We’re back from NiCE World London 2026, and what an incredible couple of days it was.
This was our second consecutive year attending as Platinum Partners and Platinum Sponsors, making the event a proud milestone for the SVL team.
Across two packed days, we caught up with customers, partners and CX leaders, heard from inspiring speakers, and explored the latest innovations shaping the future of customer experience.
The future of CX: orchestrated intelligence
NiCE World made it clear that the future of CX is no longer a distant concept. It’s already here.
Customers are using AI in their everyday lives, from the smartphones in their pockets to the apps they rely on daily, and expectations are changing as a result. People want faster answers, smoother journeys and support that still feels personal.
A key theme was orchestrating intelligence across the customer journey: connecting technology, data, agent knowledge and operational insight at the right moments.
AI has a huge role to play, but results depend on how it is implemented, adopted and supported. That’s where strong foundations and the right partner support make all the difference.
CX is still personal
Alongside the technology updates, we were reminded that customer experience is deeply human.
Scott Russell, CEO of NiCE, brought this to life by reminding us of the real people behind every interaction: someone changing a flight to get home, looking for reassurance before an appointment, or trying to resolve an issue that has disrupted their day.
In each of these moments, customers want to feel confident that the person helping them has the right information to hand.
The same applies to agents. As AI takes on more repetitive tasks, agents are handling more conversations that require empathy, judgement and problem-solving. Their role is becoming more skilled, and they need tools that make their day easier, not harder.
The latest technology
AI was at the centre of most conversations this year, with updates from leaders including Philipp Heltewig, Tim Harris and Angela Read Downes.
A standout announcement was NiCE Labs, an innovation engine focused on researching, testing and prototyping new AI capabilities before they reach customers. It’s designed to close the gap between an impressive demo and a reliable solution, testing AI against real CX challenges and working directly with customers to understand what delivers value.
There was also a focus on proactive, agentic AI, and the possibilities this opens up for the future of customer service.
SVL customers in the spotlight
There were some brilliant customer showcases across the event, and it was amazing to see SVL customers represented on the showfloor.
Anne Holmes, Brian Queen and Kate Glew shared NCFE’s award-winning transformation journey with SVL and NiCE, covering how our work together has helped modernise their customer support and strengthen the way their teams manage demand, quality and service delivery.
We’ll be sharing a full recap of their session soon, so keep an eye out for more on their story.
It was also fantastic to see Paul Anderson from NBS join a financial services panel on how AI is reshaping customer engagement and personalisation, and Helen Faulds from Cora Health feature in a healthcare panel focused on improving patient journeys through connected, person-centred experiences.
Inspiration from Kristen Bell and Zack Kass
NiCE World also brought two memorable keynote speakers to the stage: Kristen Bell and Zack Kass.
Kristen Bell, NiCE Ambassador, spoke about kindness, purpose and empathy. Her message that being nice is something you practise through intention and effort felt especially relevant to customer experience.
Zack Kass shared a thoughtful view of AI, reminding us that technology should make life feel more human, not less. For contact centres, that means using AI to remove unnecessary effort, free up time and create more space for empathy, creativity and judgement.
As Zack put it: “Artificial intelligence is not the story. Humanity is.”
Time to celebrate
Of course, NiCE World is as much about the people as it is the technology.
It was a brilliant opportunity to spend time with customers, partners, and prospects, giving us the chance to hear what organisations are working on, where they are facing challenges and what they want to achieve next.
The event then wrapped up with a live performance from Madness. After two days of ideas, innovation and inspiration, it was the perfect way to close NiCE World London 2026.
Until next time!
A huge thank you to the NiCE team for another fantastic event, and to everyone who stopped by to speak with us across the two days.
We left NiCE World London feeling inspired by the pace of innovation, proud to see SVL customers sharing their stories, and excited about what comes next for customer experience.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help bring these innovations to your contact centre, we’d love to chat.
