Join Ben as he discusses his journey at Snap-on and the customers they serve. Keys to success, using customer connection to drive growth with stories reflecting real life examples from Kraft Foods, PepsiCo and Snap-on.  7 elements:

1. Have a Process but stay flexible,
2. Create a Diverse Innovation Team,
3. Be Able to Tell a Great Story,
4. Be Customer Centric – Listen and Observe,
5. Have a High Level of Empathy,
6. Get Out and Explore,
7. Have a Learning Agenda

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In an industry where innovation often targets end consumers, Pella Corporation took a bold step by focusing on the vital but often overlooked segment of window installers. By deeply understanding these non-buyer key users, Pella introduced the Steady Set Interior Installation System, revolutionizing market norms and exceeding business expectations. This session will delve into the Innovation Team's comprehensive approach to user research, design, development, testing, and market launch strategies. The process was built on the pivotal decision to forego price increases, instead driving market adoption through inherent product value and strategic communication. Steady Set reimagines window installation by transitioning tasks from exterior to interior settings, cutting exterior ladder time by 72% and enabling a one-person install a process now 3.15 times faster. This innovation not only enhances safety and efficiency but also instills confidence across all stakeholders, illustrating the power of user-centric design and strategic market alignment. Attendees will gain actionable insights into targeting overlooked user segments to achieve groundbreaking success in their own industries, highlighting how addressing key influencer needs can lead to transformative innovation and industry leadership.

Product development teams spend 70% of their time on documentation instead of innovation. Knowledge is scattered across tools, insights get lost in transitions, and great ideas sit on shelves because they aren't well communicated. In this talk, Katie Trauth Taylor will share state of the art practices for embracing enhanced capabilities for leveraging AI to launch superior products to market faster than competitors. Learn how innovators at Comcast, Boeing, Kao, Sonoco, BAC and more are accelerating product lifecycles and keeping teams more coordinated than ever before. Takeaway 4 state of the art best practices in deploying AI at scale for R&D and new product development.

Research finds that less than 40% of employees are actively engaged in their work. The consequences of low engagement include absenteeism, safety incidents, turnover and poor work quality. When asked why they are not proactively engaged employees over 6 in10 employees say “they don’t know what to do” and or “don’t see it as their job.“ Experimentation with employee groups across education levels and job titles finds that engagement is ignited through intrinsic motivation. The starting place for this is first focusing on “stopping the stupid” work systems that prevent employees from doing their best work. This approach has received “Net promoter” scores from employees of 74, equaling the ratings of world class organizations such as Apple, Amazon and Southwest Airlines.

In a candid, interactive session, participants will surface and explore their most urgent innovation challenges. These open discussions offer a rare opportunity to connect with fellow executives across industries and uncover shared constraints and opportunities.

Is your organization and its Products fully aligned to strategy? We will review the end-to-end strategy execution lifecycle, and we will discuss the critical steps of creating inspiring Vision statements and matching Strategic Themes that will drive the matching strategic planning and enterprise alignment. Without well-developed Strategic Themes organizations might unintentionally leave a lot to individual interpretation and the needed portfolio planning will suffer at best. We will review specific, tangible process improvements you can readily adopt. This session and dialog is aimed at Product and Business Tech investment leaders - and those wishing to improve Enterprise Strategy Execution. We will review specific process elements, recommended formats, and examples of the following very critical steps in enterprise strategy and portfolio planning lifecycle. 1. Strategy Execution Lifecycle 2. Vision Statements 3. Strategic Themes/Maps 4. Alignment Analysis Example 5. Pitfalls We will review specific process improvement ideas the audience can readily begin to experiment with in their own teams and organizations. Why • It is critically important that we are prepared to demonstrate clearly and convincingly how product plans align, support and drive the enterprise vision, strategy and to define tangible goals that fit set targets. • We must also be prepared to address key pitfalls in strategy execution

