Horizons Summit 4th Annual Logo_White

The Ultimate Gathering for Experience Leaders

November 4-6, 2026
The JW Marriott Grande Lakes | Orlando, Florida

Why Horizons Summit 2026 is a Can't Miss Event

This November, join Farlinium and an elite group of top XM leaders for three days of high-impact strategy, cutting-edge innovation, and peer-to-peer collaboration. This year, we are diving deep into the next frontier of XM: leveraging AI, advanced automation, and seamless omnichannel strategies to drive measurable business growth.

Summit Snapshot: Inside the Horizons Experience

  • Masterclasses in Innovation: Move past theoretical solutions with interactive workshops and executive roundtables featuring trailblazers from Walden University, Select Health, Qualtrics, and Farlinium. 

  • Blueprints for Immediate Impact: Skip the guesswork. Walk away with real-world customer success stories and proven XM frameworks you can deploy right away.

  • Elite Networking & World-Class Dining: Expand your circle. Connect with industry peers during exclusive events, dining, and entertainment against the backdrop of Orlando’s premier luxury resort.

Save Your Spot (It’s Free)

To foster high-level collaboration and intimate networking, space is strictly limited and subject to approval. Admission is entirely complimentary for approved guests. Request your spot below. Once your request is approved, we’ll send over the details for our discounted room blocks.

Attendees are responsible for their own travel and hotel accommodations.

Sponsored by:

XM_BIG-d95467d8-1

Featured Speakers

Ryan Leak Follow me on LinkedIn

New York Times best-selling author, and strategic advisor

Farzad Aref Follow me on LinkedIn

Founder and CEO
Farlinium

Brittany Hodak Follow me on LinkedIn

Author, Entrepreneur, CX Expert

Sarah Gilstrap Follow me on LinkedIn

VP, Healthcare Experience Strategy
Qualtrics

Daniel Royer Follow me on LinkedIn

AVP of Customer Experience Marketing
Select Health

Sarah Ball Follow me on LinkedIn

Senior Director of Experience and Insights
Walden University, a Covista institution

Rania Little Follow me on LinkedIn

Product Development Lead - Digital Voice of the Customer
Humana

Ronjon Ray Follow me on LinkedIn

Director Product Management, Single Family
Fannie Mae

Chesley Smith Follow me on LinkedIn

Managing Director of Consulting Services
Farlinium

Angie Bloyer Follow me on LinkedIn

Director of Consulting Services - Delivery
Farlinium

Chris Wickstrom Follow me on LinkedIn

Lead Business Consultant, Delivery
Farlinium

Andrew Kropp-Sullivan Follow me on LinkedIn

Principal Consultant
Farlinium

Josh Johnson Follow me on LinkedIn

Managing Consultant
Farlinium

Karissa Burright Follow me on LinkedIn

Senior Business Consultant
Farlinium

More to Come!

XM Experts
Wednesday, November 4 "CONNECT"
Tentative Schedule: Subject to Change

12:00–4:00 PM | Strategic Customer Engagement & Account Reviews
Optional one-on-one and group business reviews with Farlinium leadership. An opportunity to discuss experience management priorities, assess program performance, and explore opportunities for growth and innovation. Farlinium account teams will coordinate directly with participating customers.

6:00–9:00 PM | Horizons Welcome Reception
Kick off Horizons with an evening of cocktails, light bites, and meaningful connections. Reconnect with peers, meet fellow enterprise experience leaders, and enjoy a relaxed introduction to three days of insights, innovation, and collaboration.
 

Thursday, November 5 "PROVE"
Tentative Schedule: Subject to Change

7:30–9:00 AM | Networking Breakfast
Start the day connecting with fellow experience management leaders.

9:00–9:30 AM | Opening Keynote: From Experience to Outcomes
Farzad Aref, Founder & CEO, Farlinium
Discover how leading organizations are moving beyond collecting feedback to delivering measurable business outcomes—and the strategic role of experience management in making that possible.

9:30–10:30 AM | Keynote: Leading Through Change
Ryan Leak, New York Times Bestselling Author and Strategic Advisor
An inspiring perspective on leadership, challenging conventional thinking, and navigating meaningful transformation.

10:30–11:00 AM | Networking Break

11:00–11:15 AM | Farlinium Spotlight: Uncovering and Demonstrating XM ROI
Chris Wickstrom, Lead Business Consultant, Farlinium
Explore practical approaches to identifying value, connecting experience insights to business priorities, and demonstrating measurable return on XM investments.

11:15–11:45 AM | Customer Fireside Chat: From Insights to Business Impact
Sarah Ball, Senior Director of Experience and Insights, Covista
A candid conversation on building an experience ecosystem, advancing program capabilities, and translating customer insights into meaningful business outcomes.

11:45 AM–12:00 PM | Farlinium Spotlight: Delivering Excellence in Government
Discover what it takes to design and deliver experience management programs in complex, highly regulated government environments—from stakeholder alignment and governance to mission-driven outcomes.

