AIX reveals speaker lineup for CabinSpace Live 2024

Hamburg Messe
The organizers of the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg have curated CabinSpace Live, an event that returns this year to unite the industry in discussing the cabin of tomorrow.
CabinSpace Live provides a platform for industry experts and visionary thought leaders to share experiences and insights. The two-day seminar program will inform AIX attendees on the latest product launches, new ways to meet existing and emerging passenger requirements and how to achieve sustainability targets.
CabinSpace Live is free for exhibitors and registered visitors. Sessions cover everything from inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) and accessibility onboard to sustainable interior design and retrofit cabin refurbishments. Businesses joining this year’s CabinSpace Live program include Airbus, Lufthansa Technik, Iberia, Hughes, TAP Air Portugal and RECARO Aircraft Seating.
The focus for the program this year lies on creating and navigating a seamless experience, as business and leisure travel bounce back. The press release noted that revenues are expected to grow 7.6 percent this year (IATA).
Day One will be sponsored by HMG Aerospace. Attendees can learn about creating natural environments onboard, leveraging features from lighting to optimum airflow, with the seminar, “Cabin Environment: Achieving the Ultimate Ambience and Wellbeing for Passengers” with Dan Rust, Head of Design at IFPL Group.
Continuing the conversation on updating the cabin’s physical environment, Markus Höllerer, Head of Strategy and Products at RECARO Aircraft Seating will discuss the evolving preferences needed to find the perfect cabin configuration that balances revenue and comfort in the session, “Seating: Finding the Perfect Balance.”
Seth Miller, Founder of PaxEx.Aero, will host an expert panel discussion titled, “Connectivity: Perfect Partnerships” where he will be joined by Ben Griffin, VP Mobility and AMEA Regions at Eutelsat OneWeb; Rez Rasoulian, Vice President, Aviation Business Unit at Hughes; Melanie Berry, Director of Customer Experience at Iberia; and Elias Zaccack, Executive Vice President, Mobility at SES. The panel will review some of the current industry partnerships that are delivering passenger connectivity through low-earth orbit, middle-earth orbit and ground-earth orbit satellites.
David Whelan, Senior Analyst, Valour Consultancy will be hosting a midday session titled, “Connectivity: The Big Switch” featuring panelists Reza Rasoulian, Vice President, Aviation Business Unit, Hughes; Mary Rogozinski, Business Development Director, Netforcast; Sean Reilly, Vice President Air Transport Management and Digital Solutions, SmartSky; and Sean Reilly, Vice President Air Transport Management and Digital Solutions, SmartSky. These IFEC experts will look at how airlines can best transition to free connectivity for passengers.
As free inflight Wi-Fi remains a prevalent issue for carriers, Corinne Streichert, Founder & CEO, of IFECtiv LLC will discuss the importance of data capture onboard to curate personalized entertainment, at “Inflight Entertainment: A Captive Audience.”
Another session, “A New Era: The Fascinating Future of the Aircraft Cabin” will leverage CabinSpace Live's platform to showcase groundbreaking cabin innovations from creative industry suppliers and designers. This panel discussion will be hosted by Maryann Simson, Director of Jetway Communications Ltd. Joining Maryann is Ralph Wagner, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Axinom and Dave Pook, Vice President, Customer Experience, Burrana.
In the closing session on day one, “Cabin Refurbishment: Investing to Impress,” attendees will hear from speakers at airlines that have recently completed or are currently undergoing major refurbishment programs, including David Rice, Managing Director, Optimum Aero; Melanie Berry, Director of Customer Experience, Iberia; Jacobo Mesta, CEO, Soisa Aircraft Interiors; and Daniel Kerrison, SVP Inflight Operations, flydubai.
Starting off day two, sponsored by Real Response Media and Cirium, will be Max Kingsley Jones, Senior Consultant, Cirium Ascend Consultancy with “A Commercial Aviation and Interiors Market Outlook” to share an overview of the latest fleet and market developments.
Then, representatives from Airbus, Air France, Lufthansa Technik, and AIRE at “An MRO Perspective on Elevating Aircraft Cabin Interiors” will address regulatory challenges, certification requirements, and the integration of emerging technologies. The discussion will highlight the MRO industry's essential role in improving cabin comfort, safety, and operational efficiency while meeting evolving passenger demands and industry competition.
Following this David Marty, Head of Digital Solutions Marketing, Airbus will explore, “The Use and Impact of Predictive Maintenance on Aircraft Cabin Refurbishment” in a session that will look at how predictive maintenance is reshaping the industry’s approach to cabin refurbishment and how the industry can address barriers faced by the MRO sector to maximize safety, cost-effectiveness and customer experience.
Concluding the 2024 CabinSpace Live agenda on Wednesday afternoon will be sessions designed to give attendees a glimpse of the future passenger experience. Speaking on “Leveraging Connectivity and IoT to Enhance In-Flight Experience” will be Clarence Eymery, Chief Marketing Officer at MOMENT. Eymery will be followed by William Henn, VP Sales & Business Development at AIRFREE who will discuss “Reinventing Inflight Retailing” and Cyril Jean, CEO of PX COM will share insights on how to “Leverage AI for a Digital In-Flight Personalised Experience.”
“CabinSpace Live is the forum where professionals can celebrate achievements, share actionable insights, and collectively address evolving passenger demands. This year the agenda brings together industry voices from different corners of the supply chain with a number of prestigious carriers to provide a deeper understanding of challenges faced and growing opportunities to overcome barriers. We look forward to welcoming audiences to the theatre and see what initiatives spark from this year’s discussions,” said Polly Magraw, Event Director of AIX.
CabinSpace Live will take place in Hall B1 Lower at the Hamburg Messe from May 28 to 29.