Hear from the most inspirational speakers from inside and outside of the industry
The APEX FTE Ancillary & Retailing conference will deliver an unrivalled learning experience. It will provide a unique platform for the most forward-thinking leaders and progressive new approaches from around the world designed to help inspire radical new business models and new ways of thinking. All of this will be delivered under our overarching event theme of ‘Innovate to Elevate’, which will permeate every aspect of the show.
FTE has been incredibly active in this space for a number of years – from leading the BARTA initiative back in 2017 to the more recent launch of the FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group – but optimising commercial performance has never been more important than it is today. Now is the ideal time to bring the world’s airlines, airports, OTAs and their partners together to share best practice, new ideas and knowledge on scaling innovative new approaches that will drive new levels of conversion, create new revenue streams and enhance commercial performance at every step of the passenger journey – Inspiration & Booking, Pre-Travel, Airport, Inflight, Arrival and Post-Travel.
APEX FTE Ancillary & Retailing Conference Agenda 2025
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Tuesday 10th June 2025
FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group meeting (members only)

The FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group (BIWG) brings together the most innovative and progressive baggage supply chain companies, airlines, and airports from across the industry to provide a unique platform for cooperation and industry advancement. It is the platform for developing new techniques, technologies, and business models to deliver tangible change in the baggage sector. There are over 130 BIWG members, all playing an active role in the industry’s leading learning and networking platform for those serious about baggage transformation. Topics to be covered in this meeting include AI and GenerativeAI, plus an exclusive update on the BOOST programme.
This meeting is open exclusively to members of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group.
Hosted by:
FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub meeting (Corporate Partners only)

In this members-only FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub meeting, our Corporate Partners can expect keynotes, interactive discussions, and quick-fire pitches from a selection of pioneering startups, plus plenty of opportunities to network with fellow innovators. The FTE Hub is a truly unique community, designed specifically for the individuals and organisations who are at the forefront of digital transformation and innovation in the aviation industry. Members openly share expertise, experiences and inspiration year-round through curated virtual and in-person meet-ups.
This meeting is open exclusively to Corporate Partners of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub.
City of Dublin Walking Tour

Brought to you by passenger disruption experts:
At FTE we pride ourselves on providing the very best in networking events; enabling our guests to unwind and connect with like-minded industry peers in a relaxed environment. To support this ambition, we have teamed up with passenger disruption experts Plan3, to invite attendees to join them on Tuesday 10 June for a City of Dublin walking tour.
Enjoy a local taste of Dublin in this two-hour guided tour of the historical and cultural sights of this beautiful city, before joining your fellow FTE Dublin attendees at the FTE Dublin Ice Breaker at Brewdog, Dublin Outpost.
The FTE Dublin Ice Breaker at BrewDog, Dublin Outpost

To kick off the show we invite delegates to join us at BrewDog, Dublin Outpost! A first opportunity to meet with your fellow FTE attendees and connect with industry colleagues both new and established. Featuring delicious brews from BrewDog, a mouth-watering menu and live music from local talents; whether you’re a craft beer enthusiast, a music lover, or just looking to recharge after a long flight, we invite you to grab a cold drink, play some bar games, and enjoy the fantastic views of the River Liffey. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and start the conference on a high note!
Wednesday 11th June 2025
FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group members’ networking breakfast (members only)

This members-only breakfast session, taking place at the RDS, is open exclusively to members of the FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group.
Show opening and VIP tour of exclusive unveilings on the exhibition floor, plus networking & coffee
Opening Keynote Session (joint session for all attendees)


Daniel Coleman
CEO & Founder
Future Travel Experience


Dr. Joe Leader
CEO
APEX/IFSA
Exciting keynote speaker to be announced soon!
Advanced approaches to Modern Airline Retailing and Offer & Order management
Option 1
Each speaker will deliver a 10 to 15-minute presentation to set the scene on how their organisation is approaching Modern Airline Retailing and Offer & Order management. This will be followed by a fast-paced and interactive panel discussion where all participants will share their views on how industry stakeholders should navigate the tech landscape, and the best strategies for airlines to become fully-fledged retailers.


Eric Leopold
Founder
Threedot


Dr Jost Daft
Head of Order Transformation
Lufthansa Group


Tiddo Veldhuis
VP Offer Management & Ancillaries
Air France KLM
More speakers to be announced soon.
- What are the right approaches and platforms to achieve Modern Airline Retailing and Offer & Order capabilities?
- How can you reduce risk during the transition?
- How can you stay agile whilst achieving this?
- Will the new platforms be more resilient than their predecessors?
Inflight innovation to create new revenue streams and enhance CX
Option 2


Antonio Penim
Airline Engagement Director
Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX)
This session, moderated by APEX Airline Engagement Director, Antonio Penim, will explore how innovation in the inflight realm is being embraced by airlines and their partners to create new revenue opportunities and enhance the customer experience. Further details, including an exciting line-up of speakers, will be revealed soon.
Refreshment break in the exhibition hall
Special Keynote (joint session for all attendees)
How is Booking.com tapping into the power of AI and what can airlines, airports and their partners learn from this approach?


