EITK Event 4

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

12:30 AM – 2:30 AM
Coquina
NETWORKING EVENT - EARLY ARRIVAL EVENT
Networking Nightcap
11:45 AM – 1:30 PM
CHARITABLE EVENT
Sandcastles at Sunrise
1:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Talbot Registration
REGISTRATION
Registration
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Talbot AB
LEADERS CHOICE: "CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY" SESSION
Leader's Choice - Hosted by Procedureflow
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Partner Reception
4:30 PM – 5:45 PM
Amelia Room
EXECUTIVE LUNCHEON
Executive Lunch - In Partnership with:
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Salon II
LUNCH
Lunch
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Talbot C
TECH FORUM
Tech Forum - Hosted by CSG Systems
Megan Lukitsch
Megan Lukitsch
CSG
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Cumberland
PEOPLE & PROCESS WORKSHOP
Workshop - Hosted by IntouchCX
7:15 PM – 8:15 PM
Talbot A
TECH FORUM
Tech Forum - Hosted by Flip
7:15 PM – 8:15 PM
Talbot B
PEOPLE & PROCESS WORKSHOP
Workshop - Hosted by GTCX
8:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Talbot C
TECH FORUM
Tech Forum - Hosted by Zenarate
8:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Cumberland
PEOPLE & PROCESS WORKSHOP
Workshop
9:45 PM – 10:30 PM
Salon I
CX MASTERCLASS
CX Masterclass
10:30 PM – 12:30 AM
Ocean Front Lawn
WELCOME RECEPTION
Welcome Reception

Thursday, February 26, 2026

12:30 AM – 3:00 AM
Salt, The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island
EXECUTIVE DINNER
Executive Dinner - In Partnership with: ibex
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Talbot Registration
REGISTRATION & BREAKFAST
Breakfast & Registration
1:15 PM – 1:45 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION
Conference Kickoff
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
GENERAL SESSION - KEYNOTE
Delivering Care Without Compromise: The Human-Tech Partnership at Visa
Katie Beaudry
Katie Beaudry
Visa

From her first job behind a supermarket checkout to leading Visa’s Global Client Care organization, Katie Beaudry has always understood that customer experience begins with empathy. What once required face-to-face presence has evolved into a world where data, AI, and predictive design enable care at scale — yet the heart of CX remains human. In this keynote, Katie will share how Visa is reimagining every stage of the service journey, building “self-healing” experiences and agentic AI systems that empower both customers and care teams to deliver seamless, personalized solutions in real time.

But transformation isn’t about technology alone; it’s about foresight, culture, and connection. Katie explores how her teams are blending human intuition with intelligent automation to deliver care without compromise. She’ll challenge leaders to rethink what preemptive service looks like in practice, how to equip teams for success in an AI-powered ecosystem, and how to keep the human touch alive at a global scale. Attendees will walk away inspired to raise the bar, not just by solving customer problems, but by anticipating them.

1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
GENERAL SESSION - KEYNOTE
Delivering Care Without Compromise: The Human-Tech Partnership at Visa

From her first job behind a supermarket checkout to leading Visa’s Global Client Care organization, Katie Beaudry has always understood that customer experience begins with empathy. What once required face-to-face presence has evolved into a world where data, AI, and predictive design enable care at scale — yet the heart of CX remains human. In this keynote, Katie will share how Visa is reimagining every stage of the service journey, building “self-healing” experiences and agentic AI systems that empower both customers and care teams to deliver seamless, personalized solutions in real time.

But transformation isn’t about technology alone; it’s about foresight, culture, and connection. Katie explores how her teams are blending human intuition with intelligent automation to deliver care without compromise. She’ll challenge leaders to rethink what preemptive service looks like in practice, how to equip teams for success in an AI-powered ecosystem, and how to keep the human touch alive at a global scale. Attendees will walk away inspired to raise the bar, not just by solving customer problems, but by anticipating them.

1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION - KEYNOTE
Keynote
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION - PANEL
Panel
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM
GENERAL SESSION - PANEL
Uncompromised Leadership — When Self-Respect Becomes Priceless - Hosted by Transcom
Carolyne M. Truelove
Carolyne M. Truelove
American Airlines
Lisa Oswald
Lisa Oswald
Travelzoo

When the stakes are high and the pressure is on, real leadership is revealed not by strategy decks or polished statements but by the courage to act with integrity, even when it costs something. In this intimate discussion, two EITK advisory board members and seasoned senior CX executives share candid stories of when their values were tested under fire. When the easiest choice isn’t the right one, and when standing firm carries personal or professional consequences, this is when true leaders stand firm.

We’ll explore how leaders evolve from good intentions to becoming “the one” others can count on: the person who speaks up, takes risks, and acts on their convictions when everyone else stays quiet. The conversation will examine how self-respect becomes the source of leadership courage, fueling trust inside organizations and loyalty among customers.

