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The agenda is being built right now.

We’re not ready to publish session titles yet, but here’s what to expect from the shape of the program:

  • More workshops and small group formats, less passive listening
  • Tracks organized by focus and experience level, so you can go deep where you want to
  • A mix of strategy, deliverability, design, and technical content
  • Practitioner led sessions alongside expert and vendor perspectives

Speakers, sessions, and the full schedule will be announced in the coming months.

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Inbox Expo Atlanta 2026

2026 Agenda

Take a look back at what we covered in Atlanta.

Inbox Expo 2026 brought together 25+ speakers across three days at the Omni Atlanta, with sessions split between a main stage, second stage, and hands-on workshop space. Highlights included:

5:00 – 7:00 PM

Registration Open ✔️

Check in, pick up your event badge, swag bag, and more.
5:00 – 8:00 PM

Event Kickoff Happy Hour + Networking 🥂

Grab a drink and meet with like-minded professionals attending InboxExpo.

Sponsored by Halon
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Registration Open ✔️

Registration is open all day.
9:00 – 9:15 AM

Welcome to Day 2 👋

Welcome to InboxExpo, and a preview of what’s in store for Day 2.
9:15 – 10:00 AM
MAIN STAGE
OPENING KEYNOTE

Anything Can Happen: The Magic is YOU!

In this dynamic and inspiring 45-minute keynote presentation, Alicia Mintz (old school email marketer and CEO of Hemlock Creatives) delivers a lively, fast-paced presentation on the radical idea that Anything Can Happen and that each individual is the essential magic in every moment life presents. Engaging the audience through a combination of personal and professional stories, this keynote is upbeat and interactive with audience participation both encouraged and rewarded. We are living in an unpredictable world with unplanned and unexpected events around every corner. The content of the keynote centers in on planning, executing, and accommodating for these events and opportunities in a world where literally anything can happen, and often does. Examples and stories will be applicable for both business and personal use. Truly, the magic is YOU!
Presented by Alicia Mintz, owner and CEO of Hemlock Creatives
10:10 – 10:45 AM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Email Across the Pond: Shared Experiences of UK, European and US Customer Communications

Email marketers in the US, UK and Europe often work under very different market structures. The US benefits from a unified, high-scale environment; Europe operates across 30+ territories with varied cultures, laws and expectations. Neither approach is “right” or “wrong” - they’re shaped by context. This session will explore how global brands adapt their email marketing programmes while maintaining consistent brand identity, and what practitioners on both sides of the Atlantic can learn from each other. This will be a genuinely cross-regional talk grounded in real practice.
Presented by Stafford Sumner, Founder & CEO of Jarrang
10:10 – 10:45 AM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Deliverability is Everyone’s Responsibility Across Channels and Here's Why

In 2026, “deliverability” can no longer be viewed as a narrow technical metric owned only by CRM or email specialists. Today’s brands communicate across a complex ecosystem email, SMS, push, in-app messages, dynamic content, personalization engines, and AI-driven automations. Every one of these touchpoints depends on healthy data, ethical practices, and a frictionless customer experience. This session will explore why every department, marketing, product, data, engineering, design, compliance, and even leadership, plays a critical role in deliverability success. We’ll examine how UX, CX, permissioning, data quality, and content design all influence inbox placement and channel performance. Ill talk about a modern definition of deliverability that goes far beyond “will the email land?”, and instead supports a holistic customer engagement strategy for the 2026 landscape.
Presented by Bob Sybydlo, VP Marketing & CRM Technology at Enverta Digital.
Session is sponsored by Mailora.
10:45 – 11:00 AM

Refreshment Break ☕

Grab a coffee or water, stretch your legs, visit the exhibit hall, and get ready for the next session.
11:00 – 11:40 AM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Managing Deliverability in Challenging Industries

Omnivery and TrueML will demonstrate how proactive deliverability analysis, paired with a strong commitment to industry best practices, enables even traditionally “risky” content to reliably reach the inbox. By combining continuous mail stream monitoring, human technical guidance, and disciplined sending practices, organizations can maintain strong sender reputation and achieve consistent inbox placement—even in highly scrutinized messaging environments.
Presented by Alice Cornell from Omnivery and Raja Datta from TrueML.
Session is sponsored by Omnivery.
11:00 – 11:40 AM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT PANEL