Austin Sheppard
VP Engineering for Trips
Booking.com
The AI Travel Retailing Symposium
How can we successfully leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for dynamic offers, disruption management, customer engagement, trip planning and more?
Following a scene-setting presentation, each speaker will talk from their seat for five minutes to share how they are evolving their approaches to revenue creation and CX enhancement, and the role that artificial intelligence (AI) is playing. After everyone has voiced their opinion, the panel will share their ideas for use cases and learnings from their efforts so far.


Eric Leopold
Founder
Threedot


Baris Findik
Chief Technology Officer
Pegasus Airlines


Juan Pablo Lafosse
CEO
TravelX


Sonja Arnorsdottir
Chief Commercial Officer
PLAY Airlines


Swapnal Chouhan
Head of Competence (Airport Management & Commercial)
Munich Airport
( speaker Invited)- How are each of the panellists and their organisations making use of AI today and what do they have planned next?
- Where does the most potential for AI lie, particularly around things like dynamic offers, disruption management, customer engagement and trip planning?
- What are the biggest challenges when introducing and implementing AI, and how can these challenges be tackled?
- Will AI really provide the ‘silver bullet’ that many people expect?
- What are the other building blocks that you need to put in place to realise the full potential of AI, specifically for revenue and CX enhancement?
Lunch break in the exhibition hall
What are the latest trends, and future opportunities, to drive up airline ancillary success?
Option 1
Following a scene-setting presentation, each speaker will talk from their seat for five minutes to share their views before the session becomes a fast moving panel discussion.


Kevin O’Shaughnessy
Founder
CityHook · Indigo


Sonja Arnorsdottir
Chief Commercial Officer
PLAY Airlines


Caroline Bergstroem
Head of Ancillary Products, Connectivity and Retail
SAS
( speaker Invited)More speakers to be confirmed soon!
Embracing new approaches and models to enhance commercial performance at airports
Option 2
Each speaker will deliver a short introduction to offer their opinions on the current state of play, followed by a fast-paced and interactive panel discussion.


Albert Jan Prevoo
Director Innovation (Travel Retail)
nlmtd


Jonathan Pollard
Chief Commercial Officer
Gatwick Airport


Guðmundur Daði Rúnarsson
CCO and Airport Development Officer
Keflavik Airport


Nolan Hough
Chief Growth Officer
CAVU


Johannes Noack
Product Manager eCommerce
Fraport AG
- What are the big trends that are impacting airports’ commercial strategies today, and what future trends and developments should airports be planning for?
- How can technologies like AI, automation, IoT and the metaverse help to enhance airports’ commercial performance?
- What should an airport’s retail offering look like to ensure it appeals to a wide range of traveller demographics? Also, how can airports and their partners make best use of both physical and digital assets?
- What can we expect from the airport lounge of the future, and how important will lounges be to airports’ future commercial strategies?
- How can the industry better leverage and share the vast amounts of data it has access to, to make personalisation a reality and enhance commercial performance?
- How might business models between stakeholders need to evolve to create more differentiation and enhance commercial performance?
Refreshment break in the exhibition hall
EXCLUSIVE DEEP DIVE: Day 1 Closing Keynote Session (joint session for all attendees)
Networking Reception & FTE and APEX Awards Ceremony

Make the most of the vital networking opportunities provided at the FTE Dublin Networking Reception, where delegates can enjoy demonstrations in the exhibition and network with their peers over drinks before our Awards ceremony.
It has been a time of real transformation across the industry, and we will honour and recognise those efforts in Dublin. 15 airlines and 15 airports will be shortlisted for the FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Awards 2025, with three in each category being honoured for outstanding achievement during the ceremony. We will also celebrate the members of the 2025 FTE EMEA Airline and Airport Power Lists.
Following this, the APEX Best in Airline Awards ceremony will take place, recognising airlines for their outstanding CX efforts.
Summer in Dublin Travel Massive Meet Up

