FTE Global 2022 in pictures – more exclusives, more launches and more innovation than ever before

More than 1,000 senior industry figures representing airlines, airports, government agencies, industry vendors, technology giants and startups gathered at Future Travel Experience Global 2022 in Las Vegas between 6-9 September. The industry came together to learn, collaborate and be inspired on the next moves to transform passenger experience, business performance and sustainability strategies. Under the theme of “Future-proofing air transport”, the event was packed with exclusive announcements, new product launches, airline and airport CEO keynotes, inspirational presentations, interactive workshops, technical briefings, networking opportunities and the FTE Global Awards ceremony. Here we round up some of the highlights from the show.

Largest FTE Global exhibition to date – 75+ exhibitors showcased cutting-edge solutions from parallel reality and digital twins to biometric and automation solutions

The biggest FTE Global exhibition to date featured an international collection of suppliers ranging from household names through to the most innovative startups. More than 75 exhibitors showcased their cutting-edge solutions, products and services designed to help inspire the industry’s next moves to enhance end-to-end customer experiences and improve business performance and sustainability efforts. The exhibition featured some of the most established players in the sector, including NEC, Amazon One, Collins Aerospace, Amadeus, Copenhagen Optimization, IDEMIA, Lufthansa Systems and Vision-Box, plus FTE’s biggest Startup Zone to date.

Among some of the exclusive solutions on display in the exhibition was Vision-Box’s new Seamless Assistant – a state-of-the-art security gateway device to make passengers’ processing flow more efficient. This flexible and fully standalone mobile device is built with a small form factor on wheels and can be used in different scenarios. With a reduced footprint, the Seamless Assistant allows biometric identification with liveness detection and fast deployment in various locations, through its battery powered capability and mobile Wi-Fi wireless connection.

Attendees were also able to experience Amazon One’s Just Walk Out frictionless retail experience, which allows travellers to seamlessly enter the outlet with a swipe of their credit card or use “Tap to Pay”, take the products they’re looking for, and then walk out of the store. The technology has already been adopted by Hudson Nonstop across a number of airports in the US, including Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) and Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL). Among other impressive solutions on display was NEC’s comprehensive identity management platform, NEC I:Delight, which aims to deliver the future of digital identity in aviation.

Meanwhile, Veovo selected FTE Global to announce its new partnership with Norwegian airport operator Avinor to provide an integrated platform to forecast, plan, and optimise passenger movement, flight operations and baggage handling across all airports. In one of the airport industry’s most comprehensive machine learning programmes, the strategic collaboration aims to improve passenger experiences across its 40+ airports and allow for more cost-effective and reliable operations.

Attendees were also able to demo Misapplied Science’s Parallel Reality technology, deployed by Delta Air Lines at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and preview Willow’s digital twin solution adopted by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Another highlight was Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport’s (CVG) stand where delegates were able to find out more about CVG’s Innovation Partner Program and the companies taking part in the programme, including Ease, Donovan Energy and Ottonomy.

The exhibition floor also included a dedicated Startup Zone, featuring some of the most progressive new suppliers on the market, including Airware Solutions, Ariadne Maps, Avvinue, DutyFreak, Falco Systems, femPAQ, IDENTY, Make Some Noise, Oreyeon, SeatCash, Shabstec, UCPlaces and ZestIoT.

Join us at FTE APEX Asia Expo in Singapore, 9-10 November 2022 – find out more
Join us at FTE EMEA, Ancillary & Retailing in Dublin, 23-25 May 2023 – find out more
Join us at FTE Global 2023 in LA, 19-21 September 2023 – find out more

Exhibition Wrap-up – packed with exclusive announcements, new product launches, demos, and prize draw giveaways

New this year was the Exhibition Wrap-Up on Day 2 of the show, which provided an ideal opportunity for attendees to spend some quality time on the exhibition floor. Exhibitors had prepared exciting activities, such as drink receptions, prize draw giveaways, launches and demos. Among the highlights were NEC’s digital identity game which earned one lucky winner an Apple Watch; Plaza Premium Group’s ‘Wheel of Fortune’ competition with prizes such as passes to any of Plaza Premium Group’s lounges; samples of Icelandic ‘fire water’ by Plan3; a pet-friendly travel giveaway by Avvinue; a drinks reception and a prize draw from Copenhagen Optimization, who celebrated their one millionth Virtual Queueing customer; and many more.

