Presented By

March 11-12, 2026

Presenting Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

Loyalty Summit CXM Americas

Chicago, IL
March 11-12, 2026

Event Information

This year’s theme:

Loyalty at 50 – In a Fickle World, Leadership Is the Constant

Loyalty isn’t dead – it’s been re-priced, re-tested and made conditional. Consumers are skeptical, rewards are diluted, and brand allegiance lasts only as long as the experience and leadership behind it. Loyalty Summit CXM 2026 cuts through the noise to reveal what actually builds durable loyalty today: strategic leadership, bold experimentation, and partnerships that work. Join leaders who are proving loyalty can be earned again – and kept.

Confirmed Speakers

Aaron Dauphinee

Chief Marketing Officer

The Wise Marketer

Aaron Glick

VP Omnichannel Marketing & Loyalty

Simon Property Group

Andrea Blanco

Director of Lifecycle Marketing

Pura

Arjang Attar Shoushtari

Assistant Professor, Ithaca College

Affiliated Researcher, Loyalty Science Lab

Ben Kaufman

Senior Director - CX, Loyalty & Corporate Communications

JSX

Bill Hanifin

CEO

Wise Marketer Group

Catherine Thacker

VP, Customer Engagement & Digital Marketing

Panera Bread

Chadwick Boyd

Founder & Principal

Chadwick Boyd Consulting

Dave Andreadakis

CCO

Loyalty Juggernaut

David Canty

SVP, Head of Loyalty & Partnerships

Bilt Rewards

Doris Daif

CoFounder, NextUp

Advisor / Consultant, Martellus Group

Douglas Glazer

Former Amazon, Nordstrom, Fanatics

Emil Sarkissian

CEO

Loyalty Methods

Evan Patton

Managing Director Strategic Partnerships

AAA National

Hector Pages

Chief Client Officer

Brandmovers

Jeff Rosenberg

Co-Founder and Partner

WideOpen

Jill Goldworn

Senior Vice President of Sales & Partnerships

IC Group

John Kelly

VP Loyalty & Partnerships

T-Mobile

John Ventura

Chief Development Officer

Skeps

Justin Tidmarsh

Founder & Managing Director

WITH/in

Kurt Kendall

Founder and CEO

Kairos Growth Advisors

Larry Rodgers

VP, Retail Brand Experience

Gap

Len Llaguno

Founder & Managing Partner

KYROS

Lisa Oswald

SVP and Global Head of Member Services

Travelzoo

Mark Wilson

SVP, Product Strategy & Operations (Tour & Cruise)

arrivia

Martha Cohen

VP Strategic Development

Kobie

Matt Howland

President

Cordial

Mitsy Lopez Baranello

EVP, Strategy, CRM & Loyalty

Digitas

Paula Darling

Sr. Manager, Global Loyalty Analytics

Foot Locker

Peter McNally

Managing Partner

Grey Space Matters

Phil Rubin

Founder

Grey Space Matters

Rowland Hobbs

CEO & Co-Founder

Stake

Ryan Green

Advisor, Loyalty Methods (former EVP, Chief Transformation and Commercial Officer, Southwest Airlines)

Shyam Shah

CEO

Loyalty Juggernaut

Stephanie Meltzer-Paul

Chief Commercial Officer

Sky Zone

Steven Allmen

Chief Strategy Officer

CAA National

Yuping Liu-Thompkins

Professor; Founder & Director of Loyalty Science Lab

Old Dominion University

Agenda

Preliminary program, with updates to come!

Day 1

March 11th, 2026 8:30am

LOYALTY SUMMIT CXM CONFERENCE Registration

March 11th, 2026 9:30am

Welcome Remarks

Speakers:

Tommy Danielsen

Founder - Loyalty Summit

David Feldman

Global Chair, Loyalty Summit

March 11th, 2026 9:40am

Opening Remarks - Welcome to Loyalty Summit CXM

Loyalty Summit CXM Chicago Chair Phil Rubin kicks off Day 1.

