Customer Contact Week (CCW) returns to Las Vegas on **June 22–25, 2026**, hosted at Caesars Forum. Positioned as the world’s largest customer contact event, CCW blends a high-volume conference program with a major expo hall and several focused, role-specific experiences, including the **CCW Innovation Summit**, **CCW Management Summit**, and **CCWomen Summit**.

What keeps senior leaders coming back is no longer curiosity about AI. It’s the harder question: **how to implement automation without eroding trust, creating compliance exposure, or burning out the humans** still handling the most complex moments.

CCW’s 2026 agenda makes that tension explicit. It leans into **AI and automation**, **workforce optimization**, **self-service and support**, and **customer experience strategy**, while still giving real space to leadership and culture—often the difference between a transformation that ships and one that stalls.

By design, CCW isn’t only main stage inspiration. It’s built around **workshops, summits, and think-tank formats** that push toward decisions, useful if you’re arriving with a mandate to reduce cost-to-serve while improving experience quality.

Rebecca Jarvis, Chief Business, Technology & Economics Correspondent at ABC News, returns as main stage host, guiding discussions tied to digital disruption, hyper-personalization, privacy, data security, and cost efficiency.

## Why CX Leaders Attend CCW Vegas

For leaders, CCW’s value typically comes down to three outcomes:
- **Pressure-test where AI and automation are actually delivering ROI**
- **Compare operating models** for workforce performance and quality
- **Assess the vendor landscape** in one place, less reliant on marketing claims and more grounded in peer reality

CCW’s programming also signals that **2026 is not the year of experiments. It’s the year of accountability.** You can see that in session naming and formats: workshops focused on building and operationalizing AI agents; summits focused on leadership behaviors and the human impact of automation; breakouts and think tanks tackling capacity, knowledge, and channel strategy.

## Agenda At A Glance: June 22-25

- **Monday, June 22**: Arrival, badge pickup, executive-level programming like the CMP Research Circle. Welcome party in the evening.
- **Tuesday, June 23**: Workshops and summits, including CCW Innovation Summit, CCW Management Summit, and CCWomen Summit. CCW Excellence Awards Gala (separate ticket).
- **Wednesday, June 24**: Expo hall opens, full day of keynotes and breakouts. Headliner programming on main stage. After party.
- **Thursday, June 25**: Main stage programming, breakouts, expo hall networking. Conference concludes.

## The Themes To Watch In 2026

CCW frames its program around four core challenge areas: **Customer Experience**, **AI and Automation**, **Self-Service and Support**, and **Workforce Optimization**.

That’s a strong map of where customer contact is heading. CX leaders are being asked to design experiences that feel human while automating at scale. They need self-service customers actually adopt. They need workforce models that support a hybrid **‘AI plus human’ operating reality**. And they need governance that prevents speed from turning into risk.

The schedule also points to a practical shift: not just AI capability, but **AI deployment discipline**. Several sessions explicitly focus on moving beyond pilots, restoring trust, and building guardrails.

## Key Sessions and Summits to Prioritize

If you’re choosing where to invest attention, **Tuesday is a strategic lever**—it’s where CCW concentrates hands-on and leadership-focused experiences.

- **CCW Innovation Summit**: Geared toward AI, automation, and tech trajectories. Topics include the AI-powered customer, the employee experience in the age of AI agents, rebuilding trust, and tech trends that actually move the needle.
- **CCW Management Summit**: Leans into leadership behaviors and operational outcomes. Themes signal a focus on emotional resilience, coaching, and vendor decision-making grounded in research-driven evaluation.
- **CCWomen Summit**: Focuses on human-centered leadership, community, and career advancement, with sessions including humanizing AI and centering humanity in customer journeys.

Wednesday and Thursday shift into broader conference programming. Wednesday’s main stage includes **The Next Era of Customer Contact** with **Bryan Stoller, VP Customer Support & Advocacy at United Airlines**, plus breakouts and think tanks tackling regulated CX innovation, CCaaS replacement decisions, capacity planning, and knowledge management.

The agenda also lists main stage headliners **Shaquille O’Neal, 4x NBA Champion** on Wednesday and **Lisa Vanderpump, Business Mogul, Author, & Philanthropist** on Thursday.

## Featured Speakers and Headliners

- **Rebecca Jarvis**, Chief Business, Technology & Economics Correspondent, ABC News
- **Shaquille O’Neal**, 4x NBA Champion
- **Lisa Vanderpump**, Business Mogul, Author, & Philanthropist
- **Chris Barton**, Founder & Creator, Shazam
- **Damola Adamolekun**, CEO, Red Lobster
- **Bryan Stoller**, VP Customer Support & Advocacy, United Airlines
- **Tabatha Coffey**, TV Host (Tabatha Takes Over) & Author
- **Heather Arthur**, VP, Global Client Experience Centres, Scotiabank

Beyond the main stage, the broader lineup includes customer contact and CX leaders across financial services, healthcare, retail, travel, and more—useful because real constraints vary by industry, and ‘best practice’ rarely transfers cleanly without adaptation.