A unique social and networking programme in the “Entertainment Capital of the World”

Future Travel Experience Global is renowned for its social and networking events and FTE Global 2022 was no exception. To kick off the show, delegates were invited to network at the ‘Unofficial Mixer’ at the quirky Beerhaus Las Vegas. At the end of Day 1 of the conference and exhibition, attendees were then treated to a Networking Reception in the exhibition hall, sponsored by Pangiam, where they were able to enjoy demonstrations in the exhibition and network with their peers, over refreshing drinks and snacks. An undoubted highlight was Pangiam’s biometric bar, which proved to be the centre of attention.

FTE Global 2022 culminated with a Networking Party & Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub and hosted by Harry Reid International Airport, at the Liquid Pool Lounge, ARIA Resort & Casino. During the party, Daniel Coleman, founder & CEO, FTE, and Justin Erbacci, CEO, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), took the opportunity to announce that LAWA will host FTE Global 2023, which will take place on 19-21 September 2023, at Long Beach Convention Center in California (find out more here).

Inspiring keynotes from Air Canada, Blue Origin, Connect Airlines, United Airlines, AUS and more

Michael Rousseau, President and CEO, Air Canada, shared some fascinating leadership insights in an interview with APEX/IFSA CEO Dr. Joe Leader in the Opening Keynote Session. “We embrace technology to make the customer experience much more personal, using data to market individually to each customer. We were an early adopter of AI, which has given us a very strong forecasting tool to look at future demand. We’re using AI in many different areas to make us more efficient and do a better job for our customers. We are also focused on putting more control in the customer’s hands, while giving our employees much more real-time information on the customers they are serving,” Rousseau said. He was also presented with the APEX Five Star Global Airline Rating certificate during his keynote in Vegas.

Blue Origin’s John Couluris then took to the stage to deliver an outstanding Opening Keynote, outlining his vision for the future of travel. As Vice President, Advanced Development Programs – Lunar Permanence, he leads an incredible team to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, working to design and build multiple classes of landers, habitats and resource-utilising technologies to ensure we reach the Moon and stay there. “We have one mission: building a road to space – installing infrastructure to enable our vision, or establishing an enduring human presence in space. We have had 23 successful flights of New Shephard – our first rocket. The next rocket is New Glenn, which carries the largest volume of cargo of any rocket currently in existence, as we’re trying to build that road to space.”

The Closing Keynote from John Thomas, CEO, Connect Airlines & Member of the Board at SkyService Inc and Icelandair Group, provided a fantastic finale to the first day of the FTE Global conference. Thomas explained how Connect Airlines will be “first to market with zero emission”. In collaboration with Universal Hydrogen, the airline is retrofitting 75 ATR 72-600s with hydrogen electric conversion kits to be the first zero emission airline in the US by 2025. He added that Connect Airlines will super-scale to become an industry benchmark with improved economics. “We will work with the ATR 72 aircraft manufacturer – once conversion is certified – so that all new aircraft are delivered with Universal Hydrogen’s system, so that Connect’s zero emission fleet can grow beyond the used market.”

Day 2 opened with the FTE Airports 2030 Symposium which featured an airport leadership keynote from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s (AUS) CEO Jacqueline Yaft. Yaft described how design, technology and innovation will be instrumental to future-proofing the airport, which is currently undergoing the most extensive improvement programme in its history.

Innovation Catalyst, Sustainability Architect & Futurist John Picard provided a glimpse into the future with his fascinating keynote on what’s next for the aviation sector. Picard challenged the industry to think differently – to “think beyond the possible”, as he put it. It’s our choice to make that “little push” to go beyond, he told attendees.

The grand finale of the conference on Day 3 featured a keynote presentation from Jeff Crist, SVP, Enterprise, Regional Properties, and Gaming Technology and Digital, MGM Resorts. He provided some insightful outside of the industry inspiration for the travel sector, with the MGM Resorts view on how physical digital convergence is transforming gaming and entertainment. Crist explained: “In the past, the physical and digital worlds were diverging and separate. Now, we have a collection of innovations that are converging the space into one, including Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, analytics, virtual reality, augmented reality, metaverse, NFTs, digital currency, and blockchain. The convergence results in a digital mirror or overlay of the physical with the ability to interact with both – a Digital Twin.”