It's time to turn the spotlight on the unsung hero of product evolution: Product Operations. In this electrifying session, we'll peel back the layers of traditional product management to reveal how Product Operations can be the game-changer your organization desperately needs. Join us as we challenge the status quo and explore why Product Operations should be at the forefront of your product strategy. We'll expose the bottlenecks that hinder creativity and responsiveness and show you how to blast them away through streamlined processes and fierce collaboration. Learn how to pivot from chaos to coherence, transforming your teams into nimble units that deliver impactful results.Ready to disrupt the way you think about product management? Join us to unlock the hidden potential of Product Operations and propel your product organization to new heights. This session isn't just a talk; it's a call to action for those ready to challenge norms and drive real change. Don't get left behind; evolve or be eclipsed!

The average manager wastes 3.5 hours a day dealing with employee mistakes and broken work systems. Of these, nearly 80% are due to flawed work systems such as: 1) Flawed SOP, 2) Broken Digital Systems, 3) Bureaucracy, and or 4) Poor Communications. By applying Deming approach to system improvement that considers among other things variation in the system as well as the psychology of igniting worker engagement your innovation process you can increase speed to market 6X while decreasing risk by 80%.

Building on the themes from Part One, participants will engage in a high-impact innovation workshop designed to map their business landscapes, identify the constraints that matter most, and explore targeted paths to value creation. Using a systems-thinking framework, the session equips leaders with tools to make faster, more contextual decisions, communicate strategy across silos, and build organizations that sense and respond to change with agility.

Description coming soon

It's time to showcase your brilliance and make a mark on the global stage! PDMA's Global Student Innovation Challenge 2025 submission portal is open and ready to receive your innovation ideas. We encourage students to submit projects created through academic work, including capstone projects or theses. You can review the rules and guidelines of the challenge as well as videos of the winning teams from previous years on the GSIC webpage here.

Description coming soon

Knowing your customers better than anyone else creates an incredible opportunity for competitive advantage. Voice of the Customer (VOC) has been a best practice front end of innovation activity for decades. Increasingly teams are employing VOC needs assessment throughout their product development funnel as well as in day-to-day interactions with customers. What was once an activity dedicated to the fuzzy front end of innovation now has a place in concept testing, prototype development, and even sales. Organizations are finding increased value in adopting a VOC mindset to fuel a continuous understanding of customer insights. They are also leveraging generative AI techniques to uncover customer needs in the increasing amount of readily available user-generated content. Join Dr. Andrea Ruttenberg of Applied Marketing Science, Inc. (AMS) to explore how a VOC Mindset and advancements in Generative AI are propelling brands ability to innovate, retain, and delight customers. Understand how a needs-based approach contributes to better product outcomes " See how a VOC mindset can be applied across the product development process and in day-to-day customer interactions " Discover how generative AI can aid teams in their quest to unearth customer needs

In product management and design, we strive to de-risk our products before introducing them to the marketplace: testing, iterating, and ensuring we deliver value. But what about the future in which our products, teams, and companies will operate? Too often, we optimize for today while assuming a single, predictable "future." This talk challenges the illusion of that fixed future and discusses ways of thinking and methodologies to help us better prepare for those future scenarios. How can we move beyond short-term roadmaps to build resilience, uncover hidden risks, and create solutions that thrive in multiple futures, not just the one we expect? Designing for uncertainty isn't about predicting the future; it's about preparing for it. The future isn't singular, so why should our strategies be?

This session will explore the journey of scaling a product from 0 to 1—turning an initial idea into a successful, scalable product. We’ll discuss how to identify high-potential bets, validate ideas efficiently, navigate the early growth phase, and overcome challenges in scaling. The session will include frameworks and real-world examples to equip product managers with the mindset and strategies needed to drive early-stage innovation.

