The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) has finalised the airline industry leaders who will speak at their upcoming APEX/IFSA Global EXPO from 28 to 30 October 2024 at Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Centre, Long Beach, California. Co-located with International Flight Services Association (IFSA) and Future Travel Experience (FTE), APEX/IFSA Global EXPO spans end-to-end passenger experience, both in air and on the ground.
The speakers are experts in customer experience, fleet management, accessibility, and product innovation from internationally renowned flag carriers, who will share their expertise and predictions for the future through the event’s sessions and panels.
Confirmed speakers from APEX
- 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
- Maryam Simson, Director, Jetway Communications
- Robynne Trueman, Business Editor, PAX Tech
- Seth Miller, Author, PaxEx.Aero
- Michelle Fleury, Correspondent & Anchor, BBC News
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, will be featured in an exclusive Fireside Chat/Case Study. He will share 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.
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 in a thought leadership panel.
Oren Cohen Butansky (EL AL), Mark Muren (United Airlines), and Nick Ewen (The Points Guy) will share insights on maximizing in-flight ancillary revenue through personalized passenger experiences and innovative technologies.
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 in developing solutions for air travel for those with mobility impairments in a cross-industry session and detailed topical workshop.
Industry experts will discuss forward-looking strategies for revolutionizing airline in-flight entertainment curation by 2030. Moderated by Maryann Simson (Jetway Communications Ltd.).
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-gen digital airline cabin and how technology will reshape the passenger experience. Panelists include Fabien Pelous (Air France), Mustafa Mucahitoglu (Turkish Airlines), Paul Verhagen (SAS), and Robynne Trueman (PAX Tech).
For a complete list of upcoming APEX, IFSA, and FTE events, please visit APEX Events.
About the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX)
As a global non-profit and one of the world’s largest international airline associations, APEX advances passenger experience with the backing of nearly every major airline and valued supplier over the past 42 years. In conjunction with both the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) and Future Travel Experience (FTE), APEX serves the full spectrum of the end-to-end travel experience. APEX reinvests all its resources to serving its members, strengthening the worldwide airline industry, advancing thought-leadership, fostering business opportunities via events, developing global initiatives, setting key airline standards, and highlighting well-deserved recognition across our industry.
About the International Flight Services Association (IFSA)
The International Flight Services Association (IFSA) is a global professional association serving the needs and interests of airline and railway personnel, caterers and suppliers who provide onboard services on regularly scheduled travel routes. Under the umbrella of APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) serving every major airline in the world, IFSA is dedicated to the advancement of the art and science of the multi- billion dollar inflight and railway onboard service industry.
Featured image credited to Mary Kirby