12:00–12:30 PM | Customer Perspective: Delivering Outcomes in Complex Environments
Maria Harr, Director, Office Chief of Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Enterprise Digital Services, U.S. Coast Guard 
A real-world perspective on navigating organizational complexity, aligning stakeholders, and delivering sustainable experience management programs.

12:30–2:00 PM | Networking Lunch
Connect with peers, exchange ideas, and explore practical XM innovations.

2:00–2:15 PM | Farlinium Spotlight: Advancing XM Program Maturity
Andrew Kropp-Sullivan, Principal Consultant, Farlinium
Explore the path from foundational listening programs to mature, enterprise-wide XM capabilities—and how organizations can evolve their strategy, governance, and business impact.

2:15–2:45 PM | Customer Panel: Scaling and Sustaining Mature XM Programs
Angie Bloyer, Director of Consulting Services, Farlinium (moderator), Ronjon Ray, Director Product Management – Single Family, Fannie Mae, and more
Hear how experienced XM leaders navigate program maturity, strengthen governance, sustain executive engagement, and continuously demonstrate value.

2:45–3:00 PM | Farlinium Spotlight: Omnichannel Experience Excellence
Ryan Corkill, Solutions Sales Executive, Farlinium
Discover how organizations can connect customer signals across digital, contact center, and other channels to create more cohesive experiences and actionable intelligence.

3:00–3:30 PM | Customer Case Study: CX Is Everyone's Job
Daniel Royer, AVP of Customer Experience Marketing, Select Health
Explore how Select Health approaches customer experience across stakeholders, functions, and touchpoints to drive organizational alignment and meaningful outcomes.

3:30–3:45 PM | Networking Break

3:45–4:00 PM | Interactive XM Leadership Roundtables
Exchange ideas with fellow attendees on common challenges, emerging opportunities, and practical approaches to advancing XM programs.

4:00–4:15 PM | Farlinium Spotlight: Building Better Listening Programs
Karissa Burright, Lead Business Consultant, Farlinium
Learn how thoughtful survey strategy, program consolidation, and platform modernization can strengthen the foundations of enterprise listening and accelerate time to value.

4:15–4:45 PM | Customer Fireside Chat: Lessons from an XM Transformation
Rania Little, Product Development Lead – Digital Voice of the Customer, Humana
A practical conversation on navigating platform transitions, modernizing listening programs, and turning organizational change into an opportunity for better customer insights.

5:30–6:30 PM | Enchanted Everglades Cocktail Reception 
Step into an unforgettable evening inspired by the spirit of Florida. Enjoy cocktails, elevated hospitality, and a few unexpected surprises as we celebrate the Horizons community.

6:30–10:00 PM | Enchanted Everglades Dinner, Entertainment & Recognition
Join us for an extraordinary evening featuring a three-course dinner, live entertainment, captivating magic and illusions, and special recognition of the leaders who make Horizons possible. Expect a few surprises along the way.

Friday, November 6 "ADVANCE"
Tentative Schedule: Subject to Change

7:30–9:00 AM | Networking Breakfast
Reconnect with peers and continue conversations from the previous day.

9:00–9:15 AM | From Strategy to Execution: Delivering XM Excellence
Chesley Smith, Managing Director of Consulting Services, Farlinium
Explore the critical ingredients behind successful enterprise XM programs—from disciplined execution and governance to delivery excellence and sustainable business value.

9:15–10:15 AM | Keynote: Creating Experiences That Inspire Loyalty
Brittany Hodak, Author, Entrepreneur, and Customer Experience Expert
An inspiring look at what makes experiences memorable, how organizations build lasting customer relationships, and why customer experience remains a powerful competitive differentiator.

10:15–10:30 AM | Networking Break

10:30–10:45 AM | Farlinium Spotlight: AI-Powered Experience Management
Chris Goodson, Director of Technical Consulting, Farlinium
Discover how practical applications of artificial intelligence are transforming XM delivery, accelerating insights, and creating new opportunities for efficiency and business impact.

10:45–11:00 AM | Better Together: Farlinium + Qualtrics
Farlinium and Qualtrics Leadership
Explore how strategic consulting expertise and leading XM technology come together to help organizations accelerate implementation, strengthen capabilities, and realize greater value from their investments.

11:00 AM–12:00 PM | The Future of XM: From Insights to Intelligent Outcomes
Sarah Gilstrap, VP, Healthcare Experience Strategy, Qualtrics
Explore the evolving future of experience management, including AI-powered intelligence, predictive capabilities, omnichannel innovation, and the opportunities ahead for enterprise XM leaders.

12:00–12:15 PM | Horizons Closing: Turning Insights into Action
Josh Johnson, Managing Consultant, Farlinium (Horizons Emcee)
A reflection on the ideas, customer stories, and practical takeaways from Horizons—and how to translate inspiration into the next chapter of your XM journey.

12:15 PM Onward | Farewell Lunch & Optional Resort Experiences
Continue conversations over lunch or take advantage of optional resort activities, including golf, spa, pool, and informal networking.

