Keeping customers engaged between major interactions – whether games, product launches, or live events – has always been challenging. Sports teams have mastered the art of building deep emotional connections with customers and are leading the way in personalized, immersive digital experiences to keep fans engaged. What can consumer brands learn from this approach to strengthen relationships, capture valuable insights, and drive long-term loyalty?

In this session, we will be joined by John McCauley, sports industry veteran most recently working as VP of media and marketing at Canadian Hockey League. The session will explore how brands can apply sports-style engagement strategies to enhance digital CX, create frictionless customer journeys, and build stronger connections. We will discuss how, through earned media, partnerships and smart data collection, brands can learn from the world’s biggest sports teams how to meet customers where they are and foster long-lasting loyalty beyond the transaction.

Attendees will learn:

• Creating always-on engagement beyond transactions: Discover how leading brands extend engagement between key events, using digital channels, partnerships, and exclusive content to stay top of mind.
• Simplifying digital journeys for seamless data collection: Learn how to reduce friction in sign-ups, ticketing, and promotions, making it easier for customers to engage while capturing valuable insights for future interactions.
• Harnessing the power of live & earned media for brand growth: Explore how brands can tap into live experiences, sponsorships, and strategic partnerships to reach highly engaged audiences in authentic, meaningful ways.

John McCauley

Former VP of Marketing & Media
Canadian Hockey League

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While traditional self-service can be frustrating for customers, forcing them to navigate rigid menus, search endless FAQs and repeat themselves to multiple agents, conversational user interface (UI) offers natural, dynamic and context-aware interactions that guide customers to resolutions faster & more intuitively. Through natural language processing (NLP), AI-powered troubleshooting and interactive decision trees, conversational UI empowers brands to deliver seamless digital experiences for their customers that center self-service.

This session will explain how conversational UI is transforming customer support by reducing friction and driving efficiency. We will explore how brands can leverage this technology to streamline customer support, reducing costs and creating self-service experiences that can delight customers but smoothly transition to human agents when needed.

Attendees will learn:

• How conversational UI enhances digital self-service: Learn how interactive conversations can guide customers to the right solutions faster, reducing live agent escalations.
• Designing conversational interfaces for seamless digital journeys: Uncover strategies for building intuitive interfaces that adapt to customer intent.
• Balancing automation and human support: Discover how conversational UI integrates seamlessly with human agents for high quality support.

Customers expect clear interfaces with frictionless navigation. A cluttered or confusing digital experience that requires hard work will put them off. This is where intuitive user experience (UX) design comes in. Intuitive UX is critical to drive engagement, reduce drop-off rates and build long-term brand loyalty.

This session will define ‘intuitive UX’ and explore ways that the principles behind it can be implemented for better digital CX. Attendees can expect to hear how they can use behavioral insights, AI, passive VOC and data-driven online experience design to create natural, frustration-free digital experiences.

Attendees will learn:

• The science behind intuitive UX design: Get to grips with how human psychology and behavioral patterns influence customer interactions and how to design experiences that feel seamless.
• Reducing friction and improving digital journeys: Learn how to identify and eliminate common UX barriers, optimize navigation and create interfaces that guide customers effortlessly to their goals.
• Leveraging AI and data for smarter UX design: Discover how brands are using AI-driven insights, predictive analytics and real-time behavioral data to refine UX and create highly personalized digital experiences.

A robust omnichannel offering is vital for delivering outstanding customer experience (CX), and mobile apps are at the heart of this strategy. Decathlon Poland is making waves by seamlessly integrating its new loyalty program with its mobile app, resulting in a surge of new sign-ups since the program's launch at the end of 2023.

Communicating the benefits of the loyalty scheme through a single, powerful channel has proven to be both cost-effective and impactful. Embracing the mantra of ‘less is more,’ the company leverages the app to deliver select personalized communications, driving customer loyalty and engagement.

Join us for this session with Bartosz Zochowski, Head of Loyalty and CRM at Decathlon Poland, as he unveils the secrets behind their successful loyalty program launch and their innovative approach to omnichannel and personalization.

Attendees will learn:

• Integrating loyalty programs with mobile apps: Discover the dynamic benefits and strategies of linking loyalty programs to mobile apps, creating seamless and engaging customer experiences.
• Effective communication through single-channel focus: Learn how focusing loyalty communications through a single channel can amplify impact, reduce costs and enhance customer engagement.
• Building true omnichannel loyalty experiences: Explore how Decathlon Poland balances digital and physical interactions, ensuring that in-store experiences are seamlessly connected to digital touchpoints. Learn how their 3,000+ in-store colleagues play a key role in making omnichannel loyalty a success.

Bartosz Zochowski

Head of Loyalty & CRM
Decathlon Poland

See Bio