The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) has finalised the lineup of airline industry leaders who are confirmed to speak at the upcoming APEX/IFSA Global Expo, taking place from 28 to 30 October 2024 at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Centre in California.
The speakers, many of whom are from internationally renowned flag carriers, include experts in customer experience, fleet management, accessibility, and product innovation. They all plan to share their expertise and predictions for the future with the attendees of the various sessions and panel discussions at the event.
The confirmed speakers for APEX/IFSA Global Expo 2024
- Benjamin Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Air France-KLM
- Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer, Air Canada
- Shai Weiss, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Atlantic
- Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air
- Andre Viljoen, Managing Director and CEO, Fiji Airways
- Alex Wilcox, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, JSX
- Matthew Klein, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Spirit Airlines
- Fiona Kiesel, Chief Guest Officer, Breeze Airways
- Rossen Dimitrov, Chief Guest Experience Officer, Saudia
- Oren Cohen Butansky, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer, EL AL
- Paul Verhagen, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, SAS
- Perry Cantarutti, Senior Vice President of Alliances, Delta Air Lines
- Xia Cai, SVP Product Development & Design, Qatar Airways
- Patrick Brannelly, Senior Vice President – Retail, IFE, Connectivity, Emirates
- Fabien Pelous, Senior Vice President Customer Experience, Air France
- Bobby Schroeter, Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer, Frontier Airlines
- Mustafa Mucahitoglu, Vice President – Customer Experience, Turkish Airlines
- Antonio Fernandez, Vice President – Product and Onboard Services, Aeroméxico
- Anton Vidgen, Vice President – Guest Experience, Riyadh Air
- Rick Salanitri, President, Delta Flight Products
- Tyler Anderson, Product Innovation Manager, Delta Flight Products
- Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President Cabin Marketing, Airbus
- Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Managing Director – Customer Experience – DeltaStudio & Wi-Fi, Delta Air Lines
- Jack Kavanagh, Board of Directors of the National Disability Authority and Center for Excellence in Universal Design
- Jo Rowan, Associate Director Strategy, PriestmanGoode
- Joshua Hirschheimer, Associate Partner, Porsche Consulting
- Duncan Jackson, President, FlightPath3D
- Mark Muren, Managing Director – Brand Identity, Product, and Loyalty, United Airlines
- Stephan Schulte, Director Fleet Procurement, Lufthansa Group
- Dominic Green, Director – Inflight Entertainment, United Airlines
- Blake Rittenberg, Manager – Inflight Entertainment, Tech, & Partnerships, JetBlue
- Nick Ewen, Senior Editorial Director, The Points Guy
- Maryann Simson, Director, Jetway Communications
- Robynne Trueman, Business Editor, PAX Tech
- Seth Miller, Author, PaxEx.Aero
- Michelle Fleury, Correspondent & Anchor, BBC News
So what will they be discussing?
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, will take part in an exclusive Fireside Chat and case study session during which he will share his insights on the future of aviation and leadership in a post-pandemic world, making this a must-attend session for anyone looking to understand industry leadership from the top.
A thought leadership panel comprising Ekrem Dimbiloglu (Delta Air Lines), Xia Cai (Qatar Airways), Alex Wilcox (JSX), Matt Klein (Spirit Airlines), and Seth Miller (PaxEx.Aero) will explore how enhanced connectivity models can drive Net Promoter Scores and elevate customer satisfaction.
Oren Cohen Butansky (EL AL), Mark Muren (United Airlines), and Nick Ewen (The Points Guy) will share insights on maximising in-flight ancillary revenues through personalised passenger experiences and innovative technologies.
In a cross-industry session and detailed workshop on the topic of making air travel more inclusive, Ingo Wuggetzer (Airbus), Tyler Anderson (Delta Flight Products), Jack Kavanagh (National Disability Authority and Center for Excellence in Universal Design), Jo Rowan (PriestmanGoode), and Rick Salanitri (Delta Flight Products) will share their experiences of developing solutions for air travel for those with mobility impairments.
Industry experts will discuss forward-looking strategies for revolutionising airline in-flight entertainment (IFE) curation by 2030. These sessions will be moderated by Maryann Simson of Jetway Communications.
Experts will debate the future of seatback screens versus the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend, examining their impact on passenger experiences. Speakers include Anton Vidgen (Riyadh Air) and Antonio Fernandez (Aeroméxico).
A forward-thinking panel will explore the next-generation digital airline cabin and how technology will reshape the passenger experience. Panelists will include Fabien Pelous (Air France), Mustafa Mucahitoglu (Turkish Airlines), Paul Verhagen (SAS), and Robynne Trueman (PAX Tech).
APEX/IFSA Global Expo will be co-located with International Flight Services Association (IFSA) and Future Travel Experience (FTE) events, meaning the overall event will span the end-to-end passenger experience, both in air and on the ground. For more details visit the APEX/IFSA Global Expo website.
