Customer Experience
No industry event does more to inspire, engage and connect its participants
The conferences at FTE Global are the most forward-looking in our portfolio and truly unique. They 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 drill down into dedicated tracks for specific areas of interest. In addition, to facilitate the best level of knowledge-sharing and interactivity, our conference sessions utilise diverse formats ranging from Jump Seat debates through to Co-creation roundtables.
The next Customer Experience Conference information will be available soon. Please subscribe here to be kept updated.
FTE Global Conference 2020 agendas are curently under development but to give you a good sense of the quality, and diversity, of our speakers please see below the 2019 Customer Experience Conference agenda:
16.00-17.00
Tours of the TSA’s Innovation Checkpoint at McCarran International Airport
The day before FTE Global 2019 gets underway, delegates will be able to take part in a tour of the Innovation Checkpoint at McCarran International Airport, led by the TSA Innovation Task Force (ITF) and McCarran representatives. In partnership with McCarran International Airport, the Innovation Checkpoint provides TSA with a dedicated venue to demonstrate and assess emerging technologies and associated processes in a live airport environment. It provides the opportunity to test an entire network of unique capabilities at the same time and assess the impact of innovative solutions on the ecosystem holistically without interrupting airport operations. Data collected from these demonstrations will help inform requirements for future innovative capabilities that will enhance TSA’s security effectiveness and improve the passenger experience.
The Innovation Checkpoint is part of the Advancing the Checkpoint Environment (ACE) initiative of TSA’s Innovation Task Force (ITF). ITF works in partnership with airports, airlines, and industry partners to foster innovation in aviation security and bring cutting-edge technology to security checkpoints and checked baggage areas. The Innovation Checkpoint at McCarran will serve as the greenspace for the entire agency to pilot and gather data on new strategies that will ultimately increase security effectiveness, enhance the passenger experience, and improve the TSO workplace.
Through ITF and the Innovation Checkpoint, TSA is building a culture of innovation that anticipates and rapidly counters the changing threats across the transportation system. By establishing and promoting mechanisms to foster continuous improvement, TSA is positioned to best anticipate and counter the evolving threat to aviation.
Wednesday 4th September Day 1 – All participants together
Speaker Invited
10:30 - 12:00
Opening Keynote Session
Welcome
Daniel Coleman
Founder & CEO
Future Travel Experience
Welcome from APEX
Dr. Joe Leader
CEO
APEX/IFSA
Welcome from the host
Samuel Ingalls
Principal
Barich, Inc
Inspirational Keynotes
The End of Sci-Fi – The correct approach to innovation in the 21st century when technology has made everything possible. What are the tech trends, and how can you capture the opportunity this provides in the travel sector?
World-renowned technology and innovation leader, and former Google X Chief Business Officer, to deliver inspirational address
FTE Global 2019 attendees will hear an inspirational opening keynote address by Mo Gawdat, the former Chief Business Officer for X, previously Google X, and a leading global expert in technology and innovation with the world’s most advanced organisation for breakthrough technology. Mo joined Google in 2007, after many successful years at Microsoft, and managed Google’s business in over 50 countries, focusing on his biggest passion: Emerging Markets and the considerable challenges they face with embracing innovation. Prior to becoming Chief Business Officer at Google X, Mo served as the Vice President of Business Innovation. Remarkably, Mo started close to half of Google’s operations worldwide. The latest being his role on Project Loon; an ambitious attempt to use high altitude balloons to provide affordable internet access to the remaining 5 billion people for whom today’s existing technology has proven too expensive or too complex to reach. Mo is also a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded more than 15 businesses in his career. He actively serves as a Board Member in several technology, health and fitness, and consumer goods startups as well as several government technology and innovation boards in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Mo is the author of the book “Solve for Happy: Engineering Your Path to Uncovering the Joy Inside You” and he is also the founder of One Billion Happy, a global movement created to help one billion people become happier.
Speaker Invited
13:30 - 15:00
Getting to grips with transformation and future-proofing your organisation
Second Working Session
Moderator’s scene-setting presentation
Insights from “Air Transport 2035” – a unique FTE/Fast Future Crowdsourced Think Tank
In this, our latest and most ambitious Think Tank project yet, we have partnered with Fast Future to invite our entire ecosystem to contribute their thoughts on the key drivers of change and potential scenarios for the industry, and help shape a portfolio of Industry Blueprints. These will outline scenarios of what the air transport industry around the globe could look like in 2035, the winning strategies required by players of different scale in major markets, and how all stakeholders should prepare themselves to thrive within it.
