Sessions & Speakers
CXps is the premier conference dedicated solely to client experience in professional services. Industry-leading voices in customer experience will guide our educational sessions and workshops, delivering valuable insights that inspire both CX newcomers and seasoned professionals alike.
At CXps, we go beyond theory, offering practical, actionable steps to integrate client experience into your firm’s strategic initiatives and drive real success. If you’re ready to make a lasting impact and elevate your firm’s CX journey, join our dynamic community of CX thought leaders and practitioners at CXps 2025!
CPSM CEU Provider
The SMPS Approved Provider Program allows an individual, company, or organization to be formally recognized as a provider of continuing education that supports the SMPS Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) program.
As an approved provider, we are committed to delivering high-quality educational programming that aligns with the SMPS Domains of Practice for Professional Services Marketers and meets the rigorous standards set by SMPS.
Stay tuned for updates on the number of CEUs you can earn by attending our engaging and impactful educational sessions and workshops!
Keynote Session
A keynote session is not just another presentation—it’s the moment where big ideas meet bold inspiration. Designed to spark curiosity, challenge conventional thinking, and ignite action, the keynote is your opportunity to hear from a leading voice who can frame the most pressing challenges and opportunities in a way that resonates deeply with the overall theme of the conference.
Carla Johnson
Keynote Speaker, Author, Innovation Architect
Re:Think Labs
Rethink Innovation
Innovation is often seen as expensive, time-consuming, and exclusive—reserved for those with special skills, titles, or budgets. This perception keeps many teams stuck in status-quo thinking, delivering uninspired results and struggling to achieve meaningful breakthroughs. But what if innovation didn’t have to be so daunting? What if there was a simple, proven framework that anyone could use to consistently develop impactful ideas?
In this keynote, you’ll discover how to rethink innovation as an accessible, repeatable process that drives captivating experiences and measurable results. Learn why many organizations fail at innovation despite recognizing its importance, and gain practical insights into the 5 irrefutable steps that make it achievable for anyone.
Walk away with the tools to demystify innovation, empower your team to think creatively with less friction and risk, and cultivate a culture where innovation thrives at every level. This session will inspire you to break through barriers and turn innovative thinking into a powerful driver of success for your organization.
BIG Idea Sessions
CXYP – Client Experience Young Professional’s Group
Client experience (CX) is rapidly evolving, and engaging your associates in this process is more important than ever. Join Amanda Seekamp for an insightful session on successfully launching and sustaining a Client Experience Young Professionals (CXYP) group within your organization. This session will provide an overview of how to foster collaboration, share CX insights, and develop essential client service skills among young professionals.
Attendees will gain practical takeaways on structuring quarterly meetings, including CX workshops, partner panels, small-group discussions, and leveraging external speakers to enhance learning. Amanda will discuss the ROI of the CXYP group, share key feedback, discuss process improvements, and highlight what worked and what didn’t.
Whether you’re looking to start your own CXYP group or improve your current employee engagement efforts, this BIG Idea session will equip you with actionable tips, best practices, and strategies to drive engagement and CX excellence within your organization.
Making EX a Key Part of Your CX
In this engaging and insightful session, Danny McPhaul will dive into the critical connections between Employee Experience (EX) and Client Experience (CX). He will explore how being an effective people leader directly impacts employee satisfaction, drives a positive company culture, and ultimately enhances your customers’ experience.
Attendees will discover how happy, motivated employees translate into improved customer satisfaction, higher Net Promoter Scores (NPS), and other key performance metrics.
Expect creative insights, actionable takeaways on improving your employee experience, and a sprinkling of pop culture references—including a fresh take on the timeless wisdom of The Golden Girls! Join this fun and informative session to learn how to strengthen your EX to drive better CX results.
Breakout Sessions
Achieving Strategic Differentiation in Today’s Market
Achieving strategic differentiation is never more difficult than in professional services firms. That’s because the offering is fundamentally intangible. Most firms claim they are differentiated by their partner expertise, firm culture, breadth of services, or depth of industry experience.
But all of that has changed. What created differentiation a decade ago is very different from what works today. What most firms claim as differentiators are now actually just table stakes to even be in business.
In this session, Danielle Berg will explore what drives strategic differentiation today and how to deliver on it consistently. From market positioning to intentional experiences, operational systems must be optimized to keep both employees and clients engaged. Doing so leads to a powerful combination of preference loyalty and margin – all of which drive growth. Whether your firm goal is to stay independent or to be attractive for acquisition, these new fundamentals are essential for succeeding now and in the future.
How Award-Winning Culture Helps You Fight the Talent War
The session will explore how Bartlett & West started fighting the talent war by capturing and sharing their employer brand story, leading to several top employer awards, including recognition on Forbes 2023 American’s Best Small Employer list.
Amber Larson kicks off the session with live polling of the audience. She presents in an interactive and conversational manner. She also uses industry research to reinforce the message. Attendees will leave this presentation with a clear understanding of how marketing can assist with a top challenge of AEC leadership–recruitment and retention.
The session helps marketing professionals align their thinking with a top area of concern across our industry’s leadership, which in turn helps the attendees create greater value within their own roles and departments.
The Big Win: Fully Integrating CX and EX with Your Organization’s Work to Maximize Impact
In 2021, Neumann Monson Architects formed a hypothesis: A positive client experience (CX) will build trust, enabling clients to take more design risks toward greater innovation. By 2022, this hypothesis evolved to include employee experience (EX): Well-executed projects—delivered in a human-centered, engaging, and inclusive way—will build greater client trust that will lead to design innovation and a more significant impact socially, culturally, and/or environmentally, while building stronger internal teams.
