Day 2 | Thursday, February 5
8:00 am - 8:20 am
Rise & Dine Breakfast
Gather around the table with a nourishing plate, big cup of coffee, and kickstart your morning with energy and connection.
8:20 am - 8:30 am
Chairperson's Opening Remarks
8:30 am - 9:00 am
EXPERT PANEL | Add to Cart: AI-Powered Retail Engagement
Retail is transforming at lightning speed, and AI is at the center of the change. From cutting-edge marketing tech driving personalization at scale to modernizing legacy systems, brands are reimagining how they connect with customers. But new opportunities also bring new challenges—identity protection, black-box data environments, and finding the right balance between automation and the uniquely human touch. This panel gathers retail leaders who are pushing the boundaries of AI adoption to share how they’re modernizing engagement, leveraging data responsibly, and designing experiences that serve both customers and employees.
Key Takeaways:
- How retailers are modernizing legacy data while protecting customer identity and data.
- The shift from traditional segmentation to broad signal-based personalization in a “black box” world.
- Balancing AI automation with the human creativity and judgment that drive great CX.
- How AI can empower marketing, product, and CX teams to focus on what matters most—building meaningful connections with customers.
9:00 am - 9:40 am
QUICKFIRE SPOTLIGHT | Innovation in Action: Real Outcomes from the Field
Fast-paced, TED-style case studies from leading solution providers, each spotlighting measurable customer impact and lessons learned from real-world transformation.
9:40 am - 9:45 am
Comfort Break
9:45 am - 11:15 am
Business Meetings
11:15 am - 11:45 am
Wellness Refresh Networking Break
Take a moment to snack, sip, and recharge. From vibrant smoothies to fresh veggies and dips, this break is designed to refresh your body, spark conversation, and energize your mind for the afternoon ahead.
Executive Forums
EXECUTIVE FORUM A
11:45 am - 12:30 pm Learning Lab: L&D for AI AdoptionAs AI tools become core to operations across every function and department, successful adoption depends even more on learning and skill building than it does on the tech itself. The ability to experiment, iterate, and adapt quickly is what distinguishes full adoption from baseline implementation, but that is easier said than done when there is no educational “playbook” for technologies evolving more rapidly than ever.
Join peers to explore practical frameworks for hands-on learning, peer experimentation, and skill development that help employees (and yourself) effectively leverage AI in day-to-day roles.
EXECUTIVE FORUM B
11:45 am - 12:30 pm Journey-Driven Customer Service: Aligning AI, People, and OutcomesAs AI becomes a core component of customer service and experience, success is less about the technology itself and more about how people and teams leverage it. Join this session for a candid conversation with cross-industry peers on rethinking customer support in the age of AI and journey-driven service.
- Optimize customer journeys to protect and grow retention, loyalty, and lifetime value
- Balance innovative tech with high-value human interactions to unlock strategic impact
- Shift the perception of support and account management from a cost center to a value-generating function
- Structure teams and enablement programs to maximize effectiveness across internal and outsourced partners
- Create a culture of proactive, accessible, and differentiated customer service that reinforces brand trust
Choose your table: Two focused executive discussions on shaping the future of strategy, AI, and customer experience.
Think Tanks
THINK TANK A
1:15 pm - 2:00 pm Trustworthy Insights: Mitigating Data Hallucination & BiasData can mislead as easily as it can guide. Join peers to dive into the challenges of identifying and reducing bias and hallucination in AI-driven insights and analytics. Explore strategies for ensuring that your data and models drive accurate, ethical, and actionable business decisions. Come ready to share experiences, debate best practices, and leave with practical approaches for trustworthy analytics and informed decision-making.
THINK TANK B
1:15 pm - 2:00 pm Real-Time Feedback EcosystemsCapturing insights is only the first step — the real value comes from acting on them. Explore strategies to collect, analyze, and operationalize feedback across channels, turning insights into immediate, measurable action.
Key Takeaways:
- Design real-time feedback loops to inform decisions
- Integrate insights across touchpoints for holistic understanding
- Align teams and workflows to act quickly and effectively
- Use feedback to drive continuous improvement in both customer and employee experiences
Choose your discussion: Structured, facilitated discussions that tackle specific challenges, collaborate on solutions, and leave with actionable strategies.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Business Meetings
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Networking Break | Guac n' Talk
Sip, dip, and mingle with chips, assorted dips, and refreshing agua fresca.
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVES | Heart vs. Speed: Navigating the CX / AI Dilemma
As AI and automation redefine what’s possible in customer experience, a growing question emerges: can we harness technology’s full potential without losing the human connection that makes CX meaningful? In this lively, debate-style session, two industry leaders will approach these questions from opposite sides of the spectrum — one championing human-centered design and empathy-driven innovation, the other advocating for scalability, efficiency, and measurable ROI.
- How to apply human-centered design as the foundation for AI in CX
- When empathy should lead — and when efficiency should win
- How AI can augment creativity and connection, not just speed and scale
- Rethinking employee roles, readiness, and confidence in the AI era
Executive Think Tanks
TABLE 1
4:30 pm - 5:10 pm Human + AI Collaboration in the Contact Center- Best practices for balancing automation with empathy-driven interactions
- Optimizing workflows to enhance both efficiency and human connection
- Measuring outcomes and continuously improving the human + AI partnership
TABLE 2
4:30 pm - 5:10 pm Reskilling & Adaptive Coaching for the AI-Enabled Workforce- Developing programs to help employees evolve alongside AI adoption
- Leveraging adaptive coaching, microlearning, and performance feedback
- Driving engagement, retention, and confidence in changing roles
TABLE 3
4:30 pm - 5:10 pm Leadership in Times of Change: Driving Culture & AdoptionTABLE 4
4:30 pm - 5:10 pm AI-Driven Insights for Operational Excellence- Translating analytics into actionable workforce decisions
- Monitoring KPIs to balance efficiency, experience, and employee satisfaction
- Using predictive insights to proactively manage staffing, workflows, and service outcomes
TABLE 5
4:30 pm - 5:10 pm Designing a Future-Proof WorkforceClose out Day 2 with one of five intimate, topic-specific roundtables focused on workforce innovation, AI integration, and leadership in the era of human + AI collaboration. Each discussion is designed to address your priorities, share experiences, and uncover actionable strategies with and from your peers to take back to your organization.
5:30 pm - 7:45 pm
Sails & Sunset | A Sunset Cruise on the Bay
Set sail on the sparkling waters of San Diego Bay as the sun dips below the horizon. Enjoy stunning city skyline views, gentle ocean breezes, and an evening of relaxed networking with fellow attendees. This is the perfect way to unwind, connect, and toast to new ideas and connections under a California sunset.
