Loyalty Expo Conference Assistance

Chat about your conference question

We're sorry, chat is currently unavailable

Chat hours are listed below.

Monday - Friday: 08:30AM ET- 05:30PM ET
Saturday - Sunday: Closed

It is currently

Call or e-mail about your conference question for:

 513-800-0360
 info@loyalty360.org
Home  Agenda   Loyalty360 Awards Finalist Presentations: New Loyalty Program Launch

Agenda & Speakers

Loyalty360 Awards Finalist Presentations: New Loyalty Program Launch

Thursday, May 22, 2025 - 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
The finalists competing in the 2025 Loyalty360 Awards will share details of their programs and strategies in fast-paced presentations. These presentations give attendees a chance to hear first-hand from the brands that are delivering experiences that set them apart from the competition in creating loyal customers. 

As a part of the award process, all registered conference attendees are eligible to vote for platinum, gold, silver, bronze and honorable mention (if applicable) for each category. Winners will be announced during the Loyalty360 Awards ceremony. 

Category Description - New Loyalty Program Launch

This award category celebrates newly launched loyalty programs or initiatives that have been introduced to the public within the last 24 months. Participants should highlight the innovative aspects of their launch, showcasing features that differentiate the program from competitors. While new programs may have limited metrics, brands are encouraged to share details of the program’s design process, customer and employee feedback mechanisms, program communications, education, and socialization efforts, as well as initial results that demonstrate the program’s success.

Speakers

Jay Jhun, Sr. Director of Loyalty and Digital, Church's Texas Chicken

Jay joined Church’s Texas Chicken in June 2022 as Senior Director of Digital & Loyalty, where he has played a pivotal role in shaping and managing the brand’s inaugural loyalty program, Church's Real Rewards(TM). Under his leadership, the program has experienced tremendous growth, achieving nearly a million members in less than a year. Additionally, Jay has been at the forefront of the brand’s digital transformation, driving significant advancements in digital e-commerce and customer engagement.

Before Church’s, Jay served as the Director of Loyalty at GoTo Foods (formerly FOCUS Brands), where he led the integration, enablement, and support of the company’s loyalty platform across multiple brands, including McAlister’s Deli, Schlotzsky’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jamba, and Carvel. Earlier in his career, Jay developed omnichannel marketing strategies, provided consultative analysis and optimization for CRM programs across a wide roster of clients, including Chick-fil-A, Equifax, Aflac, Footsmart, UPS, Phillips 66, Zagat, SeaWorld, Southern Company, NAPA Auto Parts, and Mizuno.

Erik Kapila, Loyalty Program Director, Marcus Theatres

Erik Kapila is the Loyalty Program Director at Marcus Theatres, the fourth largest theatre circuit in the U.S. with operations in 17 states. Erik led the launch of Marcus Movie Club in November 2024, a paid subscription extension to their Magical Movie Rewards loyalty program. He also leads all email marketing, member research & analytics, and insights-to-action development. In 2021, Erik partnered with Brierley+Partners on a successful launch of Fleet Rewards at Fleet Farm, a Midwest farm, pet and outdoors retailer. Prior to this, Erik spent 20 years at Kimberly-Clark in various retail advisory, analytics and insights leadership roles.  
 
Erik resides in Wisconsin with family and spends his spare time playing tennis, pickleball and watching his kids play in volleyball tournaments on the weekends.  
 

Heath Nielsen, President, HTeaO

Steering the course of operations alongside CEO Justin Howe, Heath Nielsen serves as the President of HTeaO, a position that epitomizes his dedication to orchestrating daily operations and nurturing relationships with HTeaO’s esteemed franchise owners.

With a career spanning over 25 dynamic years, Heath has led teams within renowned organizations such as Black Rifle, Starbucks, Sony, Vail Resorts, Gap, and the US Army. Throughout his journey, Heath has been driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence, a deep understanding of market dynamics, and a fervent passion for fostering growth and innovation.

Nicole Bernhardt, Senior Director of Loyalty, Lowe’s

Nicole is an accomplished business line owner with a passion for driving growth for organizations through data and designing consumer-first experiences.

Starting her career at State Farm, Nicole aided in the creation of an innovation area at State Farm and helped build processes to progress concepts through the innovation pipeline and deliver innovation at scale. Nicole continued her passion for consumer-led innovation joining Under Armour and leading Global Consumer Insights for several product categories, collaboratively influencing each category’s growth strategy and plan.

Most recently, Nicole was the head of Ulta Beauty Rewards, a best-in-class loyalty program with 44M+ active members that consistently achieved strong year over year growth under her leadership. Nicole also led personalization at Ulta Beauty, delivering against incremental sales goals from data-led and consumer-first experiences.

Currently, Nicole is the Senior Director of Loyalty at Lowe’s, leading two distinct loyalty programs for homeowners and professionals, as well as member experiences, events, and kid’s workshops. She leads a team of marketing strategists, customer experience experts, and operational specialists to deliver member performance, execute program operations, build a personalized loyalty experience, and develop the long-term loyalty strategy and roadmap.

Outside of work, Nicole and her husband stay busy chasing around their two young kids and two dogs.  In addition to family time, Nicole enjoys staying active through group fitness classes and discovered a hidden talent for cooking that has become a newfound passion.   

Crystal Thibodeau, Director of Loyalty Marketing, SIGA

As the Director of Loyalty Marketing at SIGA, Crystal Thibodeau leads the strategic vision for SIGA’s loyalty club, overseeing loyalty initiatives that drive guest engagement and player development across seven casino properties in Saskatchewan. With over a decade of experience on SIGA’s marketing team, Crystal has played a leading role in evolving the loyalty club into a data-driven program that enhances the member’s casino experience.

Outside of the casino industry, Crystal spends time with her husband, two young boys and extended family. You can find her with a good book, starting a new crafting hobby or traveling up to northern Saskatchewan lakes over the weekends.