Industry leaders from organisations such as Airbus, Peugeot Design Lab and Boeing Commercial Airplanes will share insights on the future of the passenger experience industry with delegates at this year’s Passenger Experience Conference (PEC).
Now in its fifth year, the leading one-day global passenger experience conference, which focuses on ‘defining the future of the passenger experience industry’, will be packed with more than 20 sessions offering delegates a chance to learn from industry specialists and visionaries, exchange knowledge and engage in lively debates.
The conference follows the newly launched Airline Breakfast Forum, which is exclusive to airline attendees only. Opening the session, Jeff James, Vice President and General Manager, Disney Institute will share an exclusive look at Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence. The session will address the importance of the customer experience and inspire delegates to think differently about their approach to business witha focus on themes such as leadership excellence, employee engagement and loyalty.
The Airline Breakfast Forum is followed by an opening plenary address where airline attendees will join all conference delegates. Welcoming all attendees to a day of informative and inspiring sessions, Dick Powell, Co-Founder and Chairman of SeymourPowell, will address how businesses can create a climate for creative thinking. He will be followed by Amir Amidi, Managing Director of Travel and Hospitality Centre of Innovation at Plug and Play Tech Centre and Paul Taylor, Senior Director of New Product Strategy at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, who will highlight the disruptive technologies defining the future of the travel and hospitality industries.
The third address will seePatrick Baudis, Vice President Marketing, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft and Alexa Luppi, Cabin Interior Development for SWISS International Airlines talk about the launch of Bombardier’s C series which joined the Swiss fleet in 2016.Janis Vanags, Vice President Corporate Communications, airBaltic will also join the session to address re-engineering the passenger experience and improving engagement.
After a short networking break, in which delegates can participate in a Delft University of Technology experiment investigating the best methods of stimulating passenger movement to improve their comfort,the programme will be divided into three breakout sessions focusing onGenerating Revenue, Comfort and Wellbeing and The Connected Journey.
Expanding ancillary revenue opportunities onboard
The PEC’s Generating Revenue sessions will address how travel operators can generate ancillary revenue at every stage of the passenger journey. Speakers include Jeremy White, Head of Transport for Seymourpowell who will address the opportunities for flexible seating onboard. Meanwhile Jaap Roukens, Chief Executive Officer, iFLEAT andNils Steinig, Project Manager, Product Development, AirBerlin will explore how technology is expanding inflight dining experiences.
Other speakers confirmed include Nigel Duncan, Chief Executive Officer, STG Aerospace and John Baumgartner, Sales Director, Inflight & Catering, Gebr. Heinemann.
In the final session of the day a panel of experts will be invited to present a case study on intellectual property stakes and the opportunity to bring cutting-edge cabin solutions to market. The session will be moderated by Anthony Harcup, Associate Director, Acumen Design Associates. Harcup will be joined by Daniel Cuellar, Senior Manager of Onboard Product Development, United; Ian Dryburgh, CEO, Acumen Design Associates; James Ford, European Patent Attorney, Abel & Imray and Sebastien Vieillevigne, Group Patent Manager, Zodiac Aerospace.
Transforming passengers’ sense of comfort and wellbeing onboard
Opening the Comfort and Wellbeing sessions will be keynote speaker, Dr. G. Clotaire Rapaille, Founder, Archetype Discoveries Worldwide who will combine insights from biology, cultural anthropology and psychologyto explainwhy consumersdisplay certain behaviours towards products and services.
Additional speakers confirmed include David Watts, Managing Director, CCD Design & Ergonomics who will discuss the new High Speed 2 (HS2) railway in the UK. Stathis Kefallonitis, Founder & President, branding.aero; Stephen S. Kingsley, Managing Director, Flight Service, Food & Beverage, American Airlines; andPeter Wilander, Chief Commercial Officer, gategroup, will address how uncovering passengers’ subconscious reactions can create meaningful onboard services.While Paul Edwards, Head of Design and Brand Management, Airbus, Matthew Nicholls, Sales Director of Aerofoam Industriesand Claire Nurcombe, Head of Marketing at Stelia Aerospace will also take to the stage to explore the importance of designing for passenger comfort.
Peter Vink, Professor Applied Ergonomics & Design, Delft University of Technology will deliver the closing session. He’ll be sharing insights from the networking and lunch break movement stimulation experiments and offering recommendations on how to stimulate passengers to move during long flights.
Harnessing connectivity to drive engagement
In this stream, Loïc Rigaud, Operations Manager, Peugeot Design Lab, will deliver the keynote address, demonstrating how lessons learned in the automotive industry on interior design strategy can be applied onboard.
Rigaud’s session will be followed by a series of presentations on the new world of connected travel, from personalising the journey using inflight apps and inflight connectivity to new revenue models for connectivity and using emerging technologies, such as Li-Fi, to free up onboard connectivity. Experts such as Duncan Jackson, President, Flightpath 3D and Cyril Jean, Chief Executive Officer, PXCom will take to the stage throughout the day to share their expertise with attending delegates.
Following the close of the conference, delegates will be invited to network and discuss the day’s key topics with their peers and colleagues at the Industry Networking Party, which is free to attend for all conference attendeesand VIPs. The party offersthe perfect occasion to network with other industry professionals in a relaxed environment, whilst enjoying live music, cocktails and Bavarian-themed cuisine.
The Passenger Experience Conference kicks off Passenger Experience Week 2017. Comprising three events in one destination – the Passenger Experience Conference and two co-located exhibitions: Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) and World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) – the week will define the future of the global passenger industry.
It will commence with the conference and networking party, held on Monday 3 April in a new venue, moving from the Congress Centre Hamburg to the Hamburg Messe, Hall A4 Upper. The change of venue brings Passenger Experience Week under one roof and offers an exciting opportunity for further networking and debate at the leading global conference.
Earlybird conference rates are currently available, offering delegates the chance to save 10%. To book a place at the conference, visit http://bit.ly/2kmz3JU.
For more information on the Passenger Experience Conference, please visit: http://www.passengerexperienceconference.com/.For more information on World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo, please visit: http://www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/. For more information on Aircraft Interiors Expo, please visit: http://www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com/.
For further press information please contact Beki McVicker or Lesley Foottit at Storm Communications on
+44 (0) 207 240 2444 or email wtce@stormcom.co.uk
About Passenger Experience Week
Three leading events – the Passenger Experience Conference, Aircraft Interiors Expo and World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo – one week, one destination. Delivering content, driving innovation and developing connections to transform your business. Showcasing the latest in cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and connectivity, passenger comfort, catering and travel retail to create the ultimate passenger experience. Taking place 3-6 April 2017 in Hamburg, the events attract more than 18,000 visitors including 2,000 buyers and decision makers from major scheduled, regional and charter airlines and rail operators and offers the opportunity to meet face to face with suppliers and manufacturers covering the full spectrum of the industry. https://www.passengerexperienceweek.com
About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organiser, with over 500 events in 30 countries. In 2015 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 40 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.https://www.reedexpo.com