The conference concluded with an exclusive Fireside Chat between Dr Joe Leader, CEO, APEX/IFSA and Scott Kirby, CEO, United Airlines. In a truly engaging discussion, Kirby focused on topics including diversity, technology, and the passenger experience, while his passion for sustainability also shone through. “Making travel easy is the most important objective – getting better at communicating with customers and taking the stress out of travel, while making the product better, more reliable, and friendly. My goal is to generate a culture where our employees are proud of the airline, as they will want our customers to feel the same way.” Kirby added that biometrics, which United Airlines is trialling, will be transformational to the customer experience.

Future Airports conference

The Future Airports conference kicked off with an exclusive interview with Chris Annetts, Chief Strategy Officer, Heathrow Airport, led by Daniel Coleman, founder & CEO, Future Travel Exeperience. Annetts addressed current challenges around workforce and scaling back up to pre-COVID-19 levels, and shared strategies for the future, including investments in new security equipment, new T2 baggage system, digitalisation of processes, and sustainability programmes.

The Future Airports conference focused on how airports should adapt, look, collaborate and operate going forward. The many pertinent topics covered included digital transformation and automation, identity, biometrics and security, planning and design, sustainability, reimagined customer experiences, commercial, workforce, baggage and operations, as well as the latest developments in areas such as the metaverse, NFTs, cryptocurrency, and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). A key session in this track focused on transformative approaches to industry collaboration that can reimagine the ways in which airports are developed, managed, leverage technology and realise potential. Moderator David Wilson, Managing Partner, daa International, was joined by Preston Peterson, Director of Customer Experience Innovation, American Airlines; Paul Puopolo, Executive Vice President of Innovation, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport; Melissa Conley, Executive Director of Capability Management and Innovation, Transportation Security Administration (TSA); and Dan Tanciar, Chief Innovation Officer, Pangiam.

The Airport Tech Leaders Conversation featured fascinating insights from global airport leaders on the technologies they are most excited about, and currently exploring. Marcus Session, Vice President Information Technology Services, Tampa International Airport & Chair of the ACI Innovation@Airports Working Group, led a panel of experts from Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Amazon Web Services, Harry Reid International Airport, Hamad International Airport, Collins Aerospace, and Metropolitan Airports Commission, who shared learnings and potential use cases for technologies from the likes of Web 3.0 and the metaverse, AI, machine learning, robotics, autonomous vehicles, digital identity and biometrics, digital twins, IoT and many more.

Digital & Innovation conference

Among the highlights in the Digital & Innovation conference track was a truly progressive session on ‘Putting the metaverse, crypto & NFTs to work in air transport’. Moderated by Dave Wilson, CEO, The Airport Guy, speakers in the session included Thomas Kearns, Digital Innovation Strategist, Perkins & Will, and Jooyoon Choi, Manager – Fast Travel Team / Passenger Innovation Group, Incheon International Airport Corporation. Kearns commented on the thresholds between realities: “The evolution of the hybrid workplace will normalise spatialised screen-based interactions for productivity and entertainment.” He added: “As AR normalises into everyday eyewear, the current phenomenon of reskinning your identity (RTFKT) will be employed to allow anyone to reskin/rebrand the built environment. Many different kinds of value will compete for your customers’ spatial filters.”

An insightful session on ‘Innovative technology utilisation by airlines’ also took place in the Digital & Innovation conference track, moderated by Erwan Perhirin, Director – Product Marketing, T-Mobile. Alaska Airlines’ Senior Product Manager Amanda Drescher and Principal Software Engineer Miguel Ruiz presented on how the carrier is leveraging apps for a connected day of travel experience. Greg Forbes, Managing Director Airport Experience, Delta Air Lines, explained the ground-breaking Parallel Reality beta experience it has introduced at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in partnership with Misapplied Sciences. The technology allows up to 100 customers to simultaneously see personalised content tailored to their unique journey on a single digital screen. Customers who opt in to the experience will see customised flight and wayfinding information. T-Mobile’s Erwan Perhirin also led an insightful Fireside Chat with Rocky Wiggins, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Spirit Airlines.

Day 2 in the Digital & Innovation track opened with a keynote session on Future-proofing airline CX, commercial, loyalty and marketing strategies. Moderated by Snowfall’s Vice President – North America, Ron Glickman, attendees heard keynotes from Scott DeAngelo, Executive Vice President – Chief Marketing Officer, Allegiant, on leveraging the power of partnerships; and a joint presentation by Air Europa Commercial Manager, Panama, Central America and Mexico Carlos Conde and TravelX’s Chief Officer Travel Supply, Erika Moore, on how they teamed up to launch the world’s first NFT flight. Among the key benefits the airline highlighted were increased revenues, reduced costs, brand awareness and an improved user experience.