 

Speakers:

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

March 11th, 2026 9:50am

Welcome to Loyalty Summit CXM - Introduction

Speakers:

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

Dave Andreadakis

Chief Growth Officer, Loyalty Juggernaut

March 11th, 2026 10:05am

TRACK 1 - Loyalty Leadership

Who leads loyalty inside the organization and why it changes everything. Explore governance, metrics, and the leadership behaviors that turn programs into strategic advantage.

 

Presented By:

March 11th, 2026 10:05am

KEYNOTE: Loyalty Unstuck 2026: Leadership Required

Loyalty continues to face headwinds for a lot of brands, especially from a customer perspective. Hear the “divergence” data, what it leads to in terms of conculsions and what’s required to close the gap betwween how executives see loyalty and the reality of customers’ perspective.

Speakers:

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

March 11th, 2026 10:25am

Session - THE CEO'S MANDATE: WHY LOYALTY IS A BUSINESS (AND P&L) PRIORITY, NOT A MARKETING LINE ITEM

A high-level session on moving loyalty from “points management” to a core business strategy that dictates capital allocation, long-term commitment and valuation.

Speakers:

Len Llaguno

Founder and Managing Partner, KYROS

Aaron Glick

VP, Omnichannel Marketing and Loyalty, Simon Properties

March 11th, 2026 10:50am

Networking and Morning Refreshments Break

March 11th, 2026 11:10am

Session - THE COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT: WHAT IT TAKES TO DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING

An illustration of challenging the status quo with something right but different.

Speakers:

Justin Tidmarsh

Founder & Managing Director, WITH/in

Ben Kaufman

Senior Director - CX, Loyalty & Corporate Communications, JSX

John Kelly

VP Loyalty & Partnerships, T-Mobile

March 11th, 2026 10:40am

March 11th, 2026 11:35am

Fireside Chat - Loyalty Innovation and Leadership

Loyalty as an enterprise growth engine and problem solver as part of the business, not just a marketing program.

Speakers:

David Feldman

Global Chair, Loyalty Summit

Shyam Shah

CEO, Loyalty Juggernaut

March 11th, 2026 11:55am

Lunch and Networking Break

Networking and morning refreshments break

March 11th, 2026 1:15pm

TRACK 2 - The New New

Fresh loyalty models that break the mold. Case studies and experiments from brands reinventing value beyond points and discounts.

Presented By:

March 11th, 2026 1:15pm

Session - LOYALTY WITHOUT A PROGRAM: BUILDING LOYALTY THROUGH DELIVERING FRICTIONLESS VALUE AND A BETTER EXPERIENCE

A presentation and discussion on why a loyalty strategy is not always a program.

Speakers:

Stephanie Meltzer-Paul

Chief Commercial Officer, Sky Zone

Jill Goldworn

Senior VP of Sales and Partnerships, IC Group

March 11th, 2026 1:45pm

SUBSCRIPTION 3.0: INTEGRATING "MEMBERSHIP" INTO THE EVERYDAY LIFESTYLE

How to evolve paid membership / loyalty programs into indispensable lifestyle ecosystems that justify their monthly cost.

Speakers:

Lisa Oswald

SVP and Global Head of Member Services, Travelzoo

Doug Glazer

Former Amazon, Nordstrom, Fanatics

Steven Allmen

Chief Strategy Officer, CAA National

Hector Pages

Chief Client Officer, Brandmovers

Presented By:

March 11th, 2026 2:15pm

Track 3 - CX and Loyalty

Why customer experience and loyalty are inseparable. Tactics to align journey design, service, and rewards so one fuels the other.

March 11th, 2026 2:15pm

Session - Expanded Territory for Loyalty

Why a loyalty mindset needs to be built into the end-to-end customer experience to move from late journey, rational, and tactical to full journey, emotional, and strategic.

