PROGRAMME
The programme for the Guest Xperience Tech Summit & Expo explores how technology transforms customer experiences across sectors. Through keynote sessions, panels, and workshops, attendees discover topics such as AI, automation, sustainability, and analytics. From reshaping guest interactions with AI and IoT to driving operational efficiency and sustainability, participants gain actionable insights to innovate in guest experiences.
Summit Themes
Theme 1: AI-Enhanced Guest Experiences
Theme 2: Intelligent Automation
Theme 3: Next-Gen Technologies
Theme 4: The Innovation of Intimacy
Theme 5: The Sustainability + Green Tech [R]Evolution
Theme 6: The Power of Analytics + Biometric Data
Programme by Day
(As of 24 April, subject to changes)
Day One - 10 December 2024
OPENING SESSION
The Dawn of a New Era in Customer Experience
The opening session will introduce the summit’s central themes, emphasizing the critical role of technology in revolutionising guest experiences. It will set an inspiring tone for the event, presenting a future vision where technology and human-centric service converge to create unparalleled guest experiences.
“The Future of Happiness: AI’s Role in Crafting Delightful Customer Experiences.”
“Beyond Reality: Elevating Customer Experiences Through a Future Tech Lens”
Takeaways:
Attendees will leave the opening session energised and equipped with a broad perspective on how emerging technologies can address current guest experience challenges, such as personalisation at scale, sustainability, and creating memorable experiences in the digital age.
KEYNOTES
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Customer Relationships
This keynote will explore artificial intelligence’s transformative impact on customer relationships in various sectors. Discussions will focus on how AI enhances personalization and predictive insights, redefining traditional customer service and setting new standards in customer engagement and loyalty.
The Role of Intelligent Automation in Guest Experience Management
Transforming the Customer Experience with Next-Generation Technologies
We’ll explore how AI, machine learning, and immersive tech reshape customer experience across sectors. Learn strategic implementation to captivate audiences, gaining insights into the future of customer experiences.
Placing Technology at the Centre of Sustainable Guest Experiences
This session explores how technology is becoming a cornerstone for sustainable practices within the hospitality and travel industries, focusing on innovative solutions that enhance guest experiences and contribute to environmental sustainability.
Leveraging Analytics and Biometrics to Develop Deeper Customer Connections
This keynote addresses the transformative power of analytics and biometric data in creating deeper, more meaningful customer connections. It will cover the ethical use of these technologies to enhance personalisation, improve service delivery, and foster loyalty.
Blending Tech and Touch to Craft the Optimal Customer Experience
Discover balancing tech and human touch in crafting superior customer experiences. Uncover strategies blending digital advancements with emotional intelligence for deeper connections, enhanced personalisation, and lasting loyalty.
BREAKOUTS
The Future of Customer Service: How AI will transform guest service dynamics and expectations
This session explores AI’s transformation of customer service dynamics, setting new expectations and integration into frameworks. Gain practical insights on implementing AI to enhance interactions, streamline operations, and elevate guest experiences, providing a blueprint for businesses starting their AI journey.
Simplifying Operations Through Automation: Strategies for Enhancing Efficiency and Guest Satisfaction
This session explores how automation improves guest satisfaction by streamlining processes and service delivery. We’ll feature automation as a key solution for better service delivery, reduced wait times, and a smoother guest journey. Discover practical strategies to simplify operations and enhance guest satisfaction.
Building Trust: Exploring the potential and challenges of using blockchain technology to enhance customer experiences
Explore blockchain’s transformative impact on customer trust and experience, highlighting its security and transparency features. Learn through expert analysis and case studies how blockchain can be utilised to safeguard data, authenticate products, and create a transparent ecosystem that boosts customer engagement and loyalty.
Designing Memorable Experiences: Strategies for creating customer intimacy and connection
This breakout session focuses on the art of designing experiences that resonate on a personal level with customers. It covers the use of storytelling, sensory engagement, and personalised interactions to create memorable experiences that forge strong emotional connections and customer intimacy.
Gamifying Green: Innovative ways to engage customers in sustainability initiatives
Discover how gamification can be a powerful tool in engaging customers with sustainability initiatives. We’ll review successful case studies where gamification has increased customer participation in green practices.
The Intersection of Loyalty and Data: How Data Can Enhance Guest Retention
Explore how data analytics and customer insights can be leveraged to enhance guest retention strategies. Witness practical examples of how businesses can use data to understand customer needs and tailor services to increase loyalty.
Day Two - 11 December 2024
PANELS
Data-Driven Upselling Strategies: How data algorithms and AI have transformed upselling tactics in the service industries
This panel session will reveal how AI and data analytics are revolutionising and enhancing upselling tactics, with a focus on the ethical, strategic, and operational aspects of using data for personalised customer offers. You will gain a deep understanding of data-driven upselling mechanics, its ethical implications, and its significant impact on revenue and customer satisfaction across service industries.
The Human-Machine Interface: Best practices for making technology invisible to guests
This panel will discuss integrating advanced technologies like AI and robotics into guest services to enhance the guest experience. Best practices and case studies will demonstrate how to seamlessly weave these technologies into service delivery while preserving the human touch.
Creating Smart Spaces: How IoT and smart technology are revolutionising guest interactions and safety
This panel will explore how IoT and smart technologies are revolutionising guest environments in the hotel and airline industries, enhancing safety, personalisation, and operational efficiency. It will also address challenges such as privacy concerns and the need for seamless integration of these technologies.
Customer Experience Readiness: Comprehensive Strategies in a post-AI organisation
Transforming Workplaces: Change Management in the Era of Intelligent Automation
This session will critically examine the significant impact of intelligent automation on workplace dynamics and the essential change management strategies required to navigate this transition. It will focus on fostering a culture that embraces technology, reskilling employees, and the role of leadership in effectively managing the shift towards automated processes.