FTE Air MobilityX conference

Vegas played host once again to the FTE Air MobilityX conference, designed to help industry stakeholders plan for eVTOL, drone and electric aircraft operations. An incredible line-up of innovators and visionaries kicked off the Air MobilityX conference exploring the future mobility landscape and how airports, airlines and their partners should be preparing and adapting. As part of the session, Teague’s Principal Futurist delivered a scene-setting keynote on how new mobility will transform the passenger experience, followed by a panel discussion including James Dorris, co-Founder and CEO, Odys Aviation; Pierre Gourdain,
Senior Managing Director, US, Canada, FlixBus; Naashom Marx, Director of Strategic Innovation – Advanced Mobility, Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport; and Innovation Catalyst, Sustainability Architect & Futurist John Picard.

Attendees witnessed a short demo of Dar Group’s Airformer platform, which was unveiled at FTE Global, highlighting how advanced air mobility can intersect with existing transportation and transform how we might plan cities and mobility in the future. This was followed by another insightful panel exploring what advanced air mobility ground infrastructure and customer journeys might look like in the future, moderated by Chris Runde, Corporate Strategy & Innovation, Ross & Baruzzini, and featuring insights from Ian Scoley, Head of Design, AMP (Applied Mobility Partners); Thanos Smith, Chief Visionary Officer, Paragon VTOL Aerospace; Bryant Walker, ACM / Aviation Administrator, City of Brownsville – Department of Aviation; and Justin Towles, President, Crown Consulting.

Tomorrow’s Customer Journey conference

Among the many standout sessions in the Tomorrow’s Customer Journey conference track was the Inflight Experience 2030 Symposium. Moderated by Dr Joe Leader, CEO, APEX/IFSA, a working group consisting of board members from APEX and IFSA, including Vanessa Lindstrom, Director – Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance, United Airlines & Board Member, International Flight Services Association (IFSA); Alex Wilcox, CEO & Co-founder, JSX & Board Member, LATAM Airlines, and Mike Byrom, Vice President, Airports & Crew Services, Spirit Airlines, presented their views on what the inflight experience of 2030 could look like.

The importance of the human touch emerged as a central topic in a session titled ‘Reimagining end-to-end customer and baggage journeys’. Speakers from J.D. Power, JetBlue, All Nippon Airways, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, SkySquad and Southwest Airlines agreed that finding a good balance between the personal touch and automation and self-service is of vital importance.

Digital Identity & Biometrics Symposium

The Digital Identity & Biometrics Symposium, sponsored by NEC, included a series of presentations and a panel discussion on how industry leaders are advancing digital identity to deliver next-level customer experiences and efficiencies for stakeholders. The session kicked off with a scene-setting presentation from Nael Samha, Acting Executive Director – Targeting and Analysis Systems Program Directorate, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who provided an overview of U.S. CBP facial biometric operations, and explained how TVS can support their air travel partner’s modernisation efforts as they plan to meet the biometric exit mandate.

A fascinating presentation followed by Maurice Jenkins, Chief Innovation Officer, Miami International Airport (MIA); Jason Van Sice, Vice President, NEC; and Sherry Stein, Head of Technology Strategy, Americas, SITA, on how MIA is implementing the largest rollout of biometric technology in the US, after the airport committed to biometric boarding across its 130+ gates. Attendees also heard a presentation from Patrick Sgueglia, Product Manager – Regulatory Services & Biometrics, Lufthansa, who shared learnings from Lufthansa’s biometric rollout across its network on both sides of the Atlantic.

FTE Global 2022 award winners announced

A highlight during the Networking Party on 8 September was the FTE Global 2022 Awards Ceremony, which recognised outstanding achievements in the following categories – Airline Pioneer Awards; Airport Pioneer Awards; Startup Idol 2022; and Best Exhibitor Presence 2022. Miami International Airport, Edmonton International Airport and iGA Istanbul Airport were recognised in the FTE Airport Pioneer Awards, while Delta Air Lines, Qatar Airways and Air Europa emerged victorious in the FTE Airline Pioneer Awards category. ThorDrive was named the winner of the inaugural FTE Startup Idol Award, delivered with the official support of JetBlue Technology Ventures, while IDEMIA won the Best Exhibitor Presence Award, in recognition of the company’s impressive showcase and activities at FTE Global. The IDEMIA booth was designed to replicate a seamless end-to-end airport experience of the future. You can read the full report from the Awards here.