## The Expo Hall: What It’s Built For

CCW positions the expo hall as a major part of the experience, highlighting **200+ solution providers** across categories like AI and automation, communications, insights and analytics, services, and workforce enablement.

For CX leaders, the expo hall is most valuable when you **arrive with a decision framework**. Use sessions and workshops to sharpen requirements first, then vendor conversations become more diagnostic and less performative.

## How to Plan Your CCW Week for ROI

If the goal is measurable impact, plan CCW in three layers:

1. **Decide what must change** in the next two quarters—deflection, agent productivity, QA modernization, AI governance—and map those priorities to sessions and workshops. Lock in Tuesday early.
2. **Treat vendor meetings like structured discovery**. Bring a scorecard. Ask about deployment time, governance model, integration complexity, and proof of outcome. Don’t accept ‘pilot success’ as evidence of scalability.
3. **Make networking intentional**. Identify peers in similar industries and constraints. Use after-hours events for relationship building, not casual browsing. The biggest ROI often comes after the event, when you can call someone who has already lived through your next decision.

CCW’s broader message for 2026 is clear: **contact centers are becoming the operational heart of CX strategy again**. AI will accelerate that shift, and it will expose weak processes faster than ever. The leaders who win will treat customer contact as a system, not a set of tools.

Customer Contact Week Vegas 2026 runs June 22-25 at Caesars Forum. See key sessions, speakers, AI themes, pricing, and planning tips.

CCW Vegas 2026: Beyond the AI Hype – How to Build Contact Centers That Actually Deliver

A financial analyst, a few years out of school, sits in front of four cloud terminals at a New York hedge fund, running $1,000 a day in AI tokens. His manager approved the budget without hesitation – the firm’s own math showed his productivity had multiplied fivefold, returning well over 200% on every dollar spent.

This is just one example of how a 26-year-old does his job today. Now imagine the same transformation applied across the loan origination operations of a top ten bank, with thousands of underwriters, risk analysts, and compliance staff. Or to the **customer service operations** of a Fortune 100 retailer handling two million interactions a week.

The potential gains are obvious, and no individual contributor or off-the-shelf AI tool can deliver them at enterprise scale. Reimagining business operations for human and agentic workers and building production-grade, AI-native solutions to run them is the opportunity that stands before IT services providers today.

The industry’s first principles were born out of an enterprise reality: technology kept becoming more powerful and more complex than companies could implement, scale, and operate on their own. Starting in the 1960s and supercharged from the 1990s forward, IT services providers built four durable value engines: implementation expertise, talent at industrial scale, global delivery, and managing complexity. Those engines survived every technology wave – Java, .Net, cloud, mobile – because they adapted while preserving the core economics.

## Necessary Shifts for the Transition

Autonomous AI now challenges the industry at a deeper level. It changes how IT services firms create value, how they deliver it, how they price it, and ultimately how they themselves are valued.

Enterprise software was deterministic, relying on repeatable, templated logic delivered through packaged software and SaaS platforms. AI systems are different. The AI models that power them are not products to be configured, but reasoning engines that require context, guardrails, and domain-specific knowledge to work reliably inside enterprises. And because AI solutions must be built around reimagined workflows, service providers now have the opportunity to create and manage the full operating stack, taking accountability for business outcomes.

Making this transition demands four significant shifts. Providers must evolve from systems integrators into **AI builders**, creating the platforms, models, and tooling required to deliver outcomes. In the old world, software existed, and the job was to implement it; in the AI world, systems are inherently bespoke and must be built.

Talent must be reimagined away from the traditional pyramid and towards interdisciplinary skills, cultivating people who are simultaneously fluent in the business domain, operations, and technology.

Delivery must shift from labor-based models to delivering outcomes, with platforms and managed services becoming the new operating model.

Lastly, and perhaps most consequential, providers must shift from delivering projects to **underwriting operational outcomes** at scale. Enterprises’ appetite for outcomes was never in question. The problem was that the technology to deliver, measure, and guarantee them did not exist. The combination of cloud platforms, real-time data infrastructure, AI-driven automation, and agentic orchestration now makes it possible to instrument business processes end-to-end.

## The Opportunity—and the Prize

No CEO ever woke up wanting to buy 500 FTEs. They always wanted faster time-to-market, lower inventory costs, and better customer retention. Now, for the first time, the technology exists to deliver exactly that.

