Co-Brand 2026
Co-Brand 2026

Scroll Down for the Event

Date: 30 Sep-1 Oct 2026
Location: New York City, US
Delegates: 100+

In Association With:

do good new

Co-Brand & Travel Rewards 2026

At the Co-Brand & Travel Rewards 2026 Conference in New York’s Financial District, industry leaders gathered to address a changing market where hotel bookings remain strong despite geopolitical headwinds and fuel costs pressure airline and OTA margins. While co-branded credit cards continue to provide high-margin revenue, shifting consumer habits are forcing programs to evolve.

Sessions examined strategies for navigating a K-shaped market, capturing younger consumers with immediate-value options like Buy Now, Pay Later, and scaling without traditional revolving credit. Attendees also explored emerging models like second-look issuers, co-branded debit, credit orchestration, and the expanding role of airport lounges to secure top-of-wallet share against multi-partner bank programs.

Thank you to all participating airlines, hoteliers, card networks, banks, fintechs, and travel brands for joining us. Scroll down to view the full archived agenda.

Sponsors

Venue

The venue for this event is the The Mezannine in Manhattan, New York City

 

Venue for Co-Brand 2026:

The Mezzanine
55 Broadway, New York, NY 10006, United States

CO-BRAND & TRAVEL REWARDS 2026
Wednesday 30th September

2.30pm – 3.00pm

Welcome Coffee & Registration

3.00pm – 3.15pm

Chairman’s Welcome Remarks

– Ian Young, Loyalty Expert & Consultant

The Co-brand update from the front line

– Ainsely Escobar, Senior Manager Co-brand Credit Card, Allegiant Air

3.15pm – 4.00pm

State of the Union Address 2026:   Where are co-brands and travel reward cards heading to?

– Bill Hanifin, CEO, Wise Marketer Group

4.00pm – 5.00pm

The Famous Ai Events Lions’ Den:  Innovative product pitches

Back by popular demand, the Lions’ Den new products and service pitching contest returns to the Co-brand and Travel Rewards conference.  The session is for innovative start-ups (or brand new products from estasblished players) to pitch for 5 minutes each, and then take 5 minutes of questions from our experienced judges. Judges will choose a Best Product, while the audience will choose Best Pitch.

Ringmaster and Lions (Judges)

– Michael Smith, Board Director, Ai Events (Ringmaster)

– Steve Mathwig, Senior Manager Loyalty Program Engagement, Best Western Hotels
– Peter Schinasi, Loyalty Director USA Canada Mexico, Air France KLM
– Sinead Archer, Commercial Director, Head for Points
– Ainsely Escobar, Senior Manager Co-brand Credit Card, Allegiant Air

Pitchers

HeyMax
Silo Markets
Access Development

5.00pm – 7.00pm

Networking Reception
CO-BRAND & TRAVEL REWARDS 2026
Thursday 1st of October

8.30am – 9.00am

Registration and Networking

9.00am – 9.15am

Welcome from the Chair – Opening Remarks

– Ian Young, Loyalty Expert & Consultant

9.15am – 9.45am

Convergence in Loyalty, Travel & Technology

– Scott McCartney, Co-host Airlines Confidential Podcast in conversation with 
– Bob Daly, former Managing Director Global Cobrand, United Airlines 

9.45am – 10.15am

United Airline’s co-brand path to high yielding customers

– Jay Sorensen, President, IdeaWorksCompany

10.15am – 10.45am

Key strategies to attract and retain premium/co-brand cardholders

– Hayley Berg, Lead Economist, Hopper Technology Solutions

10.45am – 11.25am

Networking and Coffee Break

11.25am – 11.55am

Airline Case Study:  Maximising acquisition & engagement in non traditional channels

– Tom Botts, President, Flex Pay in conversation
– Alex Missagia, Head of Marketing, jetBlue Vacations

 

11.55am – 12.25pm

With ten co-brands in your wallet – why will your members add yours?