Guided tours of the TSA Innovation Checkpoint / Advancing the Checkpoint Environment (ACE) initiative at LAS

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Innovation Task Force once again led guided tours and delivered a briefing to showcase the latest iteration of the future checkpoint site running at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), which is trialling new machines, and new approaches, to gather data and feedback on whether the technology is something TSA would like to use at airports nationwide. TSA’s Assistant Administrator, RCA, Austin Gould and Director, Innovation Task Force Matt Gilkeson also shared the TSA’s future plans around the evolution of security processes.

Inaugural FTE Startup Idol competition, delivered with the official support of JetBlue Technology Ventures

This year’s event also played host to the inaugural FTE Startup Idol competition, delivered with the official support of JetBlue Technology Ventures. A total of 12 early-stage, high-potential startups were invited to pitch to an audience of industry decision-makers, focusing on three of the most pertinent air transport industry topics: Sustainability, Automation & Workforce, and Digital Identity & Security. The judging panel, including industry experts from Harry Reid International Airport, JetBlue Technology Ventures and Plan3, selected one startup from each category to advance to the final, with ThorDrive then chosen as the overall winner by an audience vote.

FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub members-only activities

In addition to having access to the FTE Startup Idol pitch sessions, the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub Corporate Partners – including international airlines, airports, investors and vendors – had access to an exclusive interactive workshop led by Aeroporti di Roma (ADR). ADR’s Pietro Caminiti, Head of IT, and Stefano Biondi, Head of Maintenance Engineering, led the workshop in which they shared how ADR’s Innovation Cabin Crew – a dedicated team of innovators within the airport group – is helping to successfully foster corporate innovation throughout the entire organisation.

FTE Global also served as the launchpad for the new-look FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub, which has been rebranded to better reflect its three core areas of focus: digital transformation, innovation, and startup engagement.

FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group meeting at LAS and briefing session

The FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group (BIWG) members met at Harry Reid International Airport on 6 September to share their experiences, and learnings, from extensive baggage related pressure over the summer period. Anique Kamphuis, Senior Product Owner Baggage Teams Business Platform Ground, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, delivered a special presentation, followed by discussions around the future of baggage information sharing, led by Darin Juby, Director Baggage Services, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), and Head of Baggage Transformation at Future Travel Experience. Later in the week, the FTE BIWG captains from GTAA, Barich, Inc, Avinor and Southwest Airlines, plus the vendors involved in the latest POC efforts, were available to meet participants who wanted to learn more about the results from the recent trial of reclaim optimisation at YYZ. Members also shared the latest plans on the next BIWG POCs relating to moving baggage between the US and Canada, leveraging computer vision technology, and testing of permanent bag tags by Airport Lab Network partners this Fall.

U.S. CBP Briefing & Technical Overview Workshop

FTE Global 2022 was once more complemented by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (U.S CBP) workshop, at which CBP’s Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Diane J. Sabatino; TSA’s Assistant Administrator, RCA, Austin Gould; and Delta Air Lines’ Managing Director Airport Experience, Greg Forbes, led in-depth technical sessions in an interactive environment on the best approaches to expand facial biometrics from curb to gate.

Interactive workshops and co-creation sessions

The FTE Global conference featured a raft of formats, including interactive co-creation sessions and workshops. Among the highlights were workshops on building a case for entering the metaverse led by Dave Wilson, CEO, The Airport Guy; creating a culture of innovation, led by Barich, Inc; delivering next-generation CX in travel led by customer experience pioneer Tom Stevens; decarbonising travel led by Myron Keehn, Vice President – Air Service, Business Development, ESG and Stakeholder Relations, Edmonton International Airport; and establishing and leveraging private networks at the airport jointly led by Eduardo Valencia, CIO, Metropolitan Airports Commission and Samuel Ingalls, Principal, Barich.

Mark your diary: FTE Global 2023 to take place on 19-21 September 2023, Long Beach Convention Center, California – hosted by Los Angeles World Airports

In 2023, FTE Global will be re-locating to Los Angeles, where it will be staged alongside APEX EXPO 2023. The move will support FTE’s ambitions to create the largest gathering of air transport executives in North America to learn, collaborate and be inspired on their next moves to transform their organisations’ passenger experience, business performance, innovation, and sustainability strategies. Mark your diary today!

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