Summit Agenda

Wednesday, November 4

  • Immersive Workshops (optional): Hands-on, expert-led collaboration on a series of targeted topics, offering in-depth spotlights of program configurations and demos.

  • Customer Roundtables & QBRs (optional): One-on-one and group quarterly business reviews with Farlinium experts.

  • Welcome Reception:  Mix and mingle with industry experts and XM practitioners.

Thursday, November 5

  • Keynote & Kick-Off: Hear from senior leaders at Farlinium, Qualtrics, and top XM organizations as they share a forward-looking, trend-focused vision for the future of XM and the strategies driving business results through experience transformation.

  • Program & Strategic Spotlights: Expert speakers & panels providing practical guidance and deep dives, including: program spotlights showcasing programs in a variety of maturity states. Demonstration of best practices & lessons learned. Strategic spotlights on Qualtrics capabilities.

  • Reception & Dinner: Enjoy good food and good company with some of the best and brightest in the industry.

Friday, November 6

  • Closing Keynote: A final strategic look at The Evolving XM Leader: Highlight future investments and Influence. Hear about key ways VoC and CX leaders need to evolve to help their organizations make better decisions and drive strategic action in the year ahead..

  • Final Takeaways & Next Steps: A brief session to synthesize key learnings, highlight the most critical takeaways, and provide a clear call to action and steps for post-summit engagement.

  • Summit Conclusion: Official conclusion of the Horizons Summit.

“Horizons does a great job engaging CX talent interested in learning from each other and growing to mature their programs. It's an event that allows you to be proud of your program, [and also] be vulnerable to learn and incrementally improve. Great speakers and great relevant content.”

JW Marriott Grande Lakes

The Venue: JW Marriott Grande Lakes

Set on a beautiful 500-acre tropical oasis, the resort blends business with premier luxury. When you aren't in sessions, you have access to:

  • A massive, newly redesigned Grande Lakes Water Park featuring a lazy river and private firepit lounges.

  • Championship golf on an 18-hole course designed by Greg Norman.

  • A world-class luxury spa and fine dining, including MICHELIN-recommended restaurants on-property.

High-Level Agenda

Below is a high-level overview of the agenda - which will be MC'd by Orlando Hernandez, a close-up magician.   

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

6:00-9:00 PM
Welcome Reception
The Vinoy Hotel Garden Room

Enjoy drinks, delectable food, and socializing as you meet and greet fellow attendees and hear from our first speaker.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

7:00-8:00 AM
Registration and Breakfast
The Vinoy Hotel Garden Room
Enjoy drinks, delectable food, and socializing as you meet and greet fellow attendees and hear from our first speaker.
 
8:00-9:00 AM
Keynotes
Past, Present, Predictions: The Tech Trilogy of CX Analytics
Sid Banerjee, Qualtrics Global CX Strategy Officer and Founder of Qualtrics XM Discover
Humanizing AI: Building Empathy At Scale 
Bruce Temkin, Head of the Qualtrics XM Institute
Mirror Lake Ballroom
 
9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Customer Success Stories and Lunch
Mirror Lake Ballroom
 
2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Workshops
Mirror Lake Ballroom, Williamson Board Room, and Taylor Board Room
 
2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Roundtable Discussion: Advancing CX in the Healthcare Payor Landscape
Lead: John Draz, VP of Member Experience Insights, UnitedHealthcare

Dive into a two-hour roundtable focused on the complexities of Customer Experience (CX) in the Healthcare Payor space. Participants will have the unique opportunity to share from their own programs, discuss pressing challenges, and ideate on pioneering solutions. Led by John Draz, a seasoned expert who has steered member experience initiatives for years at UHC, and supported by a professional facilitator, this discussion promises rich insights rooted in deep industry expertise.

What Participants Can Expect:

  • Engage in a candid dialogue with peers under the guidance of a Healthcare Payor CX expert.

  • Explore current challenges and collaboratively craft potential solutions.

  • Leverage collective knowledge to shape the future strategies of CX within the Healthcare Payor domain

7:00-10:00 PM
Dinner Reception and Entertainment
 

Friday, November 3, 2023

8:00-11:00 AM
Breakfast, Knowledge Sharing, and Closing Ceremony
Mirror Lake Ballroom

Pain Points

  • Anticipating and proactively addressing at-risk customers
  • Limited visibility into key drivers of customer satisfaction
  • Desire to achieve customer experience metrics while also reducing costs
  • Agent experience and improving retention/reducing turnover
  • Understanding how to apply empathy 
  • Better utilizing the rapidly evolving generative AI landscape
$15M graphic

Countdown to Horizons Summit

00

Days

00

Hours

00

Minutes

00

Seconds

Our 4th Annual Horizons Summit is set to be our most impactful yet! This year, we’re diving even deeper into AI, automation, and omnichannel XM—bringing together top industry leaders for meaningful connections and actionable, real-world insights. Get ready for an experience that challenges perspectives, sparks innovation, and elevates experience management to the next level. We can’t wait to see you in Orlando!

– Farzad Aref, CEO
Farlinium