FTE Global 2022 in pictures – more exclusives, more launches and more innovation than ever before
The following article was published by Future Travel Experience
Take a look at our visual round-up from Future Travel Experience Global 2022, which took place in Las Vegas on 6-9 September.
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.
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
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).
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
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.