Interactive Email in Production: What's Real, What's Hype, and What Actually Scales

Interactive email has been "the future" for years, but most production email programs still remain fundamentally static. So what's actually preventing mainstream adoption? This session brings together leaders from Zaymo and Stripo for a candid discussion on the operational, technical, and ecosystem realities shaping interactive email in 2026. From AMP and Apple Mail fragmentation to production workflows, analytics limitations, rendering constraints, deliverability concerns, and AI-assisted development, this panel goes beyond demos to examine what truly works at scale and what still breaks in production.
Moderated by Kristen Haines , with panelists Brice Douglas , Co-Founder of Zaymo, and Dmytro Kudrenko , CEO of Stripo.
11:50 AM – 12:25 PM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Prescriptive Engagement: From Inbox to Impact

Deliverability is non-negotiable. But landing in the inbox isn't the finish line — it's where the real work starts. This session uses five years of email trend data to expose the widening gap between batch-and-blast tactics and intent-driven automation, showing how buying behavior has outpaced most marketing programs. Join Acoustic Director of Sales, Christina Yslas, as she discusses the evolution from reactive to prescriptive engagement — and what it looks like when your platform prescribes outcomes based on real behavioral signals, not just campaign activity. Attendees will walk away with a framework for identifying high-intent buyers and high-risk churners before they act, and learn how lean teams are operating like lifecycle, growth, and retention marketers all in one.
Presented by Christina Yslas , Director of Sales for Acoustic.
Session is sponsored by Acoustic.
11:50 AM – 12:25 PM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Automate This, Not That: AI, Email, and the Parts That Still Matter

AI tools promise faster content, smarter targeting, and effortless optimization—but email success has never been about tools alone. In this session, we’ll examine where AI truly adds value to email programs and where marketers risk automating themselves into diminishing returns. We’ll explore how AI impacts segmentation, creative, testing, and deliverability, and why strategy, restraint, and empathy are becoming even more critical in an AI-enabled environment. Attendees will leave with a clear, practical framework for deciding what to automate, what to augment, and what should remain human-led in modern email programs. This session is designed for experienced email and CRM professionals who want to use AI as a force multiplier—not a crutch.
Presented by Tricia Babischkin, Director of Marketing Consulting for Empathy Lab - EPAM.
12:30 – 1:45 PM

Lunch 🍽️

Enjoy a tasty buffet curated by the Omni Atlanta. Please note not all ticket tiers include lunch. Be sure to select either the Enhanced or Premiere ticket tier if you would like to join us for lunch.

Sponsored by MessageGears
1:45 PM – 2:20 PM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

The Case for Email (and SMS)

Email marketing has a messaging problem. As Rodney Dangerfield famously quipped, email's "got no respect." We can get the channel the respect it deserves... if we tell the right stories. Scott Cohen, CEO of InboxArmy, will give you the goods for how to elevate your email marketing (and SMS) program to get not only respect, but hopefully proper funding. He'll talk about the role email plays in the broader consumer experience, how it can "play well with others" with regard to paid channels, and how to tell the story of email success properly.
Presented by Scott Cohen, CEO of InboxArmy.

Sponsored by InboxArmy
1:45 PM – 2:20 PM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

How not to land in spam: A study of 100+ deliverability audits

In this session, we look at the results of 100 audits over the last 36 months to see what are the top reasons for companies to be delivered in spam and their evolution over time. This is a scientific study of the results of real audits performed by the team - with an accurate estimate for each root cause, how many audits contained it, and the path taken to resolve each of these issues.
Presented by Pierre Pignault, Founder & CEO of Mailsoar.
2:30 – 3:05 PM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT PANEL

Ask Us Anything: Deliverability Panel

Whether you’re new to deliverability or deep in the weeds, this AMA is designed to meet you where you are. Ask about spam complaints, warming, throttling, authentication, engagement signals, or the latest mailbox provider changes. Panelists will break down complex topics in plain language while still offering advanced insights. Come curious and leave more confident about getting emails to the inbox.
Moderated by Jacqueline Freedman, with panelists: Matthew Vernhout , Principal Email Advisor at Email Industries, Jennifer Nespola Lantz, VP of Industry Relations and Deliverability at Kickbox, Mathew Hodges, Director of Deliverability for MessageGears, LB Blair, Email Product Strategist at SendPost, and more.