When a services firm underwrites claims adjudication speed or commits to a measurable reduction in customer churn, it delivers efficiency, customer satisfaction, and the capacity to reinvest in growth. A global insurer that hands over claims operations to an outcome-based provider frees its best people to focus on product innovation, underwriting strategy, and market expansion, the functions that differentiate the business. A consumer goods company that outsources supply chain orchestration on outcome guarantees can redirect capital and leadership attention toward brand building, new market entry, and customer experience.

The providers moving fastest are investing in **context engineering** – the discipline of gathering and infusing an enterprise’s tribal knowledge into AI solutions so that probabilistic systems produce reliable, specific outputs. They are building repositories that encode decades of engagement knowledge into structured, reusable assets. They are establishing AI governance practices to ensure the security, auditability, and safety of AI systems. And they are restructuring commercial models from selling hours to underwriting results.

Everything can now come together as a service, allowing enterprises to focus on what defines their advantage while partners take responsibility for the work that enables it. The prize is access to a **$6T+ market**, more than three times that of IT Services today, once business operating budgets enter the pool.

IT Services firms with the courage to underwrite outcomes will define the industry and how the market values it.

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

[1] Gartner estimates the 2026 IT Services Market at ~ 1.87 trillion. Roughly 11-14% of enterprise revenues are spent to operate corporate functions alone, including labor. 11% of global Fortune 500 companies’ revenue in 2025 ($41T) translates to ~$4.5T. Together, IT Services and operational spend would yield a market of over $6T. https://fortune.com/ranking/global500

AI now offers firms a chance to build something valuable—but only if they have the courage to put results on the line.                                                                                                                                  

Unlock the $6 Trillion AI Revolution: Why IT Services Must Now Guarantee Business Outcomes

## RVezy Wins 2025 Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year

**RV rental marketplace beats 2,100+ global organizations** to claim travel's most prestigious customer service honor, bringing award-winning care to California's booming RV rental market.

RVezy, the fastest-growing peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace in California, has been named a winner of the 2025 Silver Stevie® Award for Customer Service Department of the Year in Leisure & Tourism. This recognition places RVezy among the world's most customer-centric organizations, evaluated across more than 2,100 companies in 45 countries by a panel of 170+ independent international industry experts.

![RVezy.com, California's fastest growing RV rental marketplace](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2961116/RVezy_com_RVezy_Wins_2025_Stevie_Award_for_Customer_Service_Depa.jpg?w=500)

*RVezy.com, California's fastest growing RV rental marketplace (CNW Group/RVezy.com)*

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are widely regarded as the world's top honors for customer experience. This year's program received entries from organizations across six continents, making RVezy's win in the Travel category a globally competitive achievement.

"This award belongs entirely to our team," said Michael McNaught, CEO of RVezy. "From the moment we founded this company, we made a decision that turned out to be rare in our industry: we decided that **customer service would not be a cost center. It would be our competitive advantage.** Every person at RVezy is an RV enthusiast. When a family needs us at 9pm, we are there. That is the standard we hold ourselves to every single day, and this recognition tells us we are getting it right."

### Built Different From Day One

Unlike others in the travel industry who outsource support or rely on automated systems, **RVezy's customer service infrastructure is entirely in-house** and built around a simple promise: a real person picks up in under five minutes, every time, even at the peak of summer.

RVezy's support capabilities include:

- **North American-based agents** available by phone, live chat, and email
- **Under 5-minute wait times** maintained through peak season
- **Support in 10+ languages** including English, Spanish, and French
- **90%+ customer satisfaction rating** sustained across all seasons
- **In-house insurance claims team** with up to $2 million in liability coverage and priority relationships with hundreds of repair shops across North America
- **A dedicated Host Experience Team** providing one-on-one support and dedicated account representatives for RV owners
- **The industry's most comprehensive roadside and trip interruption program** covering towing, lockouts, battery boosts, mobile mechanics, septic unblocking, hotel accommodation arrangements, and meal coverage

That final point, trip interruption, sets RVezy apart from other RV rental platforms. While industry-standard roadside programs cover basic mechanical assistance, RVezy's program goes further. When an adventure takes an unexpected turn, RVezy is there to ensure guests have a comfortable place to stay and a meal covered, because a great trip is not defined by whether everything goes perfectly, but by knowing someone has your back when it doesn't.

"We know who our customers are," said McNaught. "They are families who have saved for this trip. They have promised their kids an adventure. When they need us, we show up. That is what we built this program to do."

### The Easiest RV Rental Experience in the Industry

The Stevie Award win arrives as RVezy enters its most significant California season to date. For California RV owners, RVezy offers a payout guarantee unique in North America: if a prior rental claim prevents an owner from fulfilling a future booking, RVezy guarantees their payout, a commitment no other platform in the market makes.

### About the Stevie Awards

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world's top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organizes eight of the world's leading business awards programs. More than 2,100 nominations from organizations in 45 nations were evaluated in this year's competition. Stevie Award winners were selected by more than 170 professionals worldwide on seven judging committees.

