Presence and Spaces: The Rise of Experiential Luxury

November 13, 2026

This conference explores how the luxury landscape is shifting from material ownership to immersive living—spanning high-end travel and hospitality to curated pop-ups and brand activations. As consumers redefine luxury beyond the traditional retail floor, prioritizing emotional connection and exceptional engagement, brands must rethink how they show up to capture both mindshare and market share.

This one-day forum brings professionals across luxury, retail, hospitality, and client service together with top MBA talent for candid conversations, strategic insights, and networking.

  • Keynote
    Ewa Abrams, President of Kering Americas
    Moderated by Thomai Serdari, Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern

    Panel 1: Make Yourself at Home
    Caitlin Austin, CMO at The Exclusive Collective
    Andrew Bowen, Co-Founder and CEO of Ash Staging, Partner at Ash
    Samantha Thiel, Sr. Director, Tech Strategy, Transformation and Execution at Four Seasons
    Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Managing Director of Onboarding Strategy & Experience at Delta Air Lines
    Moderated by Liz Batsche, Founder of Well Hosted & Stern Alum

    Panel 2: When Luxury is your Client - The Strategy of Luxury
    Allison Fox, Co-Leader of Global Fashion and Luxury Center of Excellence at Deloitte
    Director of Client Strategy, Global Luxury Maison
    Ashleigh Nicholson, VP Group Director of Global Media at Publicis Luxe
    Jana Hollingshead, Executive Director of Global Beauty Partnerships at Condé Nast
    Moderated by Sasha Zolley, Adjunct Business & Society Department Professor at NYU Stern

    Panel 3: Step in and Stay Awhile - Pop Ups, Activations, and Brand Trips
    Ami Shemi, Director of Wholesale and RTW at KHAITE
    Jess Burns, SVP of Global Marketing & Communications at rag & bone
    Isabel Lagdameo-Murphy, Executive Director of Global Marketing at La Mer
    Alexandria Ivanoff, Director of Integrated Communications, Americas at Diptyque
    Moderated by TBD

    Panel 4: The Evolving Marketplace
    Matthew Dean, VP at 1st Dibs
    Elizabeth Von Der Goltz, CRO at Poshmark
    Christopher Cabot, Global President at Value Retail, The Bicester Collection
    April Hennig, President of Moda Operandi
    Moderated by TBD

  • WTHN
    Mara Beauty
    EOS
    Pari
    St. James
    Liquid IV

The Rise of Experiential Luxury

The conference brings together 100+ NYU Stern MBA students and industry professionals for a dynamic exploration of how brands are addressing the consumer shift towards experiential luxury. Each session offers 40 minutes of guided discussion and 10 minutes of audience Q&A.

The conference will run from 9:30AM - 4:00PM on Sterns campus. Lunch will be provided during a dedicated 1-hour networking session.

  • The panels will consist of 4 speakers and a moderator. Each session will include 40 minutes of guided questions and 10 minutes of audience Q&A.

  • [10:00 - 10:40AM] Keynote: Ewa Abrams will discuss what experiential luxury means to Kering and how the shift in consumer behavior has shaped Kering’s overall strategy.

    [10:50 - 11:40AM] Panel 1: Leaders from luxury hospitality and travel brands will explore how their brands engage with clients, from the first touchpoint to the last detail, and what makes guests want to come back again and again.

    [12:50-1:40PM] Panel 2: This panel represent an integrated ecosystem between consulting firms, media agencies, and the brands themselves and speakers will discuss strategic experiential shifts in the luxury industry.

    [1:50 - 2:40PM] Panel 3: Leaders will discuss how they have built strong “in real life” brand experiences, whether through pop-ups, activations, or other in-store strategies.

    [2:50 - 3:40PM] Panel 4: Leaders from resale, vintage, curated designer retail, and destination shopping brands will explore how they create trust, discovery, and loyalty beyond the traditional store experience.

  • 100+ exceptional NYU Stern MBA students, interested in retail and luxury, are expected to be present, providing an engaged and diverse audience for panel discussions.