjoy the fantastic views of the River Liffey. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and start the conference on a high note!
Wednesday 11th June 2025
FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group members’ networking breakfast (members only)

This members-only breakfast session, taking place at the RDS, is open exclusively to members of the FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group.
Show opening and VIP tour of exclusive unveilings on the exhibition floor, plus networking & coffee
Opening Keynote Session (joint session for all attendees)


Daniel Coleman
CEO & Founder
Future Travel Experience


Dr. Joe Leader
CEO
APEX/IFSA
Exciting keynote speaker to be announced soon!
AI, Innovation & Digital Transformation Excellence
Each speaker will deliver a 15-minute presentation before the session moves into an interactive panel discussion where all participants will share their views on how industry stakeholders should navigate the tech landscape.


Andrew Price
Aviation Consultant
Opermium
How daa Labs is embracing innovation to enhance CX and operations


Ruairí Kell
Head of Innovation
daa Labs
Turkish Airlines’ ambition is to rank among the top three global airlines for digital passenger experience. What are the key elements of the airline’s strategy for achieving this objective – from AI, biometrics and connectivity to an all-encompassing mobile-first experience?


Hakan Sögüt
SVP Customer Solutions
Turkish Airlines Technology
Driving innovation via Agentic AI technologies, strategies, policies and implementation


Dr Martin Crilly
Chief Architect - dnata
Emirates
( speaker Invited)Refreshment break in the exhibition hall
Special Keynote (joint session for all attendees)
How is Booking.com tapping into the power of AI and what can airlines, airports and their partners learn from this approach?


Austin Sheppard
VP Engineering for Trips
Booking.com
FTE EMEA Innovate Awards Pitch Session: Best New CX Concept
Option 1

At the epicentre of this show is the region’s largest and most respected innovation competition. Industry stakeholders will pitch on-stage in an effort to impress our judges and audience, whose all-important votes will dictate who wins.
Each finalist will deliver a five-minute pitch, followed by quick–fire questions and comments from the judges.
The finalists will be revealed in the coming days.
Five-minute pitch from each finalist, followed by quick-fire questions and comments from the judges.


Kevin Kleist
Head of Emerging Trends
Southwest Airlines


Rahel de Vriend
Head of Innovation Research & Scouting
TNW Programs


Javed Malik
Former COO, AirAsia Group; former COO, BLR Airport; and Founder
Bytes not Bricks
The FTE EMEA Baggage Innovation Summit: How can we collaboratively bring new innovations to life to enhance baggage delivery in the very near future?
Option 2
Following a scene-setting introduction by the moderator, the panellists will participate in a fast-paced and interactive discussion.


Darin Juby
Head of Transformation
Future Travel Experience


Yorick Buys
Head of Baggage
Brussels Airport


Bjørn Hjelle
Chief Technology Officer
BagID


Pablo Lopez Loeches
Head of Ideation & Entrepreneurship
Aena
More speakers to be announced soon.
- Engaging with startups, POCs and scaling
- What are the biggest barriers to entry and how can we, as an industry, overcome them?
- Funding (CAPEX/OPEX) – should the costs be shared between airports and airlines?
- What are the main safety and regulatory considerations here, and how should we address these?
Special presentation
Option 1
The ‘Airports for Innovation’ network launched by Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) now includes 10 leading airports worldwide, who test and implement a variety of cutting-edge solutions simultaneously. What are the key results to date, and what are the main takeaways from the first joint ‘Call for Startups’?


Giovanni Gennaro
Head of Open Innovation
Aeroporti di Roma
Lunch break in the exhibition hall
Startup Pitch Session

The APEX FTE EMEA, Ancillary & Retailing Startup Pitch Session will provide a platform for high-potential startups to showcase their products and services that have been developed to enhance the customer experience, operational efficiency and commercial performance.
Laying the foundations for an automated future – insights from industry pioneers
Each speaker will deliver a 15-minute presentation, before the moderator leads an interactive panel discussion.


Ryan Ghee
Chief Operating Officer
Future Travel Experience
How is Royal Schiphol Group progressing with its ambitious plans to make AMS an autonomous airport by 2050, and what has it achieved already?


Silvia Rey Abeijón
Innovator, Innovation Hub
Royal Schiphol Group
What does IAG’s journey to autonomous operations look like, what lessons have been learned so far, and what are the biggest challenges that must be overcome to make this a reality?


Harvey Tate
Senior Manager Airport Automation
International Airlines Group (IAG)
( speaker Invited)The journey to autonomous operations: building the right foundations


Asteris Apostolidis
Senior Lead, Technical Innovation & Emerging Technologies
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Refreshment break in the exhibition hall
EXCLUSIVE DEEP DIVE: Day 1 Closing Keynote Session (joint session for all attendees)
Networking Reception & FTE and APEX Awards Ceremony

Make the most of the vital networking opportunities provided at the FTE Dublin Networking Reception, where delegates can enjoy demonstrations in the exhibition and network with their peers over drinks before our Awards ceremony.
It has been a time of real transformation across the industry, and we will honour and recognise those efforts in Dublin. 15 airlines and 15 airports will be shortlisted for the FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Awards 2025, with three in each category being honoured for outstanding achievement during the ceremony. We will also celebrate the members of the 2025 FTE EMEA Airline and Airport Power Lists.
Following this, the APEX Best in Airline Awards ceremony will take place, recognising airlines for their outstanding CX efforts.
Summer in Dublin Travel Massive Meet Up

