Customer experience has entered what may be its most paradoxical era: AI can make interactions faster, journeys smarter, and service more scalable — yet trust is brittle, differentiation is harder, and many “intelligent” experiences still rest on shaky foundations. That’s why Forrester’s 2026 CX Forums are built around a clear imperative: Build the experience AI can’t.

Hosted in New York City, CX Forum East equips CX leaders — along with their marketing and digital peers — to do just that. If you’re attending (or considering it), here are 10 experiences to prioritize to get the most from your two days at the Forum.

1. Anchor Yourself In The Keynotes

The mainstage keynotes establish the intellectual foundation for the event. They address the pressures CX leaders are facing right now — from rising distrust in an AI‑saturated world to the leadership challenge of building human‑centered organizations at scale.

These sessions aren’t meant to be abstract inspiration. They give you shared language, sharper mental models, and a clearer sense of what must change — all of which carries through the breakouts, workshops, and hallway conversations that follow.

2. Learn How Brand, Customer, And Employee Experience Together Drive Better Outcomes

Last year, Forrester introduced its Total Experience Score, a unified framework for measuring brand and customer experience, building strategies that win and keep customers, and accelerating revenue growth. At this year’s CX events, we’ll unveil an expanded score that incorporates employee experience — a critical driver of customer outcomes.

Watch the big reveal in the Wednesday morning keynote, then stick around for our first Total Experience Honor celebration, where we’ll recognize organizations that set the benchmark for unified, high‑impact brand, customer, and employee experiences.

Throughout the event, breakout sessions will dive deeper into what it takes to operationalize total experience — so you can apply these lessons once you return to the office.

3. Pick A Track — Then Use It To Focus Your Agenda

CX Forums are designed to help you move from ideas to action, and the track structure makes that easier. Sessions at CX Forum East are organized into three clear paths:

  • Make Your Strategy Unmistakable: Clarify your CX strategy, sharpen differentiation, and make deliberate choices about where — and how — experience drives growth.
  • Operate On A Foundation AI Can’t Build: Strengthen the human elements AI depends on: trust, culture, leadership, customer identity, and high‑quality data.
  • Deploy Technology With Intent: Move beyond experimentation to deploy AI and CX technologies with purpose, governance, and measurable impact.

You can (and should) mix and match — but choosing a “home track” helps you build a coherent narrative across two days, especially if you’re attending with colleagues and want to divide and conquer.

Pro tip: Use the agenda filters to curate your ideal schedule.

4. Build A CX ROI Story That Leadership Will Get Behind

Many CX teams struggle not with ideas but with investment. CX Forum East includes workshops and sessions designed to help you win executive buy‑in — and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders for ongoing success.

The workshop “Build Your CX ROI Story” focuses on translating CX work into outcomes that leadership cares about, from financial impact to risk mitigation and growth. “Activate Your CX Ecosystem With Stakeholder Relationships” helps you align with marketing and digital peers to achieve shared CX goals.

Both workshops require preregistration. Find a full list of workshops here.

5. Get Practical About AI Agents

Most CX leaders are asked to “do something with AI” — often without clarity on what should be automated, what must stay human, and what good governance looks like when AI acts on your behalf.

CX Forum East offers practical guidance and real‑world examples. Sessions such as “Ready, Set, Agentic: How Real Companies Deploy AI With Intent” explore how agentic AI will reshape CX processes and roles, while “Prepare For AI Agents As Your New Target Audience” helps you design experiences that work for both human and AI customers.

6. Build Better Customer Journeys (And Get Certified!)

Some of the most valuable Forum moments happen outside the standard breakout format — especially if you’re trying to mature your CX practice.

This year’s in‑event certification program focuses on helping leaders move from static journey maps to active journey management. Participants will learn how to identify high‑impact improvement opportunities, quantify the value of journey changes, and activate the right stakeholders to drive meaningful, sustained change.

7. Get One‑On‑One Advice From Forrester Analysts

For many attendees, one‑on‑one meetings with Forrester analysts are among the most valuable parts of the event. These private, 20‑minute conversations let you go beyond best practices to discuss real constraints, pressure‑test new approaches, and get perspective grounded in cross‑industry research and practitioner experience.

To get the most value, come with a specific question or decision in mind — and be ready to challenge your thinking, not just seek validation. One‑on‑ones fill up quickly; registrants will be notified shortly before the event when signups open.

8. Explore The Latest In CX Technology

The Marketplace at CX Forum East is a one‑stop hub for exploring how CX technology is evolving — and what’s truly worth your attention. Designed as a curated learning environment, it brings together leading providers across journey management, customer insights, personalization, service, AI, analytics, and experience design.

A quick walkthrough early in the event can help you spot innovations aligned to your priorities — and decide which conversations to revisit. The Marketplace is also a natural networking space, where peers, analysts, and partners connect between sessions to compare notes and share perspectives.

9. Build Your Network — Purposefully

CX Forum East is intentionally intimate, designed for meaningful connection rather than “badge‑scan networking”; you’ll see this in the built‑in breaks, receptions, and smaller group formats, all of which create space for real conversations with peers and analysts facing the same challenges you are.

Our special programs, including the invite-only Executive Leadership Exchange and the Women’s Leadership Breakfast, create even more focused environments for meaningful conversation. These sessions have sparked mentoring relationships, partnerships, and long-standing peer connections over the years.

10. Experience New York City

Despite its intimate scale, CX Forum East takes place in one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Whether you’re grabbing coffee between sessions, taking in skyline views, or heading out with peers after the day wraps, New York’s energy is part of the experience. And if you want to explore farther afield, the metro is just a short walk away. (Read our recommendations for around the venue.)

Ready? Excited? We can’t wait to see you in New York.

Register now if you haven’t already — and start planning how you’ll build the experience AI can’t.