Passenger Experience Conference returns ahead of AIX 2023
This year’s conference will equip attendees with refreshing and actionable insights about the industry
This year’s Passenger Experience Conference will take place at the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH) on June 5 highlighting the future of travel, onboard environments, and services.
The conference will feature industry-leading experts from top companies such as easyJet, Iberia, Teague, Collins Aerospace, Lufthansa Group, Panasonic Avionics, Boeing, and others.
“Every year we’re delighted to provide a platform for the who’s who of the industry to come together and immerse themselves in the latest insights and ideas from those at the forefront of enhancing passenger experience,” said Polly Magraw, Event Director, Aircraft Interiors Expo, in an April press release. “With such a high calibre of speakers offering their expertise and experience, we’re confident that delegates will be inundated with opportunities to learn, network, and do business. Without doubt, Passenger Experience Conference will serve as the catalyst for the future of the industry.”
To start this year’s program, Eric Bogner, the Executive Creative Director at Teague, will lead a session on “Debunking the Seamless Journey” discussing how to establish loyalty and emotional connections with passengers across every touchpoint.
Following Bogner, other prominent figures from the travel industry, including George Land, the Executive Director Sales of Hybrid Air Vehicles, will share their strategic perspectives for the future of travel.
From there, the conference will divide into two streams: “Delivering for the new generation passenger” and “Succeeding in the green revolution.”
Delivering for the new generation passenger
With more and more young flyers, airlines are seeking ways to cater to this new generation.
Daniel Baron, Managing Director of Lift Aero Design, will moderate a series of sessions all surrounding “Defining new passenger experience benchmarks.” Professor Peter Vink from Delft University of Technology will join Baron for the session, “Good vibrations — new research to improve physical comfort” and Chris Wood, an Aviation Accessibility Consultant, will later join for insights on “Revolutionising air travel for passengers with reduced mobility.”
The presentations will lead to a panel discussion entitled “Setting new standards for passenger comfort” featuring Baron, Vink and Wood who will be joined by representatives from Collins Aerospace, Tronos Aviation Consulting, Lufthansa Group, and Caynova Switzerland.
The afternoon sessions of the new generation passenger stream will focus on “Onboard digitalization: raising the bar and creating opportunity.” Continued with a session on “Succeeding with a low-cost digitalization model,” William Kramer, Transformation & Continuous Improvement Lead - Inflight Retail at easyJet, and Job Heimerikx, CEO of AirFi, will lead the discussion. Following this, there will be an interactive roundtable featuring experts from Panasonic Avionics, Valour Consultant, and AERQ discussing how to meet the expectations of the new generation of digital customers.
In the final session of the day, Jo Rowan, Associate Director Strategy and Customer Experience at PriestmanGoode, will explore “Demystifying digital realities — and creating new journey narratives,” to discuss digital realities and design accessibility for passengers.
Succeeding in the Green Revolution
The second stream at PEC will tackle the complex issue of sustainability. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore how the resources we discard today can be repurposed as valuable assets and how the aviation industry can adopt a reuse model.
Brenna Wynhof, Regional Director, Cabin & Passenger Experience at Boeing, will discuss the company’s sustainability journey in the cabin in a session entitled, “Behind the scenes: Boeing’s cabin sustainability journey,” followed by a panel discussion featuring Andrew Billingsley, CEO of Plaswire; Gary Doy, Director of Doy Designs; and Chris Brady, Chairman & Founder of Unum Aircraft Seating, who will discuss evolving sustainability initiatives.
In the second half of the Green Revolution stream, Matt Crane, Founding Member of the Aviation Sustainability Forum, will be joined by speakers from Antos Environmental, IN Air Travel Experience, 2030 Markets and Iberia for a discussion on transforming cabin waste into a valuable resource.
The final session, “Planning for a low-impact future,” will feature speakers from FORMIA and Safran Cabin discussing their net zero carbon goals and strategies for successful delivery.
A chance to network
Delegates who have spent a day filled with fascinating insights and stimulating discussions can unwind at the Welcome Party, a highly anticipated event of the PEC that takes place after the final sessions. This networking opportunity is open to all conference delegates at no cost, while AIX visitors can purchase tickets to attend.
