October 15-17, 2025 | Downright Austin | Austin, TX
DAY 1 Wednesday | October 15
9:30 am - 10:00 am
Check-In Opens
10:00 am - 10:15 am
Exchange Orientation + Opening Remarks
Jake Frederico -
Research Analyst & Program Manager,
CMP
10:15 am - 10:45 am
CMP Research Signature Study | AI for CX: Presenting CMP Research Prism for Customer Analytics
Jordan Zivoder -
Quantitative Research Lead,
CMP Research
Companies are looking to better understand their customers so can serve them more proactively. That's one reason why 68% of companies are increasing investments in customer analytics tools. AI is expanding what analytics tools can do and better UX, ease of use, upgraded visualizations and more are helping analytics and Voice of Customer teams move beyond reactive data, like post-contact surveys. How should you differentiate customer analytics providers and what do marketplace trends suggest about this technology category? Learn more from CMP Research as it unveils its latest Prism for Customer Analytics Tools.
10:45 am - 11:15 am
Beyond ROI: Measuring the Return on Growth Through Experience-Led Innovation
Hugo Henri -
Head of CX & Innovation,
Amarack
Too often, innovation efforts are judged solely by their financial return—but what if the most powerful metric isn’t ROI, but ROG: Return on Growth?
In this session, we pullp back the curtain on how one of the world’s largest service providers is rethinking global innovation by anchoring it in experience—from the customer to the employee to the stakeholder. With operations spanning from healthcare systems in Chile to sports stadiums in Germany and amusement parks across Asia, Aramark’s approach isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s agile, adaptive, and grounded in local context.
Henri will showcase the company’s Aramark Connected program, a global initiative to identify and eliminate friction points across the customer and employee journey. He’ll explore how tailoring innovation to local cultures, staffing realities, and data privacy expectations leads to scalable transformation—without alienating the people driving it.
Through real-world case studies, attendees will learn:
Why customer experience is only one piece of the puzzle—and how employee and stakeholder experiences complete the equation.
How to reframe innovation ROI by measuring Return on Growth, retention, and satisfaction.
What it takes to scale innovation globally without losing local relevance—from mobile payments to back-end automation.
Learn how to structure innovation initiatives that align stakeholder, employee, and customer expectations.
Understand how to identify “friction points” and turn them into experience opportunities.
Gain a framework for communicating the value of experience-led innovation beyond financial ROI.
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Lonestar Networking Brunch
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Business Meetings
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Expert Inisghts | The Social Safety Balancing Act: Navigating Trust, Safety, and AI in CX
Nishtha Jain -
Head of Innovation and Digital Technology,
Takeda
As the digital world continues to evolve, the design of social platforms has far-reaching implications for user well-being, trust, and safety. In this forward-thinking keynote, Nishtha Jain examines the unintended consequences of current platform design and makes a compelling case for integrating safety as a core design principle. With the rise of generative and agentic AI accelerating user engagement and personalization, Jain explores the need for clearer accountability standards, including the potential for digital safety labels. Drawing from cross-industry examples and human-centered design approaches, this session challenges CX, UX, and technology leaders to prioritize trust, ethics, and user protection at the foundation of innovation.
2:15 pm - 2:45 pm
Networking break
Generative AI is set to transform customer experience from simple automation to dynamic collaboration. This session explores how brands can leverage generative AI to create personalized content, design unique customer interactions, and co-create solutions in real time, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.
Key Takeaways:
Understand the evolution from AI-driven automation to generative co-creation
Identify opportunities for integrating generative AI in content and service delivery
Learn best practices for balancing AI creativity with human oversight
Explore case studies showcasing successful generative AI applications in CX
Spatial computing blends physical and digital realities to create immersive, interactive customer journeys. Discover how AR, VR, and 3D interfaces can revolutionize product discovery, retail experiences, and customer engagement by enabling personalized, location-aware interactions.
Key Takeaways:
Explore emerging spatial computing technologies and their CX applications
Learn how to design seamless omni-channel journeys incorporating AR/VR
Understand challenges around hardware adoption and customer accessibility
Examine strategies to measure ROI on immersive CX initiatives
3:15 pm - 3:45 pm
Quickfire Spotlight | 3 Stories, 30 Minutes, Real Results
In this fast-paced, TED-style session, three solution providers each take the stage for a focused 8–10 minute talk.
Each spotlight highlights a real customer experience challenge - and the solution that made a measurable impact. Clear, concise, and results-driven.
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm
Comfort Break
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Business Meetings
With evolving technology and shifting customer expectations, building loyalty requires more than rewards—it demands authentic relationships and value. This think tank dives into strategies to foster trust, engagement, and long-term loyalty in digital-first experiences.
Key Takeaways:
Identify drivers of loyalty beyond traditional programs
Learn how to personalize loyalty experiences with technology
Explore the role of transparency and ethical business practices
Develop tactics to measure and sustain customer lifetime value
Gamification, when thoughtfully integrated with loyalty programs, can drive deeper customer engagement and long-term retention. This think tank highlights how to design reward systems that are meaningful, fun, and aligned with customer motivations.
Key Takeaways:
Explore psychology behind effective gamification and rewards
Learn strategies to integrate gamification into omnichannel loyalty programs
Understand how to leverage data for personalized reward experiences
Review measurement techniques for loyalty program success