The Travel Massive Dublin Chapter invites FTE delegates to attend a meet-up in the iconic watering hole, Café En Seine. The “Summer in Dublin” informal social event is the perfect opportunity to continue your conference networking and connect with the local travel community. The not-for-profit Travel Massive Dublin has been hosting free-to-attend social events, insightful interviews, educational panels, and generally supporting the travel industry in Ireland since October 2013.
Co-hosted by:
Thursday 12th June 2025
Registration & Exhibition Opens
Day 2 Opening Keynote (joint session for all attendees)
FTE EMEA Innovate Awards Pitch Session: Most Innovative Airline Initiative

At the epicentre of this show is the region’s largest and most respected innovation competition. Industry stakeholders will pitch on-stage in an effort to impress our judges and audience, whose all-important votes will dictate who wins.
Each finalist will deliver a five-minute pitch, followed by quick–fire questions and comments from the judges.
The finalists will be revealed in the coming days.
Five-minute pitch from each finalist, followed by quick-fire questions and comments from the judges.


Kevin Kleist
Head of Emerging Trends
Southwest Airlines


Rahel de Vriend
Head of Innovation Research & Scouting
TNW Programs


Javed Malik
Former COO, AirAsia Group; former COO, BLR Airport; and Founder
Bytes not Bricks
Refreshment break in the exhibition hall
Creating truly unique and memorable customer experiences – inspiration from across the globe
Option 1
Following a scene-setting presentation, the moderator will lead an interactive panel discussion.


Ross Falconer
Head of Content
Future Travel Experience
688 projects in three years: How Riyadh Airports Company’s innovative ‘BRIDGE’ programme is redefining the customer experience at King Khalid International Airport


Nawaf A. Alzadjali
Senior Director – Customer Experience
Riyadh Airports Company


Eric Pateman
Vice President, Passenger Experience and Chief Experience Officer
Vancouver Airport Authority


Enda Kavanagh
Product Manager (Inflight Customer Experience)
Aer Lingus


Victoria Schuster
Vice President Customer Experience Program
Lufthansa
( speaker Invited)

Emanuele Calà
Vice President Innovation & Quality
Aeroporti di Roma
( speaker Invited)- How can you find the right balance between technology and the human touch?
- How can you ensure that all departments and employees buy into your CX vision and successfully support your CX goals?
- How can the industry make better use of data to enhance the end-to-end customer experience?
- How can all stakeholders work together more effectively to support the shared ambition of creating a smooth and memorable travel experience?
- What can the aviation industry learn from other industries with regards to CX?
Innovative approaches to minimising the impact of disruption
Option 2


Dr. Joe Leader
CEO
APEX/IFSA
The full speaker line-up for this session will be revealed soon!
- How can we all make better use of technology to support customers when they experience disruption?
- How can we better empower customers during disruption events?
- How can stakeholders work together more effectively to help minimise the impact and knock-on effects of disruption?
- Can the industry be more pro-active in identifying and preventing some disruption events before they occur? If so, how?
- How can you find the right balance between technology and the human touch when dealing with disruption events?
Lunch break in the exhibition hall
FTE Communities Captains Briefing
Hear about the latest developments from across the FTE Communities – FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub, FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group, and FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group.


Darin Juby
Head of Transformation
Future Travel Experience


Kevin Kleist
Head of Emerging Trends
Southwest Airlines


Albert Jan Prevoo
Director Innovation (Travel Retail)
nlmtd
FTE EMEA Innovate Awards Pitch Session: Most Innovative Airport Initiative

At the epicentre of this show is the region’s largest and most respected innovation competition. Industry stakeholders will pitch on-stage in an effort to impress our judges and audience, whose all-important votes will dictate who wins.
Each finalist will deliver a five-minute pitch, followed by quick–fire questions and comments from the judges.
The finalists will be revealed in the coming days.
Five-minute pitch from each finalist, followed by quick-fire questions and comments from the judges.


Kevin Kleist
Head of Emerging Trends
Southwest Airlines


Rahel de Vriend
Head of Innovation Research & Scouting
TNW Programs


Javed Malik
Former COO, AirAsia Group; former COO, BLR Airport; and Founder
Bytes not Bricks
Refreshment break in the exhibition hall
Closing Keynote, FTE EMEA Innovate Awards Ceremony & Farewell Drink

All attendees will come together one final time for the closing keynote session, featuring an inspirational panel of industry leaders who will share their expert insights on CX, innovation, digital transformation, and future opportunities and challenges for the industry.
We will then wrap up three days of learning, networking and inspiration by inviting all attendees to relax and enjoy a farewell drink and see who comes out top in the FTE EMEA Innovate Awards 2025.
During the past two days, attendees will have heard from a variety of industry stakeholders, each pitching on stage in an effort to impress our judges and their fellow aviation peers. Join us as we see the region’s largest and most respected innovation competition come to a close. The all-important audience votes will be tallied, and we will announce and celebrate our FTE EMEA Innovate Awards 2025 winners.
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