Speakers:

Kurt Kendall

Founder and CEO, Kairos Growth Advisors

Jeff Rosenberg

Co-Founder at WideOpen and co-author, The CX Imperative

Ryan Green

Advisor, Loyalty Methods (former Chief Commercial Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, Southwest Airlines)

March 11th, 2026 2:45pm

Session - The Hidden Economics of Loyalty: 2026 Trends from High Performing Loyalty Programs.

In a brand new report, KYROS reveals the essential KPIs used to show the economic impact of loyalty programs to support moving loyalty from cost center to profit driver.

Speakers:

Len Llaguno

Founder and Managing Partner, KYROS

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

March 11th, 2026 3:15pm

Networking and Afternoon Refreshments Break

March 11th, 2026 4:00pm

Session - The Opportunities and Limitations, of AI's Impact on the Customer Experience

Machines alone cannot drive brand love, which might sound obvious to some of us but clearly some brand leaders think otherwise. Hear from academic and brand leaders why there’s no silver bullet. At least yet.

Speakers:

Doris Daif

Co-founder, NextUp, Advisor / Consultant, Martellus Group

Yuping Liu-Thompkins

Founder & Research Director, Loyalty Science Lab

Larry Rodgers

Head of Retail Experience, The Gap

Presented By:

March 11th, 2026 4:30pm

Day 1 Chair Summary

Loyalty Summit CXM Chair Phil Rubin will share observations from today’s sessions and encourage feedback from attendees on key learnings and give a brief preview on what’s to come for Day 2.

Speakers:

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

March 11th, 2026 4:45pm

Loyalty Leaders Party

Open to everyone, no separate registration required! Extend the conversations over drinks.

Hosted By:

March 11th, 2026 6:30pm

Retailers-Only Dinner

Complimentary, requires separate registration, and is open to all retailers!

After the conclusion of day 1 of Loyalty Summit CXM Americas, join your retail peers for a special evening hosted by Loyalty Methods. This complimentary optional dinner is for Retailers only registering with their official business email.

Limited spots available, sorry, no +1’s!

Hosted By:

Day 2

March 12th, 2026 8:30am

REGISTRATION

March 12th, 2026 9:00am

WELCOME REMARKS

Speakers:

Tommy Danielsen

Founder - Loyalty Summit CXM

David Feldman

Global Chair, Loyalty Summit

March 12th, 2026 9:10am

CHAIR WELCOME - Welcome to Loyalty Summit CXM Day 2

Loyalty Summit CXM Chair Phil Rubin kicks off Day 2.

Speakers:

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

March 12th, 2026 9:20am

TRACK 4 - PARTNERSHIPS AND PAYMENTS AND THE IMPACT ON CX

There’s a new intermediary in town, AI. Which means that the usual challenges now have an added dimension. What does this mean and how are brands, platforms and coalitions managing in this new environment?

Presented By:

March 12th, 2026 9:20am

Hybrid Keynote: Partners, Disintermediation and Frenemies

The partnership battleground: when to collaborate, when to compete, and how to manage intermediaries without losing control of the customer relationship.

Speakers:

Dave Andreadakis

Chief Growth Officer, Loyalty Juggernaut

Evan Patton

Managing Director Strategic Partnerships, AAA National

Mark Wilson

SVP, Product Strategy & Operations (Tour & Cruise) Arrivia

John Ventura

Chief Development Officer, Skeps

March 12th, 2026 9:55am

Session - How Bilt and Stake are Each Approaching the Housing Market

Hear from Bilt’s Dave Canty and Stake’s Rowland Hobbs how they are each approaching the housing market, followed by a moderated discussion as they share what they’ve learned, what’s surprised them and where they think things are going.

Speakers:

Dave Canty

SVP Loyalty, BILT

Rowland Hobbs

CEO, Stake

Bill Hanifin

CEO, Wise Marketer Group

March 12th, 2026 10:40am

Fireside Chat - Cruise Trends: The Next High-Impact Loyalty Benefit for Retailers

Speakers:

Mark Wilson

SVP, Product Strategy & Operations (Tour & Cruise) Arrivia

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

March 12th, 2026 11:00am

Networking and Morning Refreshments Break

March 12th, 2026 11:35am

Session - Starbucks Rewards: Hot, Cold or Lukewarm on the Recently Announced Changes?