Presenter
Rohit Talwar
CEO
Fast Future
Panellists
Dr. Joe Leader
CEO
APEX/IFSA
Michael Boland
Executive Vice President of Business Development
MAG
Christina Cassotis
CEO
Pittsburgh International Airport
Aurelius Noell
General Partner
TEAM ABC
Lynette DuJohn
VP Innovation and Chief Information Officer
Vancouver Airport Authority
Jose Bonilla
Director, Innovation Task Force
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Points to consider:
- Coming up with transformative ideas is one part, but how do you successfully scale proof of concepts?
- How, and who, should decide which areas you should prioritise for transformation within your organization?
- McKinsey estimate 70% of complex, large-scale change programs don’t reach their stated goals so how can that be avoided?
- Is there a danger that too many transformation programmes prioritse digital over culture?
- Is it essential that you bring in fresh thinking through new staff that have worked outside of the industry?
- Can transformation be achieved through off-the shelf industry products or do you need to develop tailored systems and approaches in-house?
- Can transformation be achieved in isolation, or do we need more collaboration than ever before?
- What is the role of alliances within a transformation programme?
- Will we see groundbreaking new partnerships between air-transport stakeholders and specialists from other verticals to support their transformation efforts?
- Will travel become more of an experiential experience than a process driven one?
- If we are moving towards seamless travel and IoT powered automation should airlines focus on digital and onboard efforts and less on running airport operations and processes outside of their Hub activities?
- In turn what will the role of every stakeholder in the travel chain become?
Speaker Invited
15:45 - 17:00
WestJet Guest Session
Third Working Session
In support of our “Transformation” theme, at FTE Global 2019 we will introduce guest sessions in which leading organisations will put forward senior executives from across their business to deep-dive with our audience on how they are individually, and collectively, driving transformation. WestJet is in the midst of a huge transformation that has seen it launch a refreshed brand image, long-haul operations, an ultra-low-cost carrier and herald new products aimed at international and Premium travellers all as part of its plans to become a global network airline.
Presenters include
Charles Duncan
President, Swoop & Executive Vice President
WestJet
Steven Greenway
CEO
flyadeal
Speaker Invited
17:00 - 17:30
Day 1 Closing Keynote for all participants
Our Next Guest Needs No Introduction… with Joe Leader, CEO, APEX & IFSA
Peter Carter
EVP & CLO
Delta Air Lines
Speaker Invited
17:30 - 18:30
Happy Hour in the exhibition hall
Sponsored by
Make the most of the vital networking opportunities provided at the FTE Global 2019 Happy Hour, where delegates can enjoy demonstrations in the exhibition and network with their peers, over refreshing drinks and snacks. The Welcome Reception will begin early so participants have more scope to network outside of the official event proceedings.
Thursday 5th September
Speaker Invited
09:00 - 10:15
Customer Experience Keynote Address
Presenters
Accessibility & Creating an Inclusive Culture of Customer Experience – 3 Trends to Shape CX in 2020
Helen Henriques
(former COO, Sky Regional Airlines) and current VP Operations
eSSENTIAL ACCESSIBILITY
Eric Feinberg
Chief Marketing Officer
eSSENTIAL ACCESSIBILITY
If you can get disability right, you can get customer experience right. Learn from an experienced airline executive on how she helped create a culture of customer experience at a fast-growing airline, instilling accessibility best practices at every step of the multi-channel passenger experience. Get smart on the size and scope needs of the passengers with disabilities market to help inform the most inclusive passenger experience strategies.
The Big Idea: Customer Service is the new marketing
Mike McCarron
VP of Customer Success
Gladly
Speaker Invited
11:00 - 11:45
Alaska Airlines Guest Session
Fourth Working Session Joint session with Digital & InnovationJoint session with Customer Experience
Alaska Airlines is in the midst of a major transformation following its merger with Virgin America and in this fast-moving guest session senior management representatives will share their vision, learnings and insights on how they accomplished winning the J.D. Power award for “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America” 12 years in a row by embracing the Alaska Spirit culture, all while leading a major IT integration, as they put the customer at the center of everything they do when developing and deploying innovative technology solutions (product and data platform enabled) to empower the front line, and their guests to do more of what they love when travelling – enjoy the experience!