In this session, you’ll learn:

  • The anatomy of being “the one”: what separates leaders who act from those who don’t.
  • How to build the kind of self-respect that makes difficult choices possible.
  • The difference between performative leadership and leadership that costs you something.
  • Ways courageous decisions create psychological safety for teams and trust with customers.
  • How to recognize when you’ve become the leader you intended to be.

Expect real stories of integrity under pressure—from culture flashpoints to customer-impacting crises—and leave with practical insights on how courage, vulnerability, and personal accountability can transform organizations. Attendees will walk away inspired to embrace self-respect as a leadership operating system that not only protects employees and customers but also creates the foundation for authentic, lasting trust.

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
Beyond Recovery: Shaping a CX Model That Anticipates, Prevents, and Delights
Andrea Hughes
TruGreen
Dari Damazo
Dari Damazo
Atlanticus
Mike Jones
Mike Jones
The Home Depot
Seun Aiyese
Seun Aiyese
Southern Bancorp

Most service organizations remain focused on reacting to issues after they arise, yet the real opportunity lies in anticipating and preventing problems before customers ever need to reach out. This panel will explore how CX leaders are rethinking their approaches to become more predictive and proactive, leveraging a mix of customer data, journey signals, and emerging AI capabilities to spot friction points early and deliver pre-emptive support.

Panelists will discuss both the opportunities and the challenges in shifting from recovery to prevention — from making the internal case for investment in predictive solutions, to building the right organizational support, to ensuring governance and trust remain at the center. Expect practical insights into how companies are both executing and thinking about proactive outreach and empowering agents with “next-best actions,” all while learning from both successes and setbacks. Attendees will leave with a clearer view of how proactive strategies can reduce preventable contacts, elevate satisfaction, and lower costs while strengthening long-term customer relationships.

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
GENERAL SESSION - PANEL
Beyond Recovery: Shaping a CX Model That Anticipates, Prevents, and Delights - Hosted by VXI Global
Andrea Hughes
TruGreen
Dari Damazo
Dari Damazo
Atlanticus
Seun Aiyese
Seun Aiyese
Southern Bancorp
Tanisha Parker
Tanisha Parker
Grubhub

Most service organizations remain focused on reacting to issues after they arise, yet the real opportunity lies in anticipating and preventing problems before customers ever need to reach out. This panel will explore how CX leaders are rethinking their approaches to become more predictive and proactive, leveraging a mix of customer data, journey signals, and emerging AI capabilities to spot friction points early and deliver pre-emptive support.

Panelists will discuss both the opportunities and the challenges in shifting from recovery to prevention — from making the internal case for investment in predictive solutions, to building the right organizational support, to ensuring governance and trust remain at the center. Expect practical insights into how companies are both executing and thinking about proactive outreach and empowering agents with “next-best actions,” all while learning from both successes and setbacks. Attendees will leave with a clearer view of how proactive strategies can reduce preventable contacts, elevate satisfaction, and lower costs while strengthening long-term customer relationships.

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION - PANEL
Panel
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
North Foyer
NETWORKING BREAK
Networking Break with Coffee Bar
3:45 PM – 5:15 PM
Talbot A-C
CUSTOMER SHOP TALK
Customer Shop Talk
5:15 PM – 6:15 PM
Talbot D-H
LUNCH
Lunch
6:15 PM – 6:30 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION
Afternoon Comments
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
CX Livewire: Polling, Predictions, and Instant Feedback
Justin McMurtrey
Justin McMurtrey
Ladders
Sagarika Prusty
Sagarika Prusty
Quince

Just as data drives the vital operational adjustments that CX leaders make every day, data also fuels the strategic decisions that power entire programs. During this session, panelists will dive into the data of critical CX topics the goal of contrasting results from recent Execs In The Know’s CX research with live polling of the CRS Amelia Island audience. Real-time insights will help audience members benchmark themselves against the room, while panelists provide headlights into some of the biggest challenges and successes at their own organizations.

Come prepared to participate during this high energy, fast-paced session which is sure to produce both surprises and confirmation.

6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION - PANEL
Panel
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Salon II
INNOVATIONS LAB
Innovations Lab
9:00 PM – 9:30 PM
GENERAL SESSION - PANEL
Beyond Deployment: The Quality Assurance and Measurement Essentials for AI-Powered CX
Ian Schmehl
Ian Schmehl
Ian Schmehl
Peter Howerton
Peter Howerton
Northwell Health

As AI reaches new levels of deployment within the contact center, the focus is all too often on speed to market rather than sustained quality and performance. Without rigorous monitoring, these solutions can drift from intended outcomes, generate inconsistent or inaccurate responses, and even erode customer trust. The difference between AI-powered solutions that delight versus ones that frustrate often comes down to how well performance is measured, tuned, re-tuned, and governed over time. 