The role of product management is evolving rapidly, demanding fresh approaches to thrive in today's fast-changing landscape. This interactive session, inspired by Next-Gen Product Management: Future Proof Your Career, explores the discipline's transformation, from its origins to today's priorities, providing actionable strategies for product professionals at every level. We'll tackle key challenges such as fostering innovation for growth, outpacing competitors, and uncovering unmet market needs. Learn to apply modern product frameworks, break free from outdated CEO mentalities, and embrace leadership styles that empower teams and enhance collaboration. The session also explores the growing influence of AI on product management. Attendees will gain practical techniques for leveraging AI to streamline research, improve communication, and make data-driven decisions. Additionally, we'll emphasize the importance of soft skills, like empathy and creativity, through exercises designed to strengthen team empowerment. Whether you're a new product professional or a seasoned executive, you'll leave this session with actionable steps to innovate, adapt, and drive tangible results within your organization. Expect a dynamic mix of real-world examples, interactive elements, and inspiring insights that you can implement immediately.

Get ready to see product strategy in a whole new light. I'll show you how Taylor Swift soared from teenage country sensation to global icon by using the exact principles that drive top-tier product management. Her story goes beyond music: it's a master class in championing a clear value proposition, nurturing a vibrant community, and consistently innovating without losing sight of what made her fans fall in love in the first place. In this talk, we'll examine Swift's marrkets and keep fans coming back for more. By the end, you'll see exactly how to adapt these strategies like iterative launches, cross-segment branding, and agile go-to-market tactics to your own work, ensuring your products stay authentic, relevant, and undeniably compelling.

Learn how global technology leader InVue uses design thinking to change the game, winning large client deals against all odds.A tale of two case studies:

• Dethroning the incumbent security product vendor to increase InVue’s annual revenue 100x in less than a year at one of the world’s largest Telecom Providers.
• InVue, as a complete industry outsider, winning an RFP to solve a mission critical physical security challenge at one of the world’s largest Data Center Hyperscalers.

Innovation processes such as Stage Gate have seen wide spread adoption because they bring discipline to innovation. System Thinking builds on that discipline by adding tools and work systems that enable organizations to think in a less linear and more dynamic way to avoid the classic declines in “project value” that occur due to development compromises. The principles and methods taught in this session have been validated in academic papers and industry practice as delivering 5X more “big ideas” than classic brainstorming.

In today’s volatile and rapidly shifting environment, product developers and innovation leaders face unprecedented uncertainty. How can organizations remain resilient and innovative amidst disruptive change? The answer lies in integrating strategic foresight at the front end of innovation. In this keynote, Robin Champ -VP of Strategic Foresight at LBL Strategies and instructor at Harvard Extension School -will demystify foresight and scenario-based planning as practical tools for innovation professionals. Robin will introduce attendees to essential foresight concepts, including horizon scanning, trends analysis, and scenario development, emphasizing how these techniques can help identify future opportunities and threats before they materialize. The session will explore critical emerging trends -ranging from AI-driven ecosystems and human enhancement to the quantum revolution, space commercialization, and the future of food. Participants will learn how to anticipate and prepare for change while fostering innovation to strengthen organizational resilience. By the end of the session, attendees will be equipped with a new mindset and practical methods to navigate uncertainty and shape the future rather than be overtaken by it.

Business war gaming is a dynamic, interactive simulation that helps your team explore market dynamics, anticipate change, and strengthen strategy. While your products may not change drastically overnight, the competitive landscape around them certainly can. War gaming is designed to prepare for that shift. By role-playing as competitors, customers, or other market forces, participants engage in exercises that reveal how strategic choices might play out in real-world conditions.

This interactive workshop will teach you how to run a business war game tailored to your industry, apply the method to a real business challenge, and uncover ways to improve your current strategic approach.

We are told that AI will change everything. While that may be true in many areas, it may not be true for your products  we still want food on the table, cars on the road and planes in the sky. But while AI may or may not disrupt your products, it will almost certainly change your process. AI tools can and will change every step in your innovation process, and by doing so will fundamentally change how you innovate. This talk (and possible interactive workshop) will teach you how to apply AI to every step in your innovation process, show you how to apply the lessons to a real product or service concept, and give you a roadmap for redesigning your company s innovation system.