Digital Twins and Virtual Reality: Utilising advanced visualisation tools for better project and experience planning
Learn how digital twins and virtual reality are revolutionising planning and design across various sectors by creating virtual replicas that enhance planning, customer engagement, and operational efficiency. Case studies and expert insights on how to use these technologies to anticipate customer needs will be provided.
BREAKOUTS
Beyond Service: Using emotional intelligence to build rapport and trust with customers
Attendees will learn about the importance of emotional intelligence in customer service, including strategies for training staff in empathy, active listening, and personalised communication to build rapport and trust with customers.
The New Era of Customer Connection: How technology can anticipate and meet guest needs
This session highlights how emerging technologies can be harnessed to anticipate customer needs, providing insights into the ways businesses can utilise data analysis, predictive modelling, and intuitive design to enhance customer satisfaction and engagement.
Triple Bottom Line: Profit, people, and planet in the service industries
Learn about the triple bottom line approach and how service industries can achieve profitability while positively impacting both people and the planet. This session will showcase successful examples and strategies for integrating sustainability into business models.
Intelligent Hardware: Robots, kiosks, and wayfinding technology to help guests help themselves
This session explores how intelligent hardware, such as robots and kiosks, improves guest services and operational efficiency, with a focus on implementation and integration considerations. Insights into selecting, implementing, and maximising the benefits of intelligent hardware to enhance guest experiences will be provided, featuring practical applications and case studies from leading adopters.
Tech-Driven Sustainability: How technology is improving sustainability in travel and hospitality
This session highlights the role of technology in driving sustainability efforts in the travel and hospitality sectors. Attendees will explore current trends, tools, and technologies that are making sustainable practices more efficient and effective.
Integrating VoC, VoE, and VoP: A holistic approach to continuous improvement
Attendees will explore how integrating the Voice of the Customer (VoC), Voice of the Employee (VoE), and Voice of the Process (VoP) can lead to significant improvements in service delivery, employee engagement, and operational efficiency. This session will cover methodologies and tools for capturing and integrating these diverse perspectives.
From Employment to Empowerment: Reimagining the service industry in an AI-driven world
Discover how AI is enhancing the service industry by empowering employees to provide more personalised guest services, with a focus on successful human-AI collaboration and workforce upskilling strategies. Attendees will gain insights into the impact of these technologies on employee satisfaction and guest experience excellence.
The Psychology of Intelligent Automation: Implications for human behaviour, mental health, work-life balance, and society
This session delves into how intelligent automation impacts human behaviour, mental health, work-life balance, and societal norms, addressing challenges and changes. Discussions focus on using automation to support well-being and societal progress. Takeaways include insights into its psychological effects, mitigation strategies, and leveraging it for improved quality of life and work.
Privacy vs. Personalisation: Balancing customer privacy with the benefits of personalised experiences
This session delves into the challenges and opportunities of balancing the need for personalisation with respecting customer privacy. Attendees will learn about strategies for navigating this balance, using data responsibly while delivering personalised customer experiences.
Day Three - 12 December 2024
Executive Deep Dives
Elevate your leadership skills with this elite component of our conference, crafted specifically for visionary leaders like you and led by world-renowned experts. Participants will:
- Engage in high-level discussions
- Explore case studies relevant to top-tier management
- Discover actionable strategies and innovative solutions directly applicable to steering your organisation forward
- Network with fellow executives in an intimate, solutions-focused environment
CIOs + CTOs
Leading Digital Transformation: Share leadership strategies for driving change, training employees, and overcoming resistance.
Shaping Guest Experiences: Discuss the evolving role of CIOs and CTOs from back-office functions to front-line drivers of guest satisfaction and business strategy.
Heads of Guest Experience
Real-time Feedback and Rapid Response Systems: Dive into systems and practices that allow real-time guest feedback collection and immediate action, transforming service challenges into opportunities for positive guest experiences.
Best Practices in Service Recovery: Discuss strategies for effectively addressing guest concerns and turning negative experiences into loyalty-building opportunities.
SVPs of Marketing and Sales
Global Trends vs. Regional Specificity: Share how global technology trends are adapting to or clashing with regional cultures and regulations.
Measuring Marketing Performance and ROI: Discuss tools and techniques for measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, analysing ROI, and using insights to drive future strategies.
Using Analytics to Drive Sales Strategies: Collaborate on how sales teams can use analytics to identify opportunities, tailor sales approaches, and close more deals effectively.
SVPs of Operations
Optimising Operations with AI and IoT: Discuss using AI, IoT, and other technologies to optimise hotel operations, enhance guest satisfaction, and reduce costs.
Personalisation at Scale: Share tactics on how technology can enable personalised guest experiences while maintaining a balance between automated solutions and the human touch.
Industry Association Leaders
Creating Industry-Wide Standards for Tech in Hospitality: Discuss the importance of and strategies for developing industry-wide technology standards to facilitate interoperability, data sharing, and best practices.
Cross-Industry Partnerships and Collaborations: Workshop successful cross-industry collaborations and how they can lead to innovative solutions in guest experience technology.
CLOSING SESSION
Crafting the Future Together: Next Steps in Customer Experience Innovation
This closing session will synthesise the insights, strategies, and case studies from the Summit, offering a roadmap for integrating the discussed technologies into various sectors with an emphasis on collaborative innovation and sustainability. It will highlight the Summit’s exploration of cutting-edge topics like AI-enhanced customer experiences, intelligent automation, next-gen technologies, and sustainable practices, aiming to captivate the audience with innovative, personalised, and sustainable solutions.