WAVE Summit: A peek inside our run of show

We know you have plenty of events to choose from and not much time to attend them. If you’re going to clear your calendar, it should be worth it!

As we get ready for WAVE Summit at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, November 4–5, I’d like to  give you a sneak peek at our run of show. We’ve spent the past few months curating an exceptional experience, and every detail reflects a choice about how to make your time count. I’ll spare you the AV cues and mic checks. Check out what we’re planning and why we think WAVE Summit should be at the top of your list. (Spoiler alert: you’ll have fun, too!)

November 4, evening: Welcome reception

We believe connection is one of the most important parts of any event, so we’ve built plenty of time for it into WAVE Summit.

We’ll kick things off at Bar Blondeau, the rooftop bar at the Wythe Hotel, which we’re transforming into “Barloa by Parloa” for the evening. The reception begins at sunset…watch the city light up while you settle in and start the conversations that will carry through the rest of the event. Sip, snack, and socialize, and when you walk into the next morning’s keynote, you’ll see familiar faces in the room.

November 5, morning: See what’s next in CX

Parloa Co-Founder and CEO Malte Kosub opens the morning with a look at the shifts already redefining customer experience, why they matter now, and what they mean for the decisions you’re making inside your own organization.

From there, we get into what that looks like in practice. Mike Gathright, Chief Customer Officer at HealthEquity, joins Parloa CMO Latané Conant to share HealthEquity’s path to launch, including the silos the team had to break down, what they learned, and the results that followed.

We’ll also step back and look at where the market itself is headed. Jon Arnold, Principal Analyst at J. Arnold & Associates; Reid Blackman, Founder & CEO of Virtue Consultants; and Damien Smith, Director, Content & Communications at Parloa, will dig into what’s really happening in agentic CX, where the hype may be getting ahead of reality, and how regulation could shape what comes next. There’s a live Q&A, so bring your questions.

Learn what better CX looks like in practice

Later in the morning, Matt Dixon, Founding Partner at DCM Insights, joins Latané to explore what seamless CX requires in the age of AI agents and why fragmented journeys can erode trust and revenue. Then Kevin Heidenreich, Head of Finance at Ottobock, and Jessie Montoya, Director of Patient Care Operations at Ottobock, will share how their team took AI from pilot to production, including what the pilot needed to prove and how they built support for what came next.

You’ll leave the morning with a sharper sense of what’s changing, which questions deserve your attention, and how other leaders are approaching the same decisions you’re facing. 

November 5, afternoon: From the stage to your next planning meeting

The afternoon shifts from what’s changing in CX to the decisions you’ll need to make back at work.

David Klimek, Partner, KPMG Customer Insight and Engagement, and Susan Terry, Chief Product Officer at Alvaria, will look at the business case for organizing customer experience around end-to-end outcomes. Tolly Harris, Executive Vice President of Customer Care and Operations at Jewelry TV, will share how his team designed, piloted, and launched an AI agent for customers who are quick to notice anything that feels robotic.

We’ll also look further ahead. Parloa Chief Product Officer Csaba Tamas and VP of Product Marketing Kevin Boyer will take the stage with new product launches and live demos, including a look at how enterprises can prepare for personal AI agents, gain deeper visibility across AI and human interactions, strengthen customer relationships, and improve AI agents faster without long IT cycles. 

Later, Nicole Kyle, Chief Product Officer & Lead Analyst at CMP, joins leaders from Pilot Travel Centers and Deloitte to get practical about how frontline roles, skills, and team structures are changing as AI takes on more work.

This is where you can pressure-test your own plans, whether you’re making the case for investment, rethinking a customer journey, or preparing your team for changing roles and responsibilities.

Hearing how other leaders are approaching those questions can help you leave with a clearer sense of what to do next.

November 5, evening: Keep the conversation (and the fun) going

After a full day of talking AI and CX, it’s time to celebrate! 

We’re trading the high-tech chatter for some high-spirited honky-tonk at Desert 5 Spot. Think vintage country-cool vibes, neon cacti, cold drinks, live music, and a mechanical bull. It’s the ultimate watering hole to kick back, trade stories from the trail, and celebrate a great day and bright future.

I can’t wait to see this plan come to life. Until then, in the wise words of The Beastie Boys, it’s
“No sleep till Brooklyn.” I hope to see you there!

WAVE Summit runs November 4–5 at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn. Email wave-us@parloa.com for information.