‘How Women in CX Rewrote the Event Playbook’ by Alyona Medelyan
Back in November 2025, WiCX US and LATAM UnConference brought women in CX together for an intentionally different gathering designed around connection, co-creation, and shared experience.
In this reflection, Inner Circle member and UnConference attendee Alyona Medelyan, CEO and Founder at Thematic, shares her personal take on what made the UnConference so powerful. She explores what it felt like to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with other women in CX, the collective grappling with organisational silos and AI-driven change, and why trust, collaboration, and human connection ultimately matter more than any tool or framework.
Through her lens, Alyona offers a thoughtful reminder that real progress in CX is shaped as much by relationships and community as it is by strategy – and that sometimes, the most meaningful insights emerge when we create space to simply be together.
Breathwork. Zumba. Meditation. Not the usual opening scene for a CX event. And very deliberately so.
The Women in CX US UnConference in Miami was designed to break the format.
There were no keynote stages, no vendor pitches and no slide decks competing for attention.
Instead, the event followed an UnConference model.
The agenda was co-created by the women in the room, with sessions shaped around shared challenges, lived experience and real-world CX work.
A tight-knit group of about 50 CX professionals of all ages and experience levels, female tech founders, CX pioneers with 30yrs skin in the game, and emerging talent: all standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
When the group is small, there’s nowhere to hide and no reason to pretend.
It was the most welcomed I’ve ever felt at an industry event.
The Power of "The Law of Two Feet"
We operated on a simple rule: if you weren’t contributing to or learning from a breakout session, you were encouraged to walk out and join another one. The intent was to create a safe, low-friction environment where curiosity and contribution guided participation.
Setting
The setting supported that intent. Sessions took place in a high-rise venue with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Miami’s skyline, alongside informal gatherings at a rooftop pool, shared dinners and a closing boat experience on the water.
Food
The catering also deserves its own special mention. Healthy, creative, tasty salads. Earthy rice and beans. A variety of proteins and meal options. It was a steady flow of nutrient-dense energy fuelling us all day.
Trending Themes
Because the agenda was co-created by those in the room, the conversations were authentic and fast.
Here’s what kept surfacing:
In sessions such as “Beyond NPS: Turning Insight into Action”, the focus moved quickly past metrics alone. Conversations centred on prioritisation, ownership and the practical work required to translate customer insight into action and impact.
In “Beyond the Journey Map”, attendees explored the limits of traditional journey mapping when confronted with organisational silos. Much of the discussion focused on experience orchestration and how CX work operates within complex business structures.
The "Silo" is still the Final Boss. Journey maps are great until they hit organisational silos. We spent a lot of time discussing what experience orchestration actually looks like inside a complex operating model.
AI is a trust exercise, not a tech play. In the "Beyond the Hype" sessions, the focus wasn't on tools. It was on governance, transparency, and trust. We talked honestly about accuracy and the importance of customers knowing when they’re interacting with a human versus a system.
Trust as the North Star
Throughout the few days, Trust became the recurring theme. Trust in data. Trust in decisions. Trust between CX teams and the broader business.
We kept coming back to one truth: technical capability isn't enough. Progress depends on change management.
Speaking the language of the business, piloting thoughtfully, and building credibility over time
The Miami Outro
Outside the sessions, connection happened naturally. Not through forced networking, but through movement, shared meals, and genuine peer support.
We closed the event in true Miami style: sailing on a ferry from Bayside into a golden sunset, mojitos in hand.
We cannot wait for the next WiCX UnConference!!! I hope to see you there too.
Voice of the (Un)Conference
As part of the Women in CX US UnConference, attendees were asked:
“What is one learning or insight you’d share with other women working in CX?”
The result is a fast-paced vox pop set to a hip-hop beat (Miami style), featuring honest, humorous, and heartfelt reflections from some truly inspiring humans.
Watch the vox pop, hear the voices shaping CX, and feel the energy of a community moving forward together.
WiCX UnConference returns in 2026 – bigger, bolder, and more global than ever. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the next chapter.
Register your interest today and be the first to hear when tickets go live!