– Pedro Silva, CEO & Co-founder, Alviere

12.25pm – 2.00pm

Lunch & Networking

2.00pm – 2.30pm

The impact Agentic AI will have on your loyalty program:  Practical insights for co-brand managers

– Chris Staab, Co-Founder, Loyalty Security Alliance in conversation with
– Vito Petruzzelli, Head of Fraud Strategy, Pipl

2.30pm – 3.00pm

Why the best card teams are buying less media

– Katya Nieburg-Wheeler, Executive Director, deluxe

3.00pm – 3.30pm

Redeem First, earn back later:  Lessons from partnering with co-brands in Asia Pacific

– Joe Lu, CEO, HeyMax

3.30pm – 4.00pm

Coffee Break & Networking

4.00pm – 4.25pm

Practical Strategies to approve all co-brand applications

– Mike Isom, former consultant for Spirit Airlines in conversation with
– John Ventura, Chief Development Officer, Skeps
– Kim Hoffman, VP – Merchant Marketing, Clarity Pay

4.25pm – 5.00pm

Panel Session: Have we reached peak premiumisation or is the race for airport lounge space  to win travellers loyalty just starting?

– Chris Staab, Co-Founder, Loyalty Security Alliance in conversation with
– Jeremy Dalkoff, VP Partnerships Americas, Priority Pass
– Philippe Guertin, VP Partnerships Development, Plaza Premium Group

5.00pm – 5.15pm

Chairmans Closing Remarks & Conference Round up

5.15pm – 6.15pm

Networking Reception

Companies that have registered for Co-Brand & Travel Rewards 2026:

Companies will be added as they register

Access Development
Admira el Mundo
Advocate Cobrand
Agoda
Ai Events
Air France-KLM
Airline Confidential Podcast
Allegiant Air
Allianz Partners
Alviere
Amtrak
Appressa
Assurant
Avant
Bank of America
Best Western Hotels
Booking.com
Capital One
ClarityPay
Collinson Group
Concora Credit
DataDome
Delta Air Lines
Deluxe Corporation
Engage People Inc
Expedia
Flex Pay by Upgrade
Fluz App Inc
Generali Global Assistance
Grupo Xcaret
Head for Points
HeyMax
HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions)
IdeaWorksCompany
Jetblue
JetBlue Vacations
Kobie
Marriott International
Mastercard
Memorii
MilesTalk / Your Best Credit Cards
Odynn
Pipl, Inc.
Plaza Premium Group
Porter Airlines
priceline.com
Prudential Financial
Rove
seats.aero
Silo Markets
Skeps
Skift
SoFi
The Virgam Agency
The Wise Marketer
Trilla
TripGift
Triple
Truelio
United Airlines

Co-Brand 2026 Hot Topics

  • Loyalty Currency Devaluations: How travel rewards devaluations may impact co-brand acquisition and retention
  • The “Premiumization” Divide: Managing the split between mass affluent and affluent card segments
  • Credit Orchestration: Managing the growing complexity of co-brand technology ecosystems
  • “Second Look” Issuers: Are they still the key to unlocking incremental co-brand revenue?
  • Lounge Wars: Do you need a best-in-class lounge strategy to acquire and retain cardholders?
  • Co-Brand Debit: Why co-brand debit programs are proliferating — and whether your brand needs one
  • Top-of-Wallet Strategies: The latest approaches to increasing engagement and spend
  • Regulatory Changes: Navigating evolving regulations, including interchange-related developments
  • Fintech Disruption: How emerging fintech models are reshaping co-brand partnerships and customer expectations
    – Fee Increases: Is there a ceiling for premium card annual fees?

Are we missing a topic/area that you think needs addressed for the 2026 event?  Please drop an email by clicking on the hyperlink to Michael Smith, the Conference Chairman, or to speakers@AiConnects.us

Upcoming Events



Share