Exclusive Opening Event
If you are joining SDGC26 onsite, make sure you are part of the moment where the SDN community truly comes together.
Our Exclusive Opening Event is where the Service Design Network community connects beyond the sessions. It’s an evening designed for you to meet fellow practitioners, exchange ideas, and build relationships that last well beyond the conference.
The event will take place on Wednesday, October 28 at 6:00 PM at Fraport, Frankfurt Airport↘.
Registration
Registration for the SDGC26 Opening Event is open to:
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Current members of the Service Design Network (Professional, Corporate/Academic or Student) who hold a SDGC26 in-person conference ticket;
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Or invited guests.
Note, this is a members-only event for on-site conference ticket holders. Not a member yet? If you’re not yet a member of the Service Design Network (SDN), you can add discounted membership to your ticket for €120.
Agenda
7:00 PM
Arrival & Registration
SDGC26 Registration and badge pick up
7:45 PM
Welcome from Fraport: Doris Rösner
Opening words from the president of the Service Design Network,
Birgit Mager
Opening words from the CEO of the German Design Council,
Lutz Dietzold
8:00 