A critical look at recently announced changes to Starbucks Rewards as part of Starbucks turnaround strategy under its new leadership.

Speakers:

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

David Feldman

Global Chair, Loyalty Summit

Stephanie Meltzer-Paul

Chief Commercial Officer, Sky Zone

March 12th, 2026 12:00pm

TRACK 5 - AI: DISRUPTION WRIT LARGE, ITS IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

Consider we are perhaps 2% of the way into the AI-influenced future and 98% of the world doesn’t know what to think. Leaders from the loyalty and martech world, along with business and product owners offer candid takes and informed debate on what this means for us all.

Presented By:

March 12th, 2026 12:00pm

Session - AI, AGENTIC COMMERCE AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR BRANDS, LOYALTY AND CX

AI, including Agentic commerce, is here and the implications for brands and customer relationships are profound and continuing to evolve. As we deal with the beginning of AI’s impact, where does it end for brands, customers and channels? Will the outcomes be better or worse for each party?

Speakers:

Martha Cohen

VP Strategic Development, Kobie

Emil Sarkissian

CEO & Founder, Loyalty Methods

Chadwick Boyd

Founder & Principal, Chadwick Boyd Consulting

Matt Howland

President, Cordial

March 12th, 2026 12:40pm

Lunch & Networking Break

March 12th, 2026 2:00pm

Session - Rethinking the Path to Your Most Valuable Customer (MVC)

Learn how top brands design intentional journeys that turn new members into their Most Valuable Customers (MVCs), focusing on what matters most: meaningful engagement, emotional connection, and measurable value beyond just discounts and points.

Speakers:

Paula Darling

Sr. Manager, Global Loyalty Analytics, Foot Locker

Mitsy Lopez Baranello

EVP, Strategy, CRM & Loyalty, Digitas

Andrea Blanco

Director of Lifecycle Marketing, Pura

Catherine Thacker

VP, Customer Engagement & Digital Marketing, Panera Bread

March 12th, 2026 2:25pm

Track 6 - New Loyalty Research

Fresh, original studies and data reveals that cut through the noise: consumer sentiment shifts, loyalty currency effectiveness, churn drivers, and ROI benchmarks across retail, travel, and adjacent verticals.

March 12th, 2026 2:25pm

Keynote: LOYALTY SCIENCE LAB Presents New Research

A new framework differentiating between macro- and micro-loyalty based on consumers’ mindset about their relationship with a brand.

Speakers:

Yuping Liu-Thompkins

Founder & Research Director, Loyalty Science Lab

Arjang Attar Shoushtari

Assistant Professor, Ithaca College, Affiliated Researcher, Loyalty Science Lab

March 12th, 2026 2:55pm

Networking and Afternoon Refreshments Break

March 12th, 2026 3:20pm

Keynote: Loyalty Paradox: Why 98% Say They're Loyal ... But More Than 3 in 4 Will Leave You Tomorrow

Aaron pulls back the curtain on both the uncomfortable truths from Wiser Research’s latest study of 2,000+ U.S. consumers active at Convenience & Fuel and Home Improvement retailers, as well as innovators breaking through, and the framework separating programs people tolerate from programs people love.

Speakers:

Aaron Dauphinee

Chief Marketing Officer, WIse Marketer Group

Presented By:

March 12th, 2026 8:00am

Networking and Afternoon Refreshments Break

March 12th, 2026 3:50pm

CLOSING REMARKS - Day 2 Chair Summary

Loyalty Summit CXM Chair Phil Rubin will share observations from today’s sessions and encourage feedback from attendees on key learnings.