Presenters include
Charu Jain
Senior Vice President Merchandising & Innovation
Alaska Airlines
Dave McCormick
Managing Director, Product & Design
Alaska Airlines
Speaker Invited
11:45 - 12:30
Los Angeles World Airports Guest Session
Fourth Working Session Joint session with Digital & InnovationJoint session with Customer Experience
Thanks to a multi-billion dollar redevelopment programme, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is in the midst of a major transformation. As part of this, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the city’s aviation authority, is leveraging the role that technology and innovation can play in improving airport operations and simplifying the passenger experience.
MODERATOR
Becca Doten
Managing Director of Media Relations
Los Angeles World Airports
Presenters include
Justin Erbacci
CEO
Los Angeles World Airports
Barbara Yamamoto
Chief Experience Officer
Los Angeles World Airports
Michelle Schwartz
Chief of External Affairs
Los Angeles World Airports
Speaker Invited
13:45 - 14:10
Post-lunch Keynote for all conference delegates
Speaker Invited
14:10 - 15:30
Co-Creation Workshop
Fifth Working Session
How can the industry better utilize data to exceed traveler expectations?
The need for accurate insights to help shape the future of travel has never been greater and Cirium’s experts analyze millions of data sets each year to help airlines, airports, governments, metasearch, travel management companies and financial institutions to predict future market demand and make informed decisions about their business strategies.
In this workshop Cirium will share insights and facilitate a discussion platform for various stakeholders to exchange thoughts, ideas, frustrations and potential ways forward that will help the industry minimise disruption, improve customer satisfaction and increase profit margins through strategic use of data and predictive analytics.
Moderators
Steve Lappenbusch
Principal Product Manager
Cirium
Carrie Mamantov
Marketing Director
Cirium
Speaker Invited
16:15 - 17:30
Overcoming Baggage headaches for passengers and industry stakeholders.
Moderator
Mark Summers
Market Development Manager
Avery Dennison
PRESENTER
What predictions, and advice, does IATA have for the industry on the future of baggage and how it’s stakeholders should evolve their approach to maximise passenger satisfaction and industry efficiencies?
Pierre Charbonneau
Vice President, Events & Commercial Services
ACI World
PRESENTER
How are Lufthansa’s latest efforts in the baggage realm such as Fast Bag Drop and Baggage Lost & Found Service Areas changing its passenger satisfaction results, and what more is it considering?
Dr. Bjoern Becker
Head of Future Intercontinental Experience Program
Lufthansa
JOINT PRESENTATION
How did Toronto Pearson Airport work with its stakeholders to ensure that its latest self-service bag-drop roll-out delivered for passengers who can still be intimidated, and confused, by new airport technologies?
Judith MacDonald
Manager, Air Carrier Program Development
Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Gary McDonald
President, Americas
Materna IPS USA Corp.
Speaker Invited
19:00 - 22:00
FTE GLOBAL 2019 GALA PARTY AND FTE AWARDS
At Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop, Paris Las Vegas
Hosted by
Sponsored by
Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop, Paris Las Vegas
Hosted by McCarran International Airport and sponsored by Collins Aerospace, this year’s Gala Party and Awards Ceremony will take place at Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop, Paris Las Vegas, beneath the resort’s iconic Eiffel Tower. It is one of the most unique and best Las Vegas nightclubs, and provides an unparalleled outdoor nightlife experience.
You can be assured on the best views, food and drink on the Strip and if that wasn’t enough, to support our future focus and the French flavour created by our location, we have hired robots to form a specially created tribute band – DaFTE Punk tribute to headline the night! The event will be this year’s premiere networking event, providing a perfect opportunity to unwind and network with fellow attendees in a relaxed environment.
Friday 6th September
Speaker Invited
09:15 - 10:30
Day 3 keynote session
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
What is the latest on the roll-out plans for Hyperloop, and how complementary will it be to existing modes of travel like air-transport?
Ryan Kelly
Head of Marketing and Communications
Virgin Hyperloop
The role of Haneda Airport on social implementation of robots
Junichi Shimizu
Vice President of Business Marketing Division
Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd.
