Executives from two of the country's largest banks, JPMorgan Chase and HSBC Bank USA, will keynote the upcoming Bank Customer Experience Summit, a two-and-a-half day event, Sept. 23-25 in Chicago, focusing on the technology aspects of customer experience.

In their keynotes, Jeremy Balkin, head of innovation at HSBC, and Marbue Brown, head of customer experience at Chase, will share how their companies are putting cutting-edge technologies to work in improving customer experiences across channels.

"We're fortunate to have these two top-caliber bank executives at this year's summit," said David Drain, senior vice president of events for Networld Media Group, publisher of Mobile Payments Today and the company producing the annual bank executive conference.

Balkin is considered a leading international expert on ethics in banking, fintech and the strategic engagement of millennials in financial services. He is also an award-winning author of two books, "Investing with Impact: Why Finance is a Force for Good" and "Millennialization of Everything: How to Win When Millennials Rule the World." 

As for Brown, he is a member of the consumer banking leadership team at Chase and partners with senior leaders across the firm to define the vision and path toward customer experience. His publications on the topic are widely cited in the industry.

Intimate conference

Technically speaking, this is the fourth year of the BCX Summit, but the roots of the conference stretch back even further — to 2013, when it was originally called the "ATM and Mobile Innovation Summit.” Back then, the event was held in Washington, D.C. In 2016, the producers changed the name and the focus of the event, and now it's in Chicago at the Lowes Hotel.

"When the conference was in Washington, D.C., it had more of a regulatory focus," Drain said. "We wanted to change the name and take a broader approach and hone in on customer experience." Now the conference has more of a focus on technologies, including ATMs, that enhance the customer experience."

Compared to other conferences in the banking industry, BCX is smaller, more intimate. Last year, the event saw about 200 attendees, and this year, Drain expects anywhere from 200-300 attendees. The size of the event is what attendees like about it.

"When you are in a crowded hall with thousands of people versus three days of hanging out with the same people, you get more opportunities for one-on-one and deeper conversations,” Drain said. "We've always said we are more about quality than quantity.” 

Lots of breakouts 

In addition to the keynote presentation, the conference offers multiple breakouts. Highlights include a welcome reception on Monday night after Balkin delivers his opening keynote and an an awards ceremony dinner — where companies are honored for their innovative experience or products. Over 35 representatives of banks, such as Wells Fargo, Fidelity Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Republic Bank of Chicago, will speak at the event, which includes more than 15 workshops, panels, presentations and networking events. 

The conference, which kicks off at 5 p.m., Sept. 23 (registration opens at 4 p.m.) and adjourns at 12:15 p.m. on Sept. 25, is geared toward anyone in the financial world focused on customer experience, said Drain.

"Specifically, we focus on technologies and strategies to enhance the customer experience, engage with customers,and establish loyalty," he said. "It's about what's available now as well as future trends."

The last day for early bird registration is July 12.