Speakers:

Phil Rubin

Loyalty Summit Americas CXM Chair

Event Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Loyalty Juggernaut (LJI), headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, engineers next-gen customer engagement, empowering global brands through its enterprise-grade loyalty technology solutions. Its flagship GRAVTY® platform, a future-proof, AI-powered loyalty orchestration engine built with patented technology, conquers complexity across diverse ecosystems from airlines to finance. A three-time Golden Loyalty Award winner for Best Technology Innovation, GRAVTY® reshapes the loyalty landscape with advanced AI, serverless architecture, and cloud-native capabilities.

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Specialty Sponsors

More Information

Attached Language Intelligence has been a trusted language intelligence provider to international companies for over 20 years. They cater to a variety of clients with specialized translation needs (marketing, legal, technology, financial, IT) and have a strong reputation in the travel & tourism, aviation and customer loyalty program fields. In order to personalize their content for customers, brands require localization of their communication across most if not all channels. In 35+ languages, Attached’s language professionals help their clients translate web content, copywrite personalized e-mail campaigns and subtitle videos for social media.

More Information

SIXT is redefining loyalty in the car rental industry by focusing on premium, technology-driven customer experiences rather than traditional, point-heavy programs. SIXT demonstrates that for modern travelers, loyalty is earned through operational excellence, making them a standout challenger brand.

More Information

Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world’s most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2021, Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its nearly 59,000 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among as many as 130 million Customers carried a year.

Venue

The Loyalty Summit CXM Americas 2026 conference will be held at the Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile, located at 633 North St. Clair Street, Chicago, IL 60611. 

Attendees can enjoy a special room rate of $179++ for single/double occupancy. Click here to book. 

 

HAVE QUESTIONS? WE HAVE ANSWERS.

This year’s theme: Loyalty Innovation:  It’s about time.  And Brands.

Loyalty Summit is known globally for being a modern and creative Executive Summit in luxurious surroundings, which attracts the most senior attendees and speakers. We encourage high-level, interactive discussions and innovative networking throughout our events, both on-stage and during the social and networking breaks. Our events are interactive, engaging, and (mostly) PowerPoint free. We invest a lot in our content, and it’s created by the brightest minds in the loyalty industry. 

Our Loyalty Summit events are typically broken down in to  conference tracks  covering current topics and innovative themes related to customer loyalty. These tracks are further broken down into recurring sessions. Some session formats include: 

Hybrid Keynotes: Our hybrid keynote sessions are short presentations of 10-20 minutes introducing the conference track and delivered by a guest speaker. Our moderator then leads an interactive panel discussion about the keynote topic; this discussion lasts 30-40 minutes. 

Roundtable Discussions: Our Roundtables focus on key issues surrounding our individual conference tracks. These Roundtables are typically made up of two to four panelists and typically last 45 minutes. A moderator (usually the Chairperson) leads the discussion.  

Fireside Chats: Our Fireside chats enable our sponsors to present their products and ideas in short 20-minute conversations between the sponsor and the Loyalty Summit chairperson.  

Deep Dive Workshops:  Dedicated slot for our sponsors to demonstrate their thought leadership. Workshops are not sales pitches—they are designed to provide information and education to our Summit attendees. 

Loyalty Summit events are truly where Loyalty Leaders Meet

Don’t take our word for it. Let our friends tell you why: 

“LS CXM LA was a great place to connect with industry colleagues, learn from experts, and hear useful case studies of how innovative loyalty managers are creating value for their customers and businesses. I’ll be there in 2025 for sure.”

–Douglas Glazer, VP of Loyalty Fanatics

“Thoroughly enjoyed attending Loyalty Summit last week in London! It was great seeing old friends and meeting new people in the loyalty space. Thanks to Tommy Danielsen and the rest of the Loyalty Summit team for another amazing conference! Always a highlight in my calendar each year!”

– Oliver Ross, Visa 

“The global background of all the attendees as well as the combined years and years of expertise is a unique asset that this conference offers, which is hard to match. And certainly, for an airline and loyalty program with the size and scale of ours is really an integral and a central asset that we can learn from.”