Toward 2020, Japan is required to improve services and user satisfaction in every location, but has the problem of reducing the labor-producing population. Haneda Airport believe that the use of robot technology is indispensable, and as part of the government’s “Reform 2020” project, established the “Haneda Robotics Lab” in 2016 with the aim of contributing to the spread of robot technology to Japanese society and dissemination to the world through this activity. In addition to providing robot developers with opportunities to conduct experiments in the airport, they have been identifying problems, and sharing their knowledge while making robots feel familiar to those who use the airport.
In their keynote at FTE Global they will talk about their experiments and learnings so far, their upcoming trials powered by avatars and AI, and how they now see future of robotics in travel.
Visions and learnings on innovation from Vistara – the first airline in India to introduce robotics and biometrics into a live airport environment in India.
Ravinder Singh
Chief Information & Innovation Officer, Tata Singapore Airlines
Vistara
Speaker Invited
11:00 - 12:15
The FTE Co-creation Forums
Seventh Working Session
We want FTE to be an industry change catalyst and we are making more efforts to facilitate actual industry collaboration at the show, as opposed to just discussing the need for it, which is why we are continuing to build the FTE Co-creation Forum three years after its successful introduction. The session will provide a discussion platform for various stakeholders to discuss how they can collaborate in key areas to enhance the end-to-end passenger experience. Delegates will be able to choose which topic they would like to discuss and then join the relevant table to exchange thoughts, ideas, frustrations and potential ways forward.
There will be groups in different working zones, each with their own captain working in a parallel sector who will lead discussions on each table and help inspire outside-the-box thinking. At the start of the session, each delegate will join one of the discussion groups. They will then play an important role in forming ideas and conclusions within that group, which will be shared by the captains through the post-event report. The conclusions will also be passed to industry associations to help influence their next steps, so the good work can live beyond our time together in Vegas.
Working Groups:
Design Thinking Workshop on “How can the industry deliver what the Customer Really Wants”
Following their keynote presentation Raoul and Simon will lead delegates through an interactive session leveraging design thinking and visualisation tools to explore what the modern customer really wants from the industry throughout their passenger journey. After establishing their wants with workshop participants the session will then look to uncover the areas of conflict between stakeholders on delivering that vision, and then contextualise these in the customer view, before exploring collectively what are the right ways for stakeholders to move forward in order for the industry to realise the potential that exists to transform the passenger experience.
Led by Simon Wilcox, Automation and Innovation Transformation, Heathrow & Raoul Cooper Senior Design Manager – Innovation, British Airways & Director at Biometrics Institute
Understanding Chinese passengers, and tailoring airport processes to deal with the growth
Viola Wang
Head of Asia region Commercial Relations
ICTS
Key questions for working groups to consider:
- What are the biggest challenges to improving performance in this area from each stakeholder perspective?
- Taking into consideration the challenges facing each party involved, what are the best ideas for improving these areas from each stakeholder perspective?
Key points to consider when forming collective conclusions and recommendations:
- What collaboration model(s) could help achieve these improvements?
- What are the realistic timeframes for executing these plans?
- Who should fund/lead the improvements?
Speaker Invited
12:45 - 14:00
Tours
Option 1
McCarran International Airport tours
A showcase of passenger experience and design excellence – guided tours of Las Vegas McCarran International Airport T3 will start kerbside and work through the terminal and onto the apron.
Option 2
Park MGM tour
Park MGM, formerly Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, is a megaresort hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel, with a height of 360 ft (110 m), has 32 floors, featuring a 102,000-square-foot (9,500 m2) casino floor with 1,400 slot machines, 60 table games, and 15 poker tables. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International. The hotel offers 2,992 guest rooms, including 259 luxury suites. The Monte Carlo was converted into Park MGM between late 2016 and 2018, with the upper floors being converted into a boutique hotel, NoMad Las Vegas. This guided tour will give you an invaluable insight to the design, and guest experience, strategies behind these amazing new facilities.
Vital Event Information
Future Travel Experience Global 2025 is a global forum that brings together airlines, airports, government agencies, vendors, start-ups, terminal designers, architects, ground handlers, destination partners and various other travel industry stakeholders to learn, collaborate and be inspired on their next moves to transform their organisations’ passenger experience, business performance & sustainability strategies.
- Event
- Future Travel Experience Global 2025
- Date
- - September 2025
- Location
- Long Beach Convention Center, California, United States
Media Partners
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