Experience ‘25: Powering the Future of Experience, Together

We couldn’t host the best customer experience conference in the world without our partners. Our partner marketing specialist — and Medallia Experience first-timer — shares her best highlights from Experience ’25.

It feels like just yesterday I was soaking in all the excitement from Medallia partners as they shared what they were most looking forward to at Medallia Experience 2025, along with their prediction of trends shaping the future of CX. And in the blink of an eye, my first Experience at The Wynn Las Vegas has wrapped up. I must say, it delivered everything and more! But before I jump to the end, let’s rewind to what made this conference so unforgettable.

If you’re not familiar, Experience is Medallia’s annual user conference, bringing together customers, partners, employees, and experience management enthusiasts from every industry for three dynamic days of visionary keynotes, thought leadership content, networking, and fun. It’s exhilarating, enlightening, and aspirational — an event designed to fuel innovation and connections that accelerate impact. Here’s the inside scoop on my first Experience, my favorite moments with Medallia’s partners, and why I can’t wait to return next year.

Be the Exception: A Theme That Delivered

The theme of Experience 2025 was “Be the Exception,” and the event truly embodied that spirit. The agenda made it easy to facilitate learning and quality conversations, with engaging keynotes and networking activities that sparked new ideas and relationships.

The conference kicked off with Medallia’s senior leadership unveiling our vision for the future of customer experience and the latest 7 AI-Powered Capabilities. Day 1 also featured an inspiring keynote from Will Guidara — restaurateur and co-producer of the Emmy-winning show The Bear — who spoke about the pursuit of unreasonable hospitality, how big and small, intentional moments can create exceptional experiences. I now have Guidara’s book Unreasonable Hospitality proudly displayed on my bookshelf as a reminder to make every interaction with customers more awesome! 

Day 2 kept the energy high with a powerful panel on the CX and EX connection, led by Denise Lee Yohn and featuring leaders from Sandals Resorts International and Capital One. The momentum continued as CX legends Fred Reichheld, Jeannie Walters, and Shep Hyken took the stage with Medallia’s Chief Strategy Officer, Sid Banerjee, to discuss the rapidly evolving experience landscape. They explored how the experience landscape is evolving at lightning speed and the game-changing opportunities brands have to harness AI, omnichannel insights, and conversational intelligence to forge deeper customer connections. After months of tuning into their podcasts and perusing their newsletters, seeing these visionaries exchange ideas live was surreal — proof that the future of experience is brighter than ever.

The Power of Partnerships: Collaboration at Its Finest

Before the main event commenced, we kicked off Experience with our exclusive Partner Summit on Day 0. Over 100 partners from 50+ organizations gathered for an afternoon of networking, insights from Medallia leaders — including CRO Ben Brewer and Alliances leadership Eric Din, Phil Croxford, and Ellie Soleymani — and compelling breakout sessions to strengthen our dynamic partner ecosystem. 

Medallia Partner Awards: Celebrating Excellence

In addition to great content and conversations, we shifted into celebration mode with Medallia’s inaugural Partner Awards Ceremony, recognizing six outstanding partners for their achievements:

• Accenture: Services Partner Award, for the highest Medallia software revenue impact by a services partner.
• Salesforce: Technology Partner Award, for the highest Medallia software revenue impact by a technology partner.
• Katmai: Fastest Growing Partner Award, for achieving the highest percentage growth year over year.
• NRC Health: New Partner Award, for driving the highest software revenue impact in its first year as a Medallia partner.
• The Arnold P. Gold Foundation: Solution Innovation Partner Award, for developing a groundbreaking trust measurement tool for healthcare, already benefiting over 1.5 million patients annually.
• KPMG Customer Advisory: Customer Impact Partner Award, for transforming joint customers’ CX programs and achieving measurable success.

Congratulations to these partners for their dedication and innovation! I’m excited to see what we accomplish together in the year ahead.

The Experience Hub: Sponsors, Swag, and Simulators Galore!

The energy at Experience was electric the moment I stepped into the expo hall — also known as the Experience Hub. With the Medallia Market (featuring a variety of swag from pickleball sets to dog bandanas to travel essentials from CVS), McLaren Simulator (for speed demons looking for a thrill), Medallia product & integration demo stations, and the vibrant sponsor booths, the excitement was contagious.

With 16 sponsors exhibiting in the Hub, attendees had the chance to explore our partners’ cutting-edge solutions, watch compelling demos, and connect with experts to learn how Medallia’s joint solutions with our partners are shaping the future of experience management.

Thought-Provoking Content & Industry Insights

The agenda was packed with insights from Medallia experts, partners, and customers. Attendees could engage in roundtable discussions on trending topics across industries — healthcare, B2B, insurance, market research, financial services, hospitality, and more — or dive into sponsor-led sessions covering everything from the ROI of trust (led by Trustpilot) to aligning loyalty with CX (led by Epsilon) to best practices with 360 feedback (led by Decisionwise).

Public sector leaders had a unique opportunity to connect over lunch at a special session hosted by TD Synnex. A panel of industry experts explored how the Department of Defense is integrating CX and user-centered design, along with key lessons from the Department of Veterans Affairs in enhancing the veteran experience — highlighting CX’s growing impact across the military.

The content didn’t stop at lunch… I enjoyed exploring compelling breakout sessions that our partners Kantar, Ipsos, and KPMG presented alongside joint customers, PLDT, DHL, and Verizon, respectively, to provide a deep dive into industry best practices that are transforming experiences. Ipsos also took the stage with Medallia’s Andrew Custage and Mike Debnar to discuss The Shifting Dynamics of Customer Loyalty market research — a must-read for any CX leader.

Unforgettable Moments: Fun, Networking & More

Beyond the incredible content and connections, Experience 2025 delivered unforgettable moments designed to bring attendees together and create lasting memories.

Day 0: The energy in the Experience Hub was electric as sponsors welcomed attendees at the 90s-themed welcome reception, complete with nostalgic activations that set the perfect throwback vibe.

Day 1: I kicked off the morning at the Ipsos Jet Lag Lounge, fueling up on coffee and pastries while meeting international attendees still adjusting to the time change. Later, at Medallia’s laidback beer & wine garden, I reflected on the day with fellow attendees and even got a permanent bracelet from the UserTesting jewelry station. Material surprised us all with sleek leather koozies — an instant hit!

Day 2: The grand finale? The Neon Circus-themed closing party at Encore Beach Club — a perfect sendoff filled with great food, even better company, and shared excitement for the future of our partnerships.

Every detail of these social experiences was thoughtfully designed to make Experience truly unforgettable. I left feeling both exhausted and energized, knowing the best is yet to come as we continue driving meaningful impact together.

Experience 2026: The Countdown Begins!

They say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas — but not when it comes to Experience 2025. The insights, energy, and connections made here are too powerful to keep under wraps. If you weren’t part of it this year, make sure you don’t miss out. Mark your calendar — Experience 2026 is bringing the excitement back to Las Vegas, February 10-12, 2026.

Let’s stay connected in the meantime! Follow us on social media, and keep making moments that matter. See you in Vegas! Thank you again for our amazing sponsors for making Experience 2025 one to remember: Deloitte Digital, SMT, Kantar, Higher Oak, Ipsos, UserTesting, KPMG, CipherHealth, DecisionWise, Engage Hub, Five9, New Metrics, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, Material, OGC Global, Epsilon, TD Synnex, Trustpilot, and Salesforce.