– Ben Lipsey, SVP Customer Loyalty, Air France KLM

“I came to Loyalty Summit to make new connections, meet new people in the industry, see what I can learn, and see what’s happening in terms of trends in the Loyalty travel space and to take the lessons back.”

– Sylvia Chougle, Manager, Loyalty Systems & Analytics, RCL Cruises

“I always end up learning something new and [leaving] with something to take home. I always learn a new angle, or new position that is [relevant] to what we do.”

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

“Very nicely facilitated and interesting getting challenged, and a lot of inspiration on various topics.”

– Håvard Uglem Hovdahl , VP Loyalty, Strawberry 

“Had a fantastic experience at the recent Loyalty Summit in London! I had the honor of delivering a keynote address focusing on the pivotal role of technology in driving program growth and business innovation within the travel loyalty sector. I shared concrete examples from our journey at Emirates Skywards, which have fueled our remarkable growth over the past decade and positioned us for continued success in the future.  
 The summit provided a platform for insightful discussions on upcoming loyalty trends and the obstacles associated with implementing transformative technology.” 

– Dr, Nejib Ben-Khedher, Emirates 

“I love the networking. I love the organization [and] the opportunity to connect with my colleagues and learn and understand how peers are doing in the same situation as we are with day-to-day business.”

– Teresa Comparato, Group Manager CRM Strategy, Euroconsumers

“Great event with invaluable insights! Thank you for the opportunity and for the wonderful organisation!” 

– Loyalty Partner Solutions  

“I came to Loyalty Summit because this is really where all the leaders from loyalty congregate. I haven’t been here for a long time. It’s just an opportunity to meet lots of people and talk about important things in Loyalty.” 

– Brian Sumers, Skift  

“Your efforts to make everything perfect at Loyalty Summit were truly appreciated. It was a fantastic experience.”

– Engage People  

“Attending the Loyalty Summit CXM in Los Angeles was a really valuable experience.  As a professional in the loyalty and customer engagement space, I’ve attended several industry events, and what I appreciated most was the opportunity to connect with like-minded loyalty professionals and thought leaders who were eager to share their experiences and best practices. The networking opportunities were top-notch, fostering meaningful discussions that have influenced my approach to loyalty strategies. 

The conference covered a wide range of topics, I really enjoyed the content presented about customer behavior, and I left the event feeling inspired and with a fresh perspective on how to take our loyalty program to the next level.  If you’re in the loyalty or customer engagement space, I strongly recommend attending the Loyalty Summit CXM in Los Angeles. It’s an investment in your knowledge, network, and business success.”

–Anil Mansukhani, Vice President Loyalty Marketing, MGM Resorts

“The CXM Loyalty Summit was impressive. They assembled a talented group of leaders who shared valuable insights from their programs, discussed innovative growth opportunities, and encouraged genuine connections. For loyalty professionals looking to elevate their game and build meaningful industry relationships, this conference is a must-attend.”

-Aaron Glick, Managing Director, Loyalty & Rewards, Greystar 

The Loyalty Summit attracts the World’s leading travel loyalty programs, their suppliers and the World’s leading loyalty technology providers. At the Loyalty Summit you are guaranteed to meet the true decision makers and the companies that assist in their success.

Here’s a small sample of the many travel loyalty companies that have attended some of our recent events:

 

The Loyalty Summit CXM Americas 2026 conference will be held at the Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile, located at 633 North St. Clair Street, Chicago, IL 60611. 

The Loyalty Summit CXM is sponsored by leading retail industry companies and providers from technology, software, and consultancy to finance and all sorts of solutions providers. 

Show off your brand to the World’s travel loyalty leaders and get the best ROI at the Loyalty Summit CXM.

 If you’d like to know more, please leave your information and we’ll provide you with a sales deck that fits any need and budget.

We also offer discounts to first-time sponsors.  

Contact Us!

Loyalty Summit CXM Americas 2026 Registration

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