Last month, I had the chance to attend Forrester CX North America 2025 in Nashville, not just as an attendee, but with our own QuestionPro booth on the expo floor.
And I’ve got to say: this conference was one of the best I’ve been to in a long time. Yes, even better than last year. It was well organized, full of interesting conversations, and had just the right amount of fun built in.
Here’s a quick look at what went down.
What we brought to the floor
At our booth, we wanted to keep things simple, useful, and a little fun. We had:
- A spin wheel with prizes (always fun to have something interactive to play with!)
- Journey Mapping Coaching sessions with our VP of Journey Management, Raj Sivasubramanian
- A live taping of our show, Experience Matters Live, right on the floor
The energy was great. Raj had some really meaningful conversations with attendees around how to map customer journeys that actually reflect real-world experiences, not just internal assumptions. And the live show was a great way to share event takeaways in the moment.
Forrester knows how to throw a party.
One of the highlights of the event wasn’t even in last year’s conference. Forrester hosted an evening offsite at a downtown Nashville bar called Live at Friends in Low Places, and they went all out.
There was a live band, local drinks, and even artists personalizing bandanas with attendee names burned into the fabric, right there on the spot. It was a fun, local touch, and a great way to meet people outside the usual conference setting. You could tell Forrester really cared about creating a good experience, not just a good agenda.
A few sessions that stood out
When I wasn’t at the booth, I attended a few sessions and one analyst meeting that left me thinking.
1. Why Mitsubishi Partners with Thematic
Speaker: Gary Batroff, SVP at Thematic
This session focused on how Mitsubishi is using Thematic to better understand customer feedback. Instead of just tagging comments or chasing sentiment scores, they’re actually pulling insights that drive change. It was a great reminder of how powerful open-text feedback can be when you have the right tools (and partners) to make sense of it.
2. One-on-One with Rich Saunders (Forrester Analyst)
I had a chance to sit down for a 1:1 chat with Forrester analyst Rich Saunders, and he said something that really stuck with me:
The irony is, as AI goes up, CX often goes down.
It’s true. A lot of companies are trying to use AI to replace human interaction instead of improving it. Rich made the point that AI should be part of the process, not the product. It should help remove friction, support employees, and personalize experiences. But it shouldn’t become a wall between companies and the people they’re trying to serve.
It was one of those simple but powerful insights that makes you think twice about how your own team is using tech.
3. Keynote: The Culture Risks of Metrics
Speaker: Angelina Gennis, Principal Analyst, Forrester
This keynote was one of my favorites. Angelina talked about something we all feel but rarely say out loud: sometimes, the way we measure success actually hurts more than it helps.
She introduced the idea of Measurement 2.0, a better way to think about metrics that focuses on clarity and alignment, not just score-chasing. Some of the things she encouraged:
- Stop reporting on metrics that no one’s using
- Be willing to remove or rethink metrics that don’t actually reflect performance
- Involve leadership in setting goals that matter, not just ones that look good on a dashboard
It was a refreshingly honest take on how metrics shape culture—and how we can make sure they’re helping, not harming, our teams and customers.
Final takeaways!
Between the booth conversations, the sessions, and the unexpected fun, Forrester CX NA 2025 reminded me why I love being in this space. It’s about listening better, acting smarter, and never forgetting that behind every metric or journey map is a real person trying to get something done.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth, joined our live session, or shared their stories. And huge thanks to Forrester for hosting a thoughtful, well-run event that didn’t feel like just another conference.
If you’re curious about how we bring customer feedback and journey insights together in one platform, let’s talk. What we shared at Forrester CX NA is just a glimpse of how our tools help teams close the loop, design better experiences, and actually act on what customers are telling them.
