Here are five must-see speakers to address the topic of customer experience at a conference in 2026: Patrice Laubignat, Stephane GAUTHIER, Julien RIGAL-DUPONT, Sara Gilbert, and Patrice THIRIEZ. In a context where loyalty and differentiation now depend on the quality of interactions with customers, it has become essential for companies to adopt innovative and human-centered approaches. These experts, with their complementary perspectives, offer an enlightening overview of current challenges and practical levers for rethinking the customer experience. The table below details each speaker’s angle to help decision-makers identify the perspectives best suited to their needs.
| Last Name / First Name | Conference | Angle |
|---|---|---|
 Patrice Laubignat Français | Customer love | Customer love |
 Stephane GAUTHIER Français | it's not covid that's disrupting you, it's dissatisfied customers | it's not covid that's disrupting you, it's dissatisfied customers |
 Julien RIGAL-DUPONT Français | The human element in the Customer Experience | The human element in the Customer Experience |
 Sara Gilbert Français | Exquisite: The Language of Customer Experience | Exquisite: The Language of Customer Experience |
 Patrice THIRIEZ Français | Customer experience: nudge your journeys and become incredibly memorable! | Customer experience: nudge your journeys and become incredibly memorable! |
Our Speakers on the Topic
Patrice Laubignat
For over thirty years, Patrice Laubignat has been exploring the emotional relationship between brands and their customers, drawing on cognitive sciences and his experience with companies such as Décathlon, Botanic, and Galeries Lafayette. Co-author of the Marketing ZERO manifesto, he encourages us to rethink marketing in order to create an authentic and lasting connection. His talks provide concrete insights into what sparks attachment and advocacy—key drivers of business success.
Talk: The Love of Customers Discover how to place genuine customer love at the heart of your relationship strategy. In this inspiring talk, you’ll understand how emotions influence purchasing decisions, learn how to build lasting trust, and turn goodwill into a competitive advantage. Leave with practical tools to build customer loyalty and make your brand their true comfort zone.
Topics: client, developpement-de-business, relation-client, marketing-emotionnel, intelligence-emotionnelle, marque, confiance-en-soi, experience-client, amour, marketing, commerce, plateforme-de-marque, responsable
Stephane GAUTHIER
Former head of Best Western France during the digital revolution and an independent hotelier for over ten years, Stephane Gauthier combines strategic vision with hands-on field experience. A recognized trainer at ESSEC and EM Lyon, he now supports companies in transforming their customer relations and team engagement. His pragmatic approach is based on managing digital transitions and leveraging customer feedback, offering concrete ways to strengthen loyalty and reputation. His background resonates especially with organizations looking to put customer satisfaction back at the heart of their strategy.
Talk: It’s not COVID that’s disrupting you, it’s dissatisfied customers In a context where customer expectations are evolving at unprecedented speed, this talk will show you how to turn dissatisfaction into a driver of innovation and loyalty. You’ll discover concrete strategies to anticipate your customers’ needs, engage your teams around relationship excellence, and turn your clients into your brand’s best ambassadors.
Topics: relation-client, satisfaction-client, digital, transformation-digitale, transformation, management, startup, ereputation
Julien RIGAL-DUPONT
With a career spanning over twenty years dedicated to human relations and personal development, Julien Rigal-Dupont now supports leaders and teams in their growth, drawing on a wealth of experience with both major corporations and SMEs. His approach, centered on authenticity and motivation, aims to highlight each individual’s value to strengthen collective momentum. Through his interventions, he encourages putting people back at the heart of interactions—an essential lever for enriching client relationships.
Talk: The Human Side of the Customer Experience
Dive into the human dynamics that shape Customer Experience and team engagement. In this talk, you’ll discover how to better understand your own motivational drivers and those of your colleagues, in order to boost cohesion, alignment, and collective performance. Leave with practical tools to put people at the center of your business strategy.
Topics: rse, dirigeante, relation-client, satisfaction-client, dirigeants, management, dirigeant, customer-centric, experience-client, service-client
Sara Gilbert
An internationally recognized keynote speaker and award-winning business strategist, Sara Gilbert explores the impact of language on thought, decision-making, and the quality of relationships within organizations. Through dynamic and practical presentations, she highlights how subtle nuances in communication can transform trust and team dynamics. Her approach, grounded in research and experience, provides participants with immediately applicable tools to enrich interactions and foster more memorable experiences for everyone involved.
Talk: Exquisite: The Language of Customer Experience
Dive into the heart of the power of language and discover how every word can transform the customer experience, strengthen trust, and elevate your brand image. In this talk, you’ll learn how to choose phrasing that builds connections, enhance every step of the customer journey, and align your communication with your organization’s values to foster lasting loyalty.
Topics: culture-dentreprise, leadership, performance, performance-collective, experience-client, service-client, management, intelligence-collective, collaboration, experience-collaborateur, motivation
Patrice THIRIEZ
Patrice Thiriez supports major companies such as Amazon, EDF, and Chanel Jewelry in gaining a deep understanding of customer behavior, drawing on insights from psychology, behavioral sciences, and neuroscience. As the founder of Krakn, he offers talks and training sessions to decode decision-making mechanisms and optimize customer journeys, inspired by the latest scientific discoveries. His approach enables the creation of more impactful interactions and transforms the way customers perceive your brand.
Talk: Customer Experience: Nudge Your Journeys and Become Unforgettably Memorable! Discover how to turn every interaction into an unforgettable memory for your customers! In this talk, you’ll learn how to identify key moments in the customer journey, create memorable experiences using insights from psychology and behavioral sciences, and leverage “off-notes” to strengthen loyalty. Leave with practical tools to sustainably enhance the memorability of your customer experience.
Topics: experience-client, ux, cx, nudge, biais-cognitifs, economie-comportementale, neurosciences, performance-commerciale, prise-de-decision, marketing, cerveau, comportements, influence, softskills, competences, conviction