Digital & Innovation Conference Agenda

Join us as we officially open the exhibition hall and unveil the latest innovations, live demonstrations, technology showcases, and products from across the aviation industry.

Take the opportunity to enjoy a light breakfast or a hot drink while exploring the show floor, connecting with exhibitors, and networking with fellow attendees before a full day of inspiring conference sessions and business meetings.

The popular Tech & Innovation Briefings on the exhibition floor allow attendees to join guided tours and meet exhibitors with relevant products, services, and concepts. You can expect tailored guided tours from solution providers covering: Artificial Intelligence; Self-Service, Automation & Baggage; and Robotics & Autonomous Vehicles.

How are game-changing new technologies being implemented to best effect at the grassroots level at the airport? Following scene-setting by the moderator, a series of case studies followed by a group Q&A.

We are on the cusp of major advancements in our sector driven by AI, autonomous vehicles, robotics, humanoids, and more. However, recent trials show the workforce is anxious and resistant to these technologies, despite their primary purpose being to support and enhance human capabilities. Effective change management will be critical to scaling their adoption. This interactive workshop will explore and share strategies to implement these technologies successfully for the benefit of both the sector and its valued workforce.

At the epicentre of this show is the industry’s most exciting competition to seek out the very best new ideas to change our industry for the better. Competitors will pitch on-stage in an effort to impress our judges and audience, whose all-important votes will dictate who wins.

The format will be 5-minute pitch sessions by 5 shortlisted entries with quick-fire questions and comments from the judges on their transformative concept.

In this case study-led session, gain extensive insights and learnings from AI in live environments and operations – and an exploration of how AI has impacted frontline teams. How is safety, resilience and reliability standing up when AI is central, and how must operating models, governance, frameworks and workflows evolve to unlock meaningful passenger experience and efficiency gains?

Following its highly successful debut at APEX FTE EMEA in Dublin, the initiative returns to Dallas and is bigger than ever. This airline-focused session offers attendees the chance to book guaranteed 5-minute introductory meetings with multiple airline buyers who will be hosting meeting tables.

The emphasis is on fostering airline-supplier collaborations on new technologies and sowing the seeds for long-term profit boosting business partnerships.

Participation is included at no additional cost as part of your FTE Global registration, although places are limited and meetings will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Learn more about Speed Networking, here >>

Make the most of the vital networking opportunities provided during this networking reception where delegates can enjoy demonstrations in the exhibition and network with their peers over drinks.

The reception will also provide the perfect location for our Moonshot Competition co-host, Kevin Kleist, Head of Emerging Trends, Southwest Airlines & Head of Innovation & Startup Engagement, Future Travel Experience, to reveal the winner of the FTE Global Moonshot Competition.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s efforts to further secure and enhance air travel through technology innovation

CBP has expanded public/private partnerships with the airlines, airports, and cruise lines to provide travellers a secure, seamless, and touchless inspections process that further enhances the passenger experience. With an expected increase in travel to the United States for the major sporting events, as seen with the World Cup this past summer, and the upcoming LA Olympics in 2028, CBP is innovating the inspections process to add an extra layer of security while streamlining entry into the U.S. through a number of initiatives. In this session, CBP officials will provide an update on CBP’s ongoing efforts to leverage advanced technology like facial biometrics and mobile applications in the arrivals process while highlighting the local stakeholder partnerships at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and the successful planning for the World Cup.

The popular Tech & Innovation Briefings on the exhibition floor allow attendees to join guided tours and meet exhibitors with relevant products, services, and concepts. You can expect tailored guided tours from solution providers covering: Artificial Intelligence; Self-Service, Automation & Baggage; and Robotics & Autonomous Vehicles.

Cybersecurity has never been more critical. As the aviation industry embraces digital transformation, increasingly sophisticated threats, expanding attack surfaces, and the rapid adoption of AI and autonomous technologies are creating new security challenges across the ecosystem. In this interactive workshop, Theresa Blackwell-Frank, President & Chief Information Security Officer at Virtuo Group Corporation, will draw on her extensive experience across the airport industry and other sectors – including with the likes of Pittsburgh International Airport, City of Houston and Houston First Corporation – to explore today’s evolving cyber threat landscape. Attendees will gain practical insights into strengthening cyber resilience while enabling innovation, with a focus on balancing the adoption of smart technologies and digital infrastructure with the need to safeguard sensitive passenger, operational, and business-critical data from emerging threats.

What will it take to move autonomous GSE from trial to mass deployment during aircraft turnaround? What are the KPI benefits of driverless vehicles? FTE invites technology developers and operators to share their insight from pilot schemes and push back on the boundaries to successful adoption by industry.

Topics to be covered include: The importance of connectivity; putting the right building blocks in place; successfully moving from trial to implementation; overcoming obstacles; and embracing collaboration.

The popular Tech & Innovation Briefings on the exhibition floor allow attendees to join guided tours and meet exhibitors with relevant products, services, and concepts. You can expect tailored guided tours from solution providers covering: Artificial Intelligence; Self-Service, Automation & Baggage; and Robotics & Autonomous Vehicles.

Visit the Future Travel Experience booth where you can meet the Captains of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub and learn what makes this community so unique. The FTE Hub is designed specifically for the individuals and organisations who are at the forefront of digital transformation and innovation. The core themes are Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and the Internet of Things.

Following its highly successful debut at APEX FTE EMEA in Dublin, the initiative returns to Dallas and is bigger than ever. This airport-focused session offers attendees the chance to book guaranteed 5-minute introductory meetings with multiple airline buyers who will be hosting meeting tables.

The emphasis is on fostering airline-supplier collaborations on new technologies and sowing the seeds for long-term profit boosting business partnerships.

Participation is included at no additional cost as part of your FTE Global registration, although places are limited and meetings will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Learn more about Speed Networking, here >>

The FTE Data Sharing Think Tank has been set up with a core goal to create an industry data sharing playbook that moves the industry from conceptual alignment to practical execution, clearly defining what good data sharing looks like, when it creates measurable value, and where realistic boundaries currently exist. This session will reveal the latest thinking.

After two days of learning, networking, and inspiration, we invite you to unwind with an informal drink. Rock & Brews is just 12 minutes from the Gaylord Convention Center and 6 minutes from DFW Airport—perfect for a quick drink, a casual bite, or a last stop before you head out.