Co-Brand 2026
Co-Brand 2026

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Date: 30 Sep-1 Oct 2026
Location: New York City, US
Delegates: 100+
Register Now: Register Now!
Pricing: Merchants, Airlines, Hotels & OTA’s: $449 USD / Vendors: $1299 USD (Until Friday 17th of July)

In Association With:

do good new

Co-Brand & Travel Rewards 2026

Despite geopolitical headwinds, hotels are seeing strong bookings while airlines and OTAs face margin pressure from rising fuel costs. Co-branded credit cards remain a high-margin, reliable revenue stream for the travel industry—but the market is shifting fast.

Join industry leaders at the Co-Brand & Travel Rewards 2026 Conference in New York’s Financial District to explore how programs can adapt and grow. Sessions will address the K-shaped market split between ultra-premium and mass-market consumers, the rise of younger customers favoring immediate-value products like Buy Now, Pay Later, and whether travel-focused co-brand programs can scale without traditional revolving credit.

We’ll cover emerging models—second-look issuers, co-branded debit, credit orchestration—and the tech and marketing strategies needed to win top-of-wallet share amid competition from bank-issued, multi-partner reward programs. We’ll also examine the expanding role of airport lounges as a differentiator for premium cards.

Connect with executives from airlines, hoteliers, card networks, banks, fintechs, and travel brands. Register now to secure your place—scroll down to view agenda.

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

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CO-BRAND & TRAVEL REWARDS 2026
Wednesday 30th September

2.30pm – 3.00pm

Welcome Coffee & Registration

3.00pm – 3.30pm

Chairman:

– Michael Smith, Board Advisor, Ai Connects

Where does the premiumisation of cards end?  How much is too much?

Speaker to be announced

3.30pm – 4.00pm

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

– Bill Hanifin, CEO, Wise Marketer Group (invited)

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

Pitchers

Please drop Michael Smith an email if you would like to pitch your product/service at the 2026 event!

5.00pm – 7.00pm

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

8.30am – 8.50am

Registration and Networking

8.50am – 9.00am

Welcome from the Chair – Opening Remarks

– Michael Smith, Board Advisor, Ai Connects

9.00am – 9.25am

Points, partners & profit

– Bob Daly, former Managing Director Global Cobrand, United Airlines (invited)
– Charles Christianson, Chief Revenue Officer, cxLoyalty (invited)

9.25am – 9.50am

Do co-brands just drive income and/or loyalty?

– Jay Sorensen, President, IdeaWorksCompany

9.50am – 10.15am

Is the Fintech Revolution finally here?

Speaker to be announced

10.15am – 10.45am

Networking and Coffee Break

10.45am – 11.15am

Regulatory Update:  Is interchange coming at a state and/or federal level?

Speaker to be announced

11.15am – 11.40am

Loyalty Currency Devaluations:  Do these impact the take up of co-brands & their use?

Speaker to be announced

11.40am – 12.30pm

Panel Session: Have we reached peak co-brand fatigue?   Has premiumisation peaked?

Moderator & Panellists

– Amyn Jivani, SVP Partnerships & Business Development, Netspend (invited)

Others to be announced

12.30pm – 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

2.30pm – 3.00pm

Personalised Redemptions:  are you missing out on hotel & car hire sales on redemption flights?

Speaker to be announced

3.00pm – 3.30pm

Are Direct Payments going to kill debit & credit cards?

Speaker to be announced

3.30pm – 4.00pm

Coffee Break & Networking

4.00pm – 5.00pm

Closing Panel Session: What impact will AI & Agentic Payments have on co-brands?   Help or hindrance?

Moderator
– Michael Smith, Board Director, Ai Events

Speakers & Panellists

To be announced

5.00pm – 6.00pm

Networking Reception
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Companies that registered for Co-Brand & Travel Rewards 2025:

Companies for the 2026 event will be added shortly

Access Development
Ai Events
Air France-KLM
Allegiant Air
Alviere
American Express
Bank of America
Best Western Hotels
Bilt Rewards
Booking.com
CardHippo
CarTrawler
Cathay Pacific
Celitech
Clarity Pay
Comarch
Competiscan
Concora Credit
Darwinium
Delta Air Lines
Deluxe
Do Good Points
Ebbo
Galileo – SoFi
Generali Global Assistance
IBS Software
IdeaWorksCompany
interCaribbean Airways
Jetblue
Kalder
Leading Hotels of the World
Legendary Vision Consulting
MacPaw Way
Maritz
Marriott International
Mastercard
Merit Incentives
Nayax
Neo Financial
Obsidian
Phocuswright
Priceline
Skeps
Southwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Sunbit
Switchfly
The Mallet Group
The Wise Marketer
TripGift®
Union Plus
Visa
WTW
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

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

Sponsorship Hot Items

  • Additional Sponsorship

Coffee Break, Lunch or Breakfast Sponsorship – Coffee stations will bear place-cards with your logo & great exposure on the agenda
$3,999 USD

APP Sponsor  – Your logo will be featured prominently in the event app. Includes 1 attendee
$3,999 USD

Closing Drinks – We brand the closing drinks with your logo. Includes 1 attendee,
$2, 999 USD

Delegate Name Tags – Name Tags bear only your logo and the conference logo!
$2,499 USD

  • AIRLINE / HOTELS & TRAVEL MERCHANTS

      • $449.00 USD – Until Friday 17th of July
      • Payment by Credit Card.
      • Note: Registration prices are $100 additional by bank transfer.

      Register Now!

  • VENDORS, BANKS & FINANCIAL SERVICES

      • $1299.00 USD – Until Friday 17th of July
      • Payment by Credit Card.
      • Note: Registration prices are $100 additional by bank transfer.

      Register Now!

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