Sponsored by MessageGears
2:30 PM – 3:05 PM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Email, Push, RCS: What Really Happens When You Orchestrate Channels at Scale

Consumers don’t wake up excited to engage with CRM – especially in high-friction journeys. In this session, we’ll share how we moved beyond sending messages to designing conversations – combining behavioural economics, cross-channel orchestration, and mobile-first interaction design to reduce friction, build confidence, and drive measurable outcomes across channels.

We’ll walk through key learnings from real deployments, including how different channels can be sequenced to guide action, where traditional messaging breaks down, and how interactive formats like RCS shift messaging from passive communication to active experience.

You’ll leave with practical principles and frameworks for designing messaging systems that don’t just reach people – but help them move.
Presented by Rebecca Wallace, CRM & Content Strategist at ActionRocket
3:15 PM – 3:55 PM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Inbox Survival: Why Marketers Must Embrace the Filters You Hate (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)

Kevin A. “KAM” McGrail (PCCC.com), an email and cybersecurity veteran, and Kieran Cooper (Halon.io), a next-generation email infrastructure expert, join forces to demand marketers undergo a radical shift in perspective. They will outline the required steps for long-term, ethical success in marketing to be a good marketer to ensure your emails truly belong and land in the inbox. Ask yourself: "If email security filters didn't exist tomorrow, how would you protect your organization, and what would the world look like for senders?"
Presented by Kieran Cooper, Senior Technical Account Manager at Halon, and Kevin A. "KAM" McGrail, Cloud Fellow at Dito.

Session is sponsored by Halon.
3:15 – 3:55 PM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

From Guesswork to Strategy: How Customer Research Reveals What to Build and Who to Target

Many email marketers build campaigns, segments, and messaging based on assumptions about who their subscribers are and what they want. The result? Low engagement, high unsubscribes, and programs that miss the mark (aka "meh" work). Throughout her career at companies like Uber and Twitter plus as a consultant with Ancestry, Audible, Pinterest, Walmart, and more, Shanah’s used a different approach: ask customers *first*. Not through expensive research studies, but through fast, strategic data collection that reveals exactly what to send, who to target, and when to reach them. In this session, Shanah will share the customer research framework she’s used to shape email and lifecycle strategies that drive real business results. You'll see how analyzing rider behavior at Uber revealed an untapped revenue opportunity, how customer interviews at various clients have transformed their entire engagement strategy, and how research consistently uncovers insights that internal teams never would have guessed. This isn't about slowing down, it's about moving fast in the right direction with email programs that actually perform.
Presented by Shanah McGrady, Principal Lifecycle Marketing Consultant at McGrady marketing.
3:15 – 3:55 PM
WORKSHOP SPACE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Workshop Session: Email Personas

Our workshop sessions provide the opportunity to connect with other professionals and discuss a specific challenge or current event happening in the email space today. In this session, Kath Pay will lead a series of discussion questions for the room on the topic of Email Personas, and each roundtable will have time to discuss their experiences, share challenges they have overcome, and learn from each other. We’re excited to introduce this highly requested format to Inbox Expo for the first time in 2026 as we continue to provide new ways to learn and connect with other professionals.
Presented by Kath Pay, Co-Founder of Holistic Email Academy.
3:55 – 4:15 PM

Refreshment Break ☕

Grab a coffee or water, stretch your legs, visit the exhibit hall, and get ready for the next session.
4:15 – 5:00 PM
MAIN SPACE

The Dangers of Over Personalization

The 1:1 Marketing Paradigm of sending the right message to the right person at the right time has been marketers’ north star for well over a decade. And thanks to advancements in customer data platforms, predictive analytics, and generative AI, it’s finally within reach. But as the 1:1 Marketing Paradigm goes from being purely aspirational to actually achievable, marketers’ need to consider how much personalization is too much.
Presented by Chad White, GVP of CRM Strategy at Zeta Global.
4:15 – 5:30 PM
WORKSHOP SPACE