The Travel Massive Dublin Chapter invites FTE delegates to attend a meet-up in the iconic watering hole, Café En Seine. The “Summer in Dublin” informal social event is the perfect opportunity to continue your conference networking and connect with the local travel community. The not-for-profit Travel Massive Dublin has been hosting free-to-attend social events, insightful interviews, educational panels, and generally supporting the travel industry in Ireland since October 2013.
Co-hosted by:
Thursday 12th June 2025
Registration & Exhibition Opens
Day 2 Opening Keynote (joint session for all attendees)
Pioneering case studies: Driving ancillary revenue success
Option 1


Ross Falconer
Head of Content
Future Travel Experience
Fireside Chat: Virgin Australia x HTS – how travel fintech can deliver flexibility to customers and generate new revenue opportunities


Tanya McCaffrey
Head of Ancillary Products
Virgin Australia


Ella Alkalay Schreiber
SVP & GM of Fintech
Hopper Technology Solutions
Leveraging data to develop innovative parametric protection products


Nick Ashton
Global Airline Lead
Protect Group
More speakers to be confirmed soon!
Innovative airport strategies to deliver CX and commercial excellence
Option 2
Each speaker will deliver a 15-minute presentation, followed by an interactive panel discussion led by the moderator.


Albert Jan Prevoo
Director Innovation (Travel Retail)
nlmtd
How YVR is embracing the intersection between CX and commercial to create exciting new opportunities and experiences


Eric Pateman
Vice President, Passenger Experience and Chief Experience Officer
Vancouver Airport Authority
Unlocking value from the airport passenger journey


Martin Jones
CEO
CAVU
Almost one year on from the launch of a unique collaboration between Munich Airport, Lufthansa and Miles & More, what impact has it had and what lessons have been learned?


Dr. Jan-Henrik Andersson
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) & Chief Security Officer (CSO)
Munich Airport
( speaker Invited)Refreshment break in the exhibition hall
Modern Airline Retailing: The right approach for all airlines of all sizes, or only for the industry giants?
Following an opening Fireside Chat, the panel will be invited to share their thoughts and experiences around a range of questions relating to digital airline retailing.

Mark Lenahan
Director
Lenahan Consulting Ltd
Oman Air’s digital take-off: The journey to modern retailing


Surya Kuchibotla
VP eCommerce, Ancillary & Retailing
Oman Air


David Turton
Chief Technology Officer
Branchspace – digital reinvented


Rany Francois-Marie Saad
CEO, AirIveria; Lecturer, INSEAD; and Advisory Board Member
Global Airlines
- Can all airlines (large/small/regional/international/full-service/low-cost) – really become fully-fledged digital retailers? If so, where should they start?
- How can so-called smaller airlines (measured by passenger numbers) embrace modern airline retailing without the big budgets of the major carriers?
- What are the crucial steps that you must take to ensure that your journey towards becoming a fully-fledged digital retailer ends in success?
- Are the airlines that have embraced modern airline retailing currently winning or losing?
- What lessons can we learn from the first movers?
Lunch break in the exhibition hall
Exclusive Educational Case Study: Lessons learned, best practices and insights from 10 years of NDC implementation to Modern Airline Retailing
Option 1


Eric Leopold
Founder
Threedot
Led by Eric Leopold, Founder of Threedot and former Director Transformation at IATA, this workshop-mode session will include real airline case studies and feedback from participants.
Interactive Roundtable: How can airlines successfully leverage the latest products, services and technologies to boost revenue generation onboard the aircraft?
Option 2


Dr. Joe Leader
CEO
APEX/IFSA
This interactive roundtable discussion will explore how airlines can tap into the latest developments to introduce new inflight products and services and, in turn, create new revenue generating opportunities at 30,000 feet.
- How are airlines and their partners embracing innovation to create new revenue opportunities inflight?
- What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in this space?
- How are airlines making creative use of IFEC today to enhance revenues and improve the customer experience, and what do they have planned next?
- Should airlines look at connectivity as being primarily a revenue generator, a customer experience enhancer, or both?
- What role can IFEC play in creating unique and memorable experiences going forward?
Refreshment break in the exhibition hall
Closing Keynote, FTE EMEA Innovate Awards Ceremony & Farewell Drink

All attendees will come together one final time for the closing keynote session, featuring an inspirational panel of industry leaders who will share their expert insights on CX, innovation, digital transformation, and future opportunities and challenges for the industry.
We will then wrap up three days of learning, networking and inspiration by inviting all attendees to relax and enjoy a farewell drink and see who comes out top in the FTE EMEA Innovate Awards 2025.
During the past two days, attendees will have heard from a variety of industry stakeholders, each pitching on stage in an effort to impress our judges and their fellow aviation peers. Join us as we see the region’s largest and most respected innovation competition come to a close. The all-important audience votes will be tallied, and we will announce and celebrate our FTE EMEA Innovate Awards 2025 winners.
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