Loyalty & Awards 2026

Martha Cohen, VP, Client Services, Travel & Hospitality, Kobie Marketing

• The individualization of consumers and what it means for loyalty managers
• Narrowing the gap between consumer expectations and financial objectives
• Closer integration of loyalty and CRM for a seamless customer experience across multiple brands
• Driving technology decisions based on CX considerations
• Measuring satisfaction of loyalty members as input to program enhancements

Jelena Kezika, Vice President Strategy, Global Hotel Alliance

• Defining the internal place of loyalty
• Catching up with technology developments
• Delivering on the loyalty promise consistently across touchpoints
• Rebalancing power between airlines and banking partners

James Curry, VP Product & Member Engagement, Skywards, Emirates

Interviewer: TBA

• The journey of the industry towards zero-emission
• Achieving the objective with current growth rates: mission impossible?
• Possible contributions of loyalty departments, today and tomorrow
• What role for other elements in the ecosystem, from partners to suppliers?

Matt Ridley, Director of Sustainability and Innovation, oneworld

• Key objectives to achieve with an organizational set-up: Strategy alignment vs. required flexibilitys
• Reasoning behind the loyalty set-up at Lufthansa Group
• Understanding the particular challenges at an airline group with one common FFP

Michael Meraner, Manager Loyalty Strategy & Status Management, Lufthansa

• 8-minute pitch for each of three shortlisted suppliers

Moderator: Ravindra Bhagwanani, Managing Director, Global Flight

Judges:

Ben Lipsey, SVP Customer Loyalty, Air France KLM

TBA

TBA

Participate in one of two parallel workshops of key vendors, talking about their latest solutions to common industry issues.

No pre-registration is required.

Workshop 1: TBC

TBC, Loyalty Partner Solutions

Workshop 2: TBC

TBC, Kobie Marketing

• The actuarial foundation of loyalty point valuation and liability management
• Breakage modelling: methodologies, applications and best practices
• The role of accounting standard in loyalty program’s financial reporting
• Problem statements in loyalty programs and how actuarial techniques bring solutions

Ann Cheung, Programme Actuary, Cathay Pacific

• The fundamental evolution of customer structures in the hospitality industry
• Reviewing the model to identify the most profitable customers
• Incorporating the different economics of loyalty programs across global markets
• What can be done beyond rigid program propositions?

Theo Holloway, Sr. Director | Marketing, BWH Hotels

• How Fintech is changing the possibilities in the loyalty space
• Redefining technology standards at a global level
• Are loyalty programs just buyers or actors?
• What to expect next in Fintech?

TBA

Moderator: TBA, Kobie Marketing

This is your opportunity to meet existing and potential partners/suppliers from all over the world to strengthen and start business relationships in a highly efficient manner.

Meetings can be pre-arranged through connecting with other delegates over the event website or the event app in the run-up to the event.

Master of Ceremony: TBA

Judges:

TBA

TBA

TBA

Ravindra Bhagwanani, Managing Director, Global Flight

Ravindra Bhagwanani, Managing Director, Global Flight

• Are alliances becoming less relevant with the strengthening of JVs?
• Defining the role of alliance organizations: Backoffice standards vs. customer-facing initiatives
• Switching focus from seamless customer experience to loyalty
• Which new value-adding loyalty initiatives could be considered by alliances?

TBA, SkyTeam
Gilbert Ott, Director of Loyalty, oneworld
Craig Bond, COO, Pan Pacific Hotel Group

Moderator: TBA

Participate in a workshop of a key vendor, talking about their latest solutions to common industry issues.

No pre-registration is required.

Workshop: TBC

• Insights into case studies of 2025 Awards winners
• Benefits for shareholders and members
• Process of generating award-winning initiatives

Moderator: Ravindra Bhagwanani, Managing Director, Global Flight

Award winners - TBA on site

Wishlist by three loyalty decision makers, which future technology solutions they would like to see to come to fruition to make their life simpler.

TBA

TBA

TBA

• Presentation of the research methodology
• Summary of key findings: Which AI applications add value for customers?
• Identification of differences across global markets
• Practical take-ways for loyalty managers

Ryan Baltrip, Executive Director Loyalty Science Lab, Old Dominion University