### About RVezy

RVezy is a peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace operating across Canada and the United States. Founded in 2016 by RV enthusiasts, RVezy connects RV owners with travelers seeking authentic, flexible road trip experiences. With the industry's only double-sided host and guest app, award-winning customer service, and the most comprehensive roadside and trip interruption program in the market, RVezy is redefining what it means to rent, and own, an RV.

/PRNewswire/ - RVezy, the fastest-growing peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace in California, today announced it has been named a winner of the 2025 Silver...

How RVezy's Award-Winning Customer Service Strategy Is Redefining RV Rentals

**Pleasant Garden, North Carolina native Nicholas Mastriaco calls for a renewed focus on listening, reliability, and relationship-based service in modern business.**

Business Customer Service and Sales Representative Nicholas Mastriaco is speaking out about what he believes is a growing issue across industries: the decline of true customer connection.

Drawing from his upbringing in Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, and his professional experience in business customer service and sales, Mastriaco is encouraging professionals and companies to return to foundational principles - listening carefully, communicating clearly, and following through consistently.

"In customer service, listening is everything," Nicholas Mastriaco says. "If you miss one detail, you miss the solution."

## Why Customer Service Standards Matter Now

Recent research highlights why this issue deserves attention:

- Over **80% of customers** say the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services.
- Nearly **70% of customers** report switching brands due to poor service.
- Studies show that customers who feel heard are significantly more likely to remain loyal.
- Businesses that prioritize service consistency report higher retention and stronger long-term relationships.

Mastriaco believes the numbers reflect something simple.

"People don't just want answers," he explains. "They want someone who understands their situation."

He argues that speed without clarity creates frustration. Automation without attention creates confusion. True service requires focus.

"When you grow up in a small community, relationships matter," he says. "People remember how you treat them."

## The Foundation: Discipline and Follow-Through

Mastriaco credits his childhood for shaping his professional mindset. Raised in a close-knit family that valued consistency and accountability, he learned early that reliability builds trust.

"In sales and service, your word is your reputation," he says. "If you say you'll call back, you call back."

He believes this simple habit has become rare.

According to industry surveys, response delays and unclear communication are among the top reasons customers express dissatisfaction.

"You fix the root problem, not just the symptom," he says. "That takes attention."

## Advocacy Focus: Rebuilding Service From the Individual Level

Rather than calling for sweeping policy changes, Mastriaco is urging professionals to take personal responsibility.

"Success isn't loud," he says. "It's steady."

He encourages individuals to adopt simple but consistent behaviours:

- Ask better questions before offering solutions.
- Repeat key details to confirm understanding.
- Set clear next steps at the end of every interaction.
- Follow up when promised.
- Track commitments to ensure accountability.
- Slow down when complexity increases.
- Treat each conversation as a long-term relationship, not a transaction.

"These are habits anyone can practice," Mastriaco explains. "They don't require a new system. They require discipline."

## The Broader Impact on Business Culture

Mastriaco believes stronger service standards benefit more than customers. They strengthen teams.

"When you prepare the way you would for practice, performance improves," he says. "That applies to business."

Research shows that companies with strong internal communication cultures also experience higher employee engagement and better client retention.

Consistency reduces friction. Clarity reduces error. Reliability builds confidence.

"Preparation matters," he adds. "If you understand how something works, you handle it better."

## What Individuals Can Do Today

Nicholas Mastriaco's call to action is practical and personal:

1. Keep a written log of client commitments.
2. Schedule reminders to follow up proactively.
3. Ask one extra clarifying question in every meeting.
4. Limit distractions during customer interactions.
5. Review past conversations before responding.
6. Seek feedback on communication clarity.
7. Reflect weekly on what could improve.

"Leadership starts with habits," he says. "You don't need a title to build trust."

Nicholas Mastriaco encourages professionals across industries to recommit to service fundamentals. Listening. Clarity. Follow-through.

Start small. Focus on one habit this week. Build from there.

"Consistency builds results," he says. "And results build trust."

## About Nicholas Mastriaco

Nicholas Mastriaco is a Business Customer Service and Sales Representative based in North Carolina. Raised in Pleasant Garden, he developed a strong work ethic rooted in family values, discipline, and curiosity. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, cooking, learning about nutrition, and maintaining vehicles. Through his professional and personal life, he remains committed to reliability, connection, and lifelong learning.

**Media Contact**

nicholasmastriaco@emaildn.com

https://medium.com/@nicholasmastriaco

**SOURCE:** Nicholas Mastriaco

Pleasant Garden, North Carolina native Nicholas Mastriaco calls for renewed focus on listening, reliability, and relationship-based service in modern business. ...

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