Passenger Experience Conference unveils impressive speaker line-up
This year's PEC announces a stellar line-up of speakers from renowned organizations and airlines
The highly anticipated Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) is set to return on June 5, just ahead of the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX). The organizers of AIX and PEC have announced the expanded speaker program, featuring an impressive line-up of industry experts. This year’s edition promises to be one of the most insightful yet.
“Each year, we strive to deliver on our promise to provide an esteemed, world-class list of speakers and panellists from the leading aviation and interiors providers — and this year we will not disappoint,” said Polly Magraw, Event Director, AIX, in a May 30 press release. “With the expanded program now officially revealed, we are pleased to share such an illustrious line-up of experts to discuss their perspectives on the most prominent issues facing the industry and bring one of the most insightful, impactful program schedules to date.”
The annual PEC will kick off AIX with a stellar line-up of speakers from renowned organizations such as Air Canada, Avensis Aviation, Airbus, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Expliseat, Green Cabin Alliance, Tapis Corporation, Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), and more.
The plenary session will delve into the multi-modal future of transportation and how the aviation industry can effectively meet the evolving needs of passengers. Prominent speakers, including Eric Bogner, Executive Creative Director at Teague, and Kerry Reeves, Head of Airline Programs at Air New Zealand, will share their insights on this topic.
Following a brief networking break, where attendees will have the opportunity to connect with experts and visionaries from airlines, airframers, OEMs, suppliers, and designers, the conference will split into two streams: “Delivering for the New Generation Passenger” and “Succeeding in the Green Revolution.”
The former stream will feature a diverse group of experts, including Raymond Kollau, Senior Trend Analyst at TrendWatching; Rick Salanitri, President of Delta Flight Products; and Peter Azzouni, Head of Interiors & Design — Guest Experience at Riyadh Air. They will discuss defining new passenger experience benchmarks by analyzing consumer trends, new travel ecosystems, and inclusive travel.
In addition, the stream will include an interactive roundtable exploring how technology and in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) can meet the expectations of the digitally savvy new generation customer. Confirmed speakers for this session include Ben Murphy, Vice President of Airline Accounts — Americas at Intelsat; Chris Demange, Senior Director — Media & Partnerships at Viasat; and Norman Haughton, Director of InFlight Digital Entertainment, Wi-Fi, Media, Sales, and Analytics at Air Canada.
The second stream will focus on reinventing the passenger experience with sustainability in mind. Moderated by Cristian Sutter, CEO of Avensis Aviation, a morning session will delve into cabin sustainability and understanding the path forward. Anaïs Marzo da Costa, Head of Aircraft Interiors Marketing at Airbus, will then share Airbus’ sustainable aerospace visions for 2035 and beyond.
Later in the day, Marzo da Costa will join an interactive panel discussion titled “Evolving Sustainability Initiatives,” alongside Brenna Wynhof, Regional Director of Cabin Marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Amaury Barberot, CEO of Expliseat, and other industry experts.
The sustainability stream will continue throughout the evening, featuring a session on designing cabins that are better for people and the planet. Elina Kopola, Trend & CMF Specialist at TrendWorks and Founder of Green Cabin Alliance, will moderate this session, which will explore sustainable materials and finishes that align with the demands of the cabin interior sector.
Other sessions will focus on the use of sustainable fabrics and feature speakers such as Matthew Nicholls, Sales Director at Tapis Corporation; Christian Seifert, Product Manager at Lufthansa Technik; and Kristen Allison, Global Director of Business Development at LanzaTech.