(PRE-REGISTER ONLY) Speed Networking Workshop

Join fellow email marketers, ESPs, lifecycle leaders, deliverability pros, and email-focused agencies for a fast-paced, highly structured speed networking session designed to create real connections, not awkward pitches.In this session, you’ll rotate through a series of short, focused conversations with access to use our guided prompt cards tailored specifically for the email industry. Each round is designed to help you quickly understand who someone is, what email problems they solve, and how you might collaborate or support each other. Whether you’re looking for partners, clients, referrals, or simply smarter people to swap email insights with, this format keeps conversations practical, relevant, and energizing. You’ll leave with new contacts, clear follow-up opportunities, and ideas you can actually take back to your email program. We’re excited to introduce this highly requested format to Inbox Expo for the first time in 2026 as we continue to provide new ways to learn and connect with other professionals.
Led by Hank Hoffmeier, Director of Operations at Kickbox
5:00 – 7:00 PM

Cocktail Reception 🥂

Grab a drink, network with other professionals, and walk the exhibit hall before our sponsor-hosted dinner event.

Sponsored by Omnivery
7:30 – 11:00 PM

Dinner Event Hosted by Email Industries 🍽️🎯

Join us at Gibney's Pub, just a 5-minute walk from the Omni, for drinks, eats, and networking after the day's sessions. Sponsored by Email Industries.
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Registration Open ✔️

Registration is open all day.
9:00 – 9:10 AM

Welcome to Day 3 👋

A quick recap of Day 2 and what’s in store for Day 3.
9:10 – 9:50 AM
MAIN STAGE
OPENING KEYNOTE

How to Run Tests That Actually Matter: Why Most Experiments Fail and How to Fix Them

Email testing is often treated like decorating a living room — swapping colours, tweaking buttons, or guessing at new layouts. The result? Lots of activity, very little insight. This session reveals why so many experiments fail to produce meaningful results and how to fix the problem using a strategy-first, hypothesis-led approach. Attendees will learn how to design tests that produce reliable, decision-ready insights, how to avoid misleading data, and how to dramatically improve testing velocity without sacrificing quality. Expect myth-busting, practical templates, and examples based on real-world client work.
Presented by Kath Pay, Co-Founder of Holistic Email Academy.
10:00 – 10:40 AM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT PANEL

Redefining the Email Developer in the Age of AI

As the rise of AI automates traditional coding tasks, the role of the email developer is shifting from manual, bespoke creation to high-level systems architecture. This pivot requires a move away from "one-off" builds toward engineering scalable frameworks that empower rapid, automated deployment. By embracing this evolution, developers and designers transition from pixel-level production to orchestrating the intelligent systems that will define the future of the inbox.
Moderated by Megan Boshuyzen, with guest panelists Anne Tomlin, Founder of Emails Y’all, and Aysha Marie Zouain .
10:00 – 10:40 AM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT PANEL

How to Stay Successful in the B2B Landscape

The B2B landscape is evolving fast, and yesterday’s playbooks don’t always hold up. This panel explores how successful B2B teams are adapting their email strategies to changing buyer behavior, longer sales cycles, and increased scrutiny around trust and compliance. Panelists will share what’s working now, what’s no longer effective, and where to focus your efforts for sustainable results. Walk away with practical guidance you can apply across your funnel.
Moderated by Tom Wozniak, Chief Operations Officer at Optizmo. Guest panelists include Brandi Starr, Chief Experience Officer at Tegrita, and Travis Hazlewood, Head of Email Deliverability at Ortto.
10:40 – 10:55 AM

Refreshment Break ☕

Grab a coffee or water, stretch your legs, visit the exhibit hall, and get ready for the next session.
10:55 – 11:30 AM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Doing More with Less

Marketers often deal with constraints - data, resourcing, etc. So, it's our job to build plans and initiatives with little available to us. This session will review how - at Expedia Group - Emily Bearrow has learned to continue to grow the email channel even when there is little available. She will go into test planning strategies, ways to identify low hanging fruit, how to manage stakeholders' expectations and dealing with teams that refuse to commit resourcing.
Presented by Emily Bearrow, Segment Marketing Manager at Expedia Group.
10:55 AM – 11:30 AM
WORKSHOP SPACE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Emailing with AI Without Losing Your Unique Voice