This session explores how the intersection of CX, EX, and DX (Design Excellence, specific to our industry) leads to “The Big Win”: impact that ripples from our purpose-driven practice across the region, the nation, and the globe, and into other industries.
Denise Schmitz and Sally Obernolte will share their in-progress path with other professional service providers to encourage them to integrate their unique service offerings with CX and EX to maximize their impact, and create ‘The Big Win.’
THE CXM (CM Manager) PLAYBOOK – “The Play-by-Play: Guiding Your Client Experience Team to Victory”
At WithersRavenel (WR), the Client Experience Manager (CXM) role is pivotal to driving client satisfaction and ensuring seamless project delivery. However, the lack of clear, standardized roles and responsibilities for CXMs often led to inefficiencies and uncertainty about ownership of tasks and client relationships. In response, WR developed the CXM Playbook as part of the broader “CXM 2.0” initiative, spearheaded by the Chief Experience and Innovation Officer (CXIO). This initiative aimed to refine WR’s CXM-led approach to both project delivery and client retention.
Join Don Mizelle as he walks attendees through creating the CXM Playbook, from gathering internal feedback to developing actionable strategies. Key takeaways will include how WR conducted anonymous surveys to understand the role of CXMs across the organization and incorporated real-world examples, best practices, and tools to enhance the role’s effectiveness. Attendees will learn how the Playbook has clarified expectations, improved project outcomes, and set the stage for ongoing improvement.
Looking ahead, WR plans to continually update the Playbook, develop training programs, and integrate performance metrics to ensure the Playbook remains a dynamic tool for driving client and employee success. Join this session to learn how a structured approach to CXM can streamline project delivery, clarify responsibilities, and improve overall client and employee experiences.
The Morgan Lewis EDGE: Merging Innovation with Exceptional Client Experience
Join Amanda Bruno as she reveals the strategic foundation behind Morgan Lewis’ Exceptional Client Experience (ECX) platform, designed to elevate client service beyond “business as usual.” Built on three key pillars— a robust Client Feedback Program (CFP), exceptional client service (ECS) training, and employee recognition— the ECX platform ensures that feedback drives action and continuous improvement.
Learn how Morgan Lewis integrates real-time client insights into its operations, fosters a culture of service excellence, and uses tools like their Excellence Awards and ECS training to empower employees.
Through live polling and interactive Q&A, attendees will gain actionable strategies for implementing a client feedback loop, enhancing team alignment, and adopting a client-first mindset. Walk away with practical insights and a checklist for immediate application to improve client service and foster long-term client relationships.
Workshops
Collaborate with your peers in small-group, roundtable workshops and apply CX foundations and fresh insights directly to your real-world business challenges. The hands-on approach to these interactive sessions, featuring focused exercises, will arm you with practical skills and actionable strategies, empowering you to drive lasting, meaningful change within your firm.
11 Pitfalls of CX Programs (and How to Avoid Them!)
In today’s fast-paced and competitive environment, professional services firms must deliver an exceptional client experience (CX) to build loyalty, stand out from the competition, boost profits, and minimize client turnover. However, traditional “check-the-box” approaches often miss the mark.
In this engaging workshop, Blake Godwin will guide you through 11 critical pitfalls that can sabotage your CX efforts, while offering practical, sustainable strategies that put client needs at the forefront. You’ll learn how to implement proven techniques to keep clients satisfied and returning, and how a robust CX program can give your firm a clear competitive advantage.
Walk away with actionable insights to not only navigate potential CX challenges but to avoid them altogether. Don’t miss this chance to elevate your firm’s approach to client experience and drive long-term success!
Ensuring Consistent Service Delivery Through Ongoing Client Liaison Training
MSA began a formal Client Liaison Training Program to help less experienced staff immerse themselves in MSA’s Client Experience (CX) Program while offering experienced staff a refresher, complete with fresh ideas that have been successful in the field. This program even included a client panel to hear firsthand what clients expect.
In this interactive workshop, led by Jim Holz, you’ll get an inside look at MSA’s CX training program. More importantly, you’ll be encouraged to share how your organization approaches CX training, enabling a collaborative exchange of ideas on starting or enhancing your own program. Whether you’re building a new training initiative or refining an existing one, you’ll leave with a practical blueprint and actionable ideas for elevating your team’s client experience skills.
Join us to explore best practices, learn from real-world examples, and take away proven strategies to develop or improve your organization’s CX training efforts.
Founder
C-ChangeWork LLC
Lead Like Lasso – Tips, Tools & Techniques to Strengthen Employee & Customer Engagement
Join Karen Jackson for an interactive and thought-provoking workshop inspired by the hit series Ted Lasso, where we’ll explore leadership lessons that can transform the way you engage with both employees and customers.
Drawing on insights from the show and proven CX/EX (Customer and Employee Experience) best practices, this session will provide practical strategies to inspire loyalty, boost productivity, and exceed customer expectations.
In this hands-on experience, participants will uncover tools to foster a culture of excellence, enhance engagement, and drive long-term success within their organizations.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain fresh perspectives on leadership and leave equipped with actionable techniques to elevate both employee and customer engagement.
Panel Discussion
Power in Pairs: A Collaborative Approach to Client Experience and Revenue Growth
There is no question that collaboration in law firms creates better outcomes for clients and firms. And yet, working hard together can be hard work. The most innovative firms are finding ways to break down silos and take a multi-faceted and collaborative approach to deliver superior client experience and drive sustainable revenue growth.
This gameshow-style panel will feature in-house law firm executives sharing perspectives on how collaboration drives greater client experience and revenue growth outcomes in their firms.
