CX Summit North America is in full swing, and the atmosphere in Nashville is electric. This is absolutely my favorite time of year – I love getting together with all of our attendees and my fellow analysts to share our latest research, learn from one another, and help build the future together.
Yesterday, we had our highest ever attendance at our pre-day events — workshops, industry, sessions, certification kickoff, and the Forrester Women’s Leadersip Forum. Thisyear the Women’s Leadership Forum explores the impact that generative AI (genAI) has on women in the workplace.
The momentum continued strong throughout today. This morning, Forrester CEO George Colony kicked things off by reminding us of the transformative impact that genAI will have on business and society. Implementing genAI will be the “easiest thing you’re ever going to do and hardest thing you’re ever going to do,” he said before sharing a few of the lessons gleaned from Forrester’s own explorations of genAI and the launching of our genAI tool, Izola. George reminded us that it’s critical to keep experimenting, learn from mistakes, and persevere to get the outcomes you want.
We also heard three great keynote sessions that focused on the magic and mayhem of AI in CX, both on the company and consumer sides of the equation. First, JP Gownder helped us envision a very near future in which winning companies will infuse human and AI capabilities into customer experiences, marketing, and digital efforts to create boundless experiences that replace traditional customer lifecycles. Next, a fireside chat with Mike Proulx and General Motors’ Ajay Kapoor delved into how practical applications of genAI paired with a disciplined approach can drive significant CX wins. And later in the day, Audrey Chee-Read introduced us to the future AI consumer – which, somewhat eerily, will be an AI copy of us.
The official agenda culminated with a special keynote from our 2024 Customer Obsessed Enterprise Award winner, Prudential. The global financial services company was recognized for driving a customer-focused strategy, cross-functional alignment, and employee engagement to fuel customer obsession and growth throughout the enterprise.
After that, I had a great dinner with our Executive Leadership Exchange clients. At my table, we talked about CX developments in the healthcare, financial services, and travel industries, and we mused about the effects of big issues — like customers’ health and perceptions of the state of society — on their CX across industries.
Tomorrow promises more great content and experiences. We’ll start the day with a special breakfast hosted by Forrester’s director of diversity and inclusion Fadjanie Cadet. Later on, we’ll delve into the criticality of cross-functional alignment and hear more from our Customer Obsessed Leadership Award winners in a special keynote panel. See you there!
