Customer Love Summit 2018: What to See, Do, and Experience

One of our favorite parts of the 2018 Customer Love Summit is introducing you to Seattle. We love our city and all it has to offer, and aside from spending the day with you learning from the best minds in customer experience, we want to help you make the most of your time here.

It can be hard coming to a new city and trying to find food and experiences that fit your preferences. Team Apptentive has come together to share some of our favorite places for you to check out during your stay. But first, if you haven’t reserved your spot at our Customer Love Summit, grab your ticket now!

If you want to learn more about the Customer Love Summit, check out this video from last year’s event.

The main event

Before we get to our Seattle recommendations, we want to make sure you get the most out of the conference. Here’s a high-level look at the conference agenda:

8:00 – 9:00 > Breakfast
9:00 – 10:10 > Session 1
10:10 – 10:50 > Networking Break: Industry Focus
10:50 – 11:50 > Session 2
11:50 – 1:20 > Lunch + Networking: Job Function Focus
1:20 – 3:10 > Session 3
3:10 – 3:50 > Networking Break: Tools/SDKs Focus
3:50 – 5:00 > Session 4
5:00 – 7:00 > Happy Hour

We’re bringing together an incredible lineup of speakers this year. Speakers from mobile giants including Starbucks, Disney, T-Mobile, Concur, and Dunkin’ Brands will share insight on how to communicate with, learn from, and act upon feedback from your customers, and of course, how to use it to drive #customerlove.

Throughout the day, you’ll hear from speaker panels and featured solo speakers, along with starting and ending the day with impressive keynotes. Here’s a quick peek into our keynote sessions.

KEYNOTE: The ROI of Customer Love: How to Measure Your Customer-first Strategy | Mike Hilton, Chief Product Officer at Accolade and Co-founder of Concur

Customer love might sound fluffy, but it doesn’t have to be. Mike Hilton, Chief Product Officer at Accolade and Co-founder of Concur, will share how customer-first strategies contribute to success, and how to put ROI against customer love. He’ll also share actionable advice on how to create a culture of customer obsession to create products customer love.

Mike has 30 years of experience in the technology industry, beginning his career as a software engineer at Apple. During his more than two-decade long tenure at Concur, Mike contributed to the company’s growth and profitability while serving as the CEO, CTO, and CPO, among other roles.

KEYNOTE: The Evolution of Customer Love: What’s Next for Apptentive | Robi Ganguly, CEO and Co-Founder of Apptentive

The world of customer experience is evolving. Consumer expectations have matured, from expecting companies have great experiences in each channel to expecting companies have integrated experiences across all channels. At the same time, personalization has taken on a new meaning.

It’s not enough to know your customers’ names or preferences. You must be able to understand the why behind their feelings and actions. That’s why Apptentive is changing the way companies interact with and understand their customers. In his talk, Robi Ganguly, CEO and Co-founder of Apptentive, will give the audience the first look into the exciting future of Apptentive.

KEYNOTE: Digging for Gold: How to Make Sense of All Your Data & What to Do with It | Hetal Patel, Vice President of Consumer & Corporate Insights at iHeartMedia

You have a lot of data sources, but piecing them together to get the insights you need to inform your strategy is a complicated, laborious, and convoluted task. Hetal Patel, Vice President of Consumer & Corporate Insights at iHeartMedia, will share how she makes sense of complex data streams and how to use your findings to have a positive impact on the business.

Hetal has over a decade of experience in consumer research and big data analysis, and has an MBA in Consumer Psychology from University of California, Riverside.

If you want more detail on who’s speaking and what to expect, check out our recently released full agenda.

Make connections with attendees

Another benefit of attending the Customer Love Summit are the connections you’ll make. One of the biggest hits from last year’s event was the intimate peer to peer networking opportunities attendees had throughout the day.

Like last year, this year’s event offers two designated times for peer connectivity, as well as countless chances to mingle throughout the day. To get a sense of who you’ll meet, here are some of the companies who attended last year’s event.

Explore Seattle through Apptentive’s favorite sights, bites, and beverages

There’s no place quite like Seattle in the summer. If you plan to come in early or stay through the weekend, we recommend the following activities, bars, and restaurants.

Seattle is easy to navigate by public transportation. If you’re visiting from out of town, check out this quick guide to getting around.

“Don’t miss the Chocolat Chaud at Le Pichet in Pike Place Market. They also have an awesome daily quiche, but you need to order prior to noon because it sells out quickly.”
Recommended by Kelly Long

“Catch a ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Walk through the downtown area right off of the ferry called Winslow, and then go to Harbor Public House, a farm-to-table pub.“
Recommended by Ken Clements

“The Pink Door, an unmarked pink door on Post Alley, marks the gateway to a whole different side of Pike Place known mostly to just locals. They feature aerial cabaret and live music every night, as well as an outstanding menu.”
Recommended by Lex Schoner

“For out-of-towners, I suggest checking out The Nest rooftop bar. Its proximity to everything walkable in downtown Seattle is great, and the views are amazing.”
Recommended by Meghan Warbis

Best sights

• Kerry Park
• Seattle Art Museum
• Seattle Underground Walking Tour
• The Space Needle (recently redone!)
• Starbucks Reserve
• Woodinville Wine Country

Best bites

• Betsutenjin Ramen
• Biscuit Bitch
• Dick’s Drive In
• Il Corvo Pasta
• Jack’s BBQ
• Molly Moon’s Ice Cream
• Nue
• Ray’s Cafe
• Saba Ethiopian Cuisine
• Salt & Straw Scoops
• Salumi Cured Meats
• Tango
• Virginia Inn Restaurant and Bar
• Vito’s Restaurant & Lounge
• Walrus and the Carpenter
• Westward

Best beverages

• Bathtub Gin & Co.
• Canon Whiskey and Bitters Emporium
• Damn The Weather
• Mbar
• Oddfellows Cafe and Bar
• Old Stove Brewery
• Smith Tower Observatory Bar
• Tin Lizzie Lounge
• Zig Zag

Stick around for Postback

Looking for even more mobile marketing knowledge and industry fun? Be sure to stay on for Postback, TUNE’s annual mobile conference, July 19-20.

Apptentive is pleased to offer 50% off general admission to Postback for all Customer Love Summit ticket holders. Plenty of Apptentive employees will be in attendance, which means the Customer Love Summit fun doesn’t have to stop on Wednesday after happy hour concludes.

See you in July

If you haven’t grabbed your ticket to the Customer Love Summit yet, be sure to register today. Tickets are going quickly!

We can’t wait to experience Seattle summer with you, and are counting down the days until #CustomerLove18 is finally here. See you soon!