In this episode, I introduce 2026: The Year of Experiential Hospitality and why it's time to stop treating customer experience and hospitality as separate conversations.
Customer experience is the strategy. Hospitality is how that strategy shows up in real moments, on the front line, every day. Experiential hospitality is about intentionally creating moments where people feel welcomed and understood, and using those moments to build trust, loyalty, and differentiation.
In this episode, we cover:
Why experience is the clear differentiator in a commoditized marketplace
How hospitality becomes the front-line expression of customer experience
What hospitality-rich organizations do differently, and what every industry can learn from them
How tiered service levels (value through luxury) create clarity and intentional premiumization
The role of leaders and frontline teams as the true multipliers of experience
Where technology and AI enable experience, and why humans must stay in the loop
This episode sets the foundation for how experience, hospitality, people, leadership, and technology come together in 2026, with hospitality leading the way.
Perfect for: hospitality leaders, business owners, CEOS, COOs, CX/EX professionals, operational managers, retail and service teams, training and development leaders, and anyone responsible for people and performance (and sales growth) in 2026.
If you are ready to start 2026 with clarity, confidence, and momentum, this episode is your launch point.
Book time with me to learn about our speaking, training, and consulting services: https://calendly.com/thetonyjohnson/strategy
Links & Resources:
📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/
📌 Order my book Together We Serve: https://amzn.to/4pwGvPL
📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits
📌 Order my book Proof Positive: https://amzn.to/3LWtP5l
Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience + Hospitality Consultant, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, and Author with a wide background including higher education, restaurants, retail, travel, city government, chambers of commerse, and leisure. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement and retentions. Tony has spoken to government agencies, airlines, universities, and many Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.
Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:
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