Our workshop sessions provide the opportunity to connect with other professionals and discuss a specific challenge or current event happening in the email space today. In this session, Grace Aldridge Foster will lead a series of discussion questions for the room on how to maintain your unique voice when you write with AI. Easy access to incredible AI tools makes emailing much easier for the sender, but if you’re not careful, it can ruin relationships with recipients. Workshop participants will have time to discuss their experiences while also learning a few practical techniques from Grace to help you sound like you when you write. We’re excited to introduce this highly requested format to Inbox Expo for the first time in 2026 as we continue to provide new ways to learn and connect with other professionals.
Led by Grace Aldridge Foster, Co-Founder of Bold Type LLC
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM

Lunch 🍽️

Enjoy a tasty buffet curated by the Omni Atlanta. Please note not all ticket tiers include lunch. Be sure to select either the Enhanced or Premiere ticket tier if you would like to join us for lunch.

Sponsored by GreenArrow
12:45 – 1:20 PM
MAIN STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

AI in Email: Amplifying Marketers, Not Replacing Them

AI is changing how email marketers work, but it’s not here to replace the human touch. In this session, we’ll explore where AI can add real value: from drafting content and personalizing campaigns to analyzing performance and optimizing send times. You’ll see practical examples of how AI can handle repetitive tasks, giving you more time for strategy, creativity, and connecting with your audience. We’ll also discuss the areas where human insight, intuition, and brand voice remain irreplaceable. Walk away with a clear understanding of how to make AI a powerful partner in your day-to-day email marketing.
Presented by Matthew Caldwell, Co-Founder & Creative Director at Denada & Leap

Sponsored by Denada
12:45 – 1:20 AM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Cultural Relevance in Email Marketing - why it matters.

Email marketers talk about personalization nonstop, but cultural relevance is a powerful way to build meaningful, genuine connections that we don’t lean into nearly enough. In this session, we’ll get into what cultural relevance actually looks like in the inbox, why it matters, and how to integrate it strategically to boost engagement, connection, and performance. I’ll review two real case studies that showcase different approaches and cover what everyone wants to see…the results: CTR, revenue, and engagement. We’ll also cover the common “do’s” and “don’ts” so your campaigns don’t end up feeling forced or cringey. You’ll walk away with practical and effective ways to start weaving cultural relevance into your email strategy,  and you’ll see it doesn’t have to be complicated to make a real impact.
Presented by Maggie Stover, Senior Business Strategist at Stitch.
1:30 – 2:15 PM
SECOND STAGE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Not Your Grandpa’s Email: A No-BS Journey from the 70s to Now, and What Still Works for B2C Senders

Join Hank Hoffmeier for this fast-paced, no-fluff tour through the gritty, glorious, and sometimes cringe-worthy evolution of email marketing. From the first email “blast” to today’s complex yet rewarding relationship-driven strategies . This session is for anyone who wants to stop guessing and start building emails that actually work in 2025. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned sender, you’ll walk away laughing, learning, and loaded with practical ideas you can use immediately.
Presented by Hank Hoffmeier, Director of Operations at Kickbox
1:30 – 3:15 PM
WORKSHOP SPACE
CONCURRENT SESSION

Women of Email Meetup: 10 Years of Community, Connection & Change

A decade ago, a conversation sparked a community. Join us in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Women of Email — a milestone that represents ten years of championing women in the email industry, breaking barriers, and lifting each other up. We'll take a brief look back at how far we've come, then raise a glass to everything that’s ahead. Light refreshments will be served.
This event is exclusively for women.

Hosted by Women of Email, Women of Email, sponsored by Inbox Monster
2:15 – 2:30 PM

Refreshment Break ☕

Grab a coffee or water, stretch your legs, visit the exhibit hall, and get ready for the final keynote session.
2:30 – 3:15 PM
MAIN STAGE

ISP Panel

Ever wonder how mailbox providers really think about your email? This panel brings the ISP perspective directly to the stage, with insights into how inbox decisions are made today. Panelists will discuss engagement signals, spam filtering, authentication, and what senders often misunderstand. One of our most popular panels from last year, this is a rare chance to hear what actually matters, and what doesn’t, from the other side of the inbox.
Moderated by Matthew Vernhout, Principal Email Advisor at Email Industries, with panelists Clea Moore from Yahoo! Matt Stith from Spamhaus, Mariska Calebrese from beehiv, and more.
3:15 – 5:00 PM

Cocktail Reception 🥂

Grab a drink, network with other professionals, and walk the exhibit hall for the last time.

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