Explore the future of travel at CabinSpace Live 2024

Expertly curated by the organisers of Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), CabinSpace Live will return to the 2024 event to unite the industry to discuss the cabin of tomorrow and deliver the latest in cabin expertise. 

CabinSpace Live provides a platform for industry experts and visionary thought leaders to share experiences and insights and help attendees discover solutions to elevate the future of air travel. The two-day seminar programme will take AIX attendees on a journey to gain exclusive information on the latest product launches, discover new ways to meet existing and emerging passenger requirements, and learn how to reach environmental targets.

Free-to-attend for exhibitors and registered visitors, inspiring and informative sessions will cover some of the most important trends influencing the industry, from In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) and accessibility onboard, to sustainable interior design and retro-fit cabin refurbishments. Leading businesses joining this year’s CabinSpace Live programme include Airbus, Lufthansa Technik, Iberia, Hughes, TAP Airlines, and RECARO Aircraft Seating.

For 2024, the focus lies on creating and navigating a seamless experience, as business and leisure travel bounce back, and airline revenues are expected to grow 7.6% this year (IATA). On day one sponsored by HMG Aerospace, attendees can delve into the world of creating natural environments onboard, leveraging features from lighting hues to optimum airflow, with the seminar, ‘Cabin Environment: Achieving the Ultimate Ambience and Wellbeing for Passengers’ with Dan Rust, Head of Design at IFPL Group. Continuing the conversation on revolutionising the cabin’s physical environment, Markus Höllerer, Head of Strategy and Products at RECARO Aircraft Seating will discuss the evolving preferences needed to find the perfect cabin configuration that balances revenue and comfort in the session, ‘Seating: Finding the Perfect Balance’.

Shifting the focus to additional in-flight amenities, Seth Miller, Founder of PaxEx.Aero, will host an expert panel discussion titled, ‘Connectivity: Perfect Partnerships.’ He will be joined by Ben Griffin, VP Mobility and AMEA Regions at Eutelsat OneWeb; Rez Rasoulian, Vice President, Aviation Business Unit at Hughes; Melanie Berry, Director of Customer Experience at Iberia; and Elias Zaccack, Executive Vice President, Mobility at SES. Collectively, they will review some of the current industry partnerships that are delivering seamless passenger connectivity through low-earth orbit, middle-earth orbit, and ground-earth orbit satellites.

David Whelan, Senior Analyst, Valour Consultancy will be hosting a midday session titled, ‘Connectivity: The Big Switch’, with Reza Rasoulian, Vice President, Aviation Business Unit, Hughes; Mary Rogozinski,Business Development Director, Netforcast; Sean Reilly, Vice President Air Transport Management and Digital Solutions, SmartSky; and Sean Reilly, Vice President Air Transport Management and Digital Solutions, SmartSky. Together, these IFEC visionaries will explore how airlines can best transition to free connectivity for passengers.

As Free Wi-Fi on aeroplanes remains a topical issue for carriers with airlines increasingly adopting ‘freemium’ business models over the last six months, Corinne Streichert, Founder & CEO, IFECtiv LLC will raise the importance of data capture onboard to curate personalised entertainment, at ‘In-Flight Entertainment: A Captive Audience.’

Fuelling excitement for the future of air travel, ‘A New Era: The Fascinating Future of the Aircraft Cabin’ will leverage CabinSpace Live’s platform to showcase groundbreaking cabin innovations from creative industry suppliers and designers. This insightful panel discussion will be hosted by Maryann Simson, Director of Jetway Communications Ltd. Joining Maryann is Ralph Wagner, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Axinom and Dave Pook, Vice President, Customer Experience, Burrana.

In the closing session on day one, ‘Cabin Refurbishment: Investing to Impress,’ attendees will hear from speakers at airlines that have recently completed or are currently undergoing major refurbishment programmes, including David Rice, Managing Director, Optimum Aero; Melanie Berry, Director of Customer Experience, Iberia; Jacobo Mesta, CEO, Soisa Aircraft Interiors; and Daniel Kerrison, SVP Inflight Operations, flydubai.

Kicking off day two, sponsored by Real Response Media and Cirium, will be Max Kingsley Jones, Senior Consultant, Cirium Ascend Consultancy with ‘A Commercial Aviation and Interiors Market Outlook’ to share an overview of the latest fleet and market developments.

Building on discussions from the day before, representatives from Airbus, Air France, Lufthansa Technik, and AIRE at ‘An MRO Perspective on Elevating Aircraft Cabin Interiors’ will address regulatory challenges, certification requirements, and the integration of emerging technologies. The discussion will highlight the MRO industry’s essential role in improving cabin comfort, safety, and operational efficiency while meeting evolving passenger demands and industry competition.

Following this David Marty, Head of Digital Solutions Marketing, Airbus will explore, ‘The Use and Impact of Predictive Maintenance on Aircraft Cabin Refurbishment’. This session will explore how predictive maintenance is currently reshaping the industry’s approach to cabin refurbishment and how the industry can address barriers faced by the MRO sector to maximise safety, cost-effectiveness, and customer experience.

In partnership with Hamburg Aviation, Crystal Cabin Award winners will take centre stage from 14:00 on Wednesday, May 29^th. These winners, having received accolades at the awards ceremony on Tuesday evening, will showcase their innovative products and services demonstrating the new heights of aircraft cabin innovation.

Closing the 2024 CabinSpace Live agenda on Wednesday afternoon will be sessions designed to give audiences a ‘snapshot’ of the future passenger experience. Weighing in on ‘Leveraging Connectivity and IoT to Enhance In-Flight Experience’ will be Clarence Eymery, Chief Marketing Officer at MOMENT. Eymery will be followed by William Henn, VP Sales & Business Development at AIRFREE who will discuss ‘Reinventing Inflight Retailing’, and Cyril Jean, CEO of PX COM will share insights on how to ‘Leverage AI for a Digital In-Flight Personalised Experience’.

Polly Magraw, Event Director of AIX, commented: “CabinSpace Live is the forum where professionals can celebrate achievements, share actionable insights, and collectively address evolving passenger demands. This year the agenda brings together industry voices from different corners of the supply chain with a number of prestigious carriers to provide a deeper understanding of challenges faced and growing opportunities to overcome barriers. We look forward to welcoming audiences to the theatre and see what initiatives spark from this year’s discussions.”

CabinSpace Live will take place in Hall B1 Lower at the Hamburg Messe during Aircraft Interiors Expo from 28-29 May 2024. Visitors can register to attend on the website here.