Loyalty Connect Dubai: A Global Glimpse into the Future of Loyalty

Last month, Zyntrix attended the Loyalty Connect Conference in Dubai — one of the most vibrant gatherings of loyalty professionals, technologists, and brand leaders we've seen this year. Over two packed days, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in keynote presentations, panel discussions, and breakout sessions exploring the fast-evolving landscape of loyalty innovation across industries. 

The overarching takeaway? Loyalty is booming — both in ambition and investment. 

The event floor was buzzing, and while traditional sectors like travel and banking still dominated the discussion, there was a noticeable shift toward retail loyalty, with brands exploring new technologies to better serve increasingly demanding and digitally native customers. 

Two keynotes stood out

1. The head of FNB eBucks Rewards from South Africa delivered a compelling session on the importance of segmentation — not all customers engage with loyalty in the same way, and reward ecosystems must reflect this diversity. From high-frequency spenders to occasional browsers, tailoring the value exchange is becoming a baseline expectation. 

2. Meanwhile, the Head of Digital Loyalty at Hugo Boss unveiled how they approached building a dual-brand loyalty program for Hugo and Boss. Notably, they used NFTs to showcase exclusive rewards and anchored their program on blockchain technology, blending digital identity, scarcity, and brand storytelling in a powerful way. 

What struck me throughout was how much the industry is leaning into emerging technologies: 

• AI for real-time, personalised reward recommendations 

• Blockchain for transparent, tradable loyalty value 

• Gamification to drive repeat engagement 

• And increasingly, payment-linked loyalty, which is where Zyntrix comes in 

Our conversations with global loyalty leaders reinforced something we’ve believed all along: Zyntrix’s open banking-powered Loyalty Pay solution is truly unique. While many programs are trying to bridge the gap between data and action, we’re already enabling loyalty that starts at the point of payment — instantly, securely, and with verified identity in the loop. 

As loyalty becomes more embedded in the customer journey, our ability to tie ID, payment, and rewards into one seamless moment is gaining real traction. It was encouraging to see just how relevant this proposition felt in the context of Loyalty Connect’s global vision. 

We’ll definitely be back next year — with even more to share.