This panel will explore why monitoring AI quality must be as much a priority as implementing AI itself. CX leaders will share emerging best practices for establishing performance benchmarks, aligning AI outputs with business and customer goals, and setting up governance models that evolve alongside the technology. Attendees will gain practical insights on how to track both quantitative and qualitative results, run an effective QA layer, detect bias or drift, and create feedback loops that ensure AI remains a reliable extension of the customer experience strategy. 

During this panel, you’ll learn about: 

  • Which metrics are worth monitoring for generating actionable insights
  • Best practices for implementing a QA layer for AI-powered solutions
  • Common AI-powered solution performance issues that are detectable by better monitoring
9:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION - PANEL
Panel
9:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION - KEYNOTE
Keynote
9:30 PM – 10:59 PM
GENERAL SESSION - KEYNOTE
The Standard Is the Strategy

CX excellence isn’t created by software, scripts, or perfectly defined processes. It’s created by leaders, and the standard they’re willing to set for themselves. In this keynote, Travis Brown, former NFL quarterback and current pastor, delivers a direct challenge to CX executives: your team’s performance will never exceed the standard you personally embody.

Travis explores the uncomfortable but liberating truth that success can often mask slipping standards, and teams will always follow the tone the leader sets, especially when conditions aren’t ideal, pressure is high, or you’re leading teams you didn’t personally handpick.

This session will reshape how you think about standards, how they’re created, reinforced, and multiplied across the enterprise, and why EX will always dictate CX. Through powerful stories and practical leadership insight, Travis helps leaders see that the most scalable strategy for CX excellence is not a system… it’s a standard. And it starts with you.

10:00 PM – 10:45 PM
SOCIAL
The Glam Gap
10:45 PM – 11:30 PM
The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom Foyer
Walk the Red Carpet & Cocktails
11:30 PM – 3:00 AM
Salon I
NETWORKING EVENT - EVENING EVENT
The Crystal Gala: Celebrating 15 Years of Brilliance - In Partnership with Telus

Friday, February 27, 2026

12:30 PM – 1:15 PM
Talbot Registration
REGISTRATION & BREAKFAST
Breakfast & Registration
1:15 PM – 1:45 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION
Conference Opening
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION - KEYNOTE
Keynote
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
GENERAL SESSION - KEYNOTE
Walmart’s People-Led, Tech-Powered Approach to Customer Support
Meghan Nicholas
Meghan Nicholas
Walmart

As customer and associate support reaches a defining moment, CX leaders are being challenged to evolve faster than ever without losing the human connection that defines great service. In this keynote, Meghan Nicholas, Vice President of Customer Engagement Services at Walmart, will explore how large, complex organizations can modernize their service operations through a people-led, tech-powered approach. Drawing from real-world experience at scale, she will examine how today’s leaders are balancing rising expectations, accelerating technology, and the enduring need for empathy and trust across every customer touchpoint.

Attendees will gain perspective on designing service models that are both operationally resilient and deeply human, where innovation enhances, rather than replaces, meaningful connection. With the continued growth of automation, AI, and self-service, this session offers a timely, high-level look at how CX leaders can drive efficiency, clarity, and care simultaneously, setting a new standard for performance without compromise.

2:15 PM – 2:40 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION
Rapid-Fire Case Study
2:40 PM – 3:05 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION
Rapid-Fire Case Study
3:05 PM – 3:30 PM
North Foyer
NETWORKING BREAK
Networking Break
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
CX as a Growth Engine: Proving Value in the Boardroom - Hosted by TPUSA
Craig Barnes
Craig Barnes
Williams-Sonoma
Jen Joyce
Jen Joyce
Frontier Communications
Tanisha Parker
Tanisha Parker
Grubhub

Customer experience leaders know that delivering exceptional service drives loyalty, retention, and long-term business value. Yet, securing investment for new tools, talent, and innovations often requires more than intuition or anecdotal wins. Many CX leaders still face challenges in articulating a compelling financial case for investment, translating the less tangible benefits of customer care into metrics that resonate with CFOs, CEOs, and boards. Without a strong internal case, initiatives risk being deprioritized in favor of more easily quantified projects.

This panel will dive into proven strategies for building persuasive ROI models that tie customer care excellence directly to revenue growth, reduced churn, and operational efficiency. Panelists will share best practices for quantifying knock-on effects like customer lifetime value, brand advocacy, and competitive differentiation, while also offering guidance on how to educate senior leadership on the true business impact of CX. Attendees will leave with practical tools and storytelling techniques to strengthen their internal advocacy and secure the resources needed to elevate customer experience initiatives.

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Talbot D-H
GENERAL SESSION - PANEL
Panel
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
GENERAL SESSION - KEYNOTE
Keynote
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Keynote: Southwest Airlines
Kevin McDorman
Kevin McDorman
Southwest Airlines
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
North Foyer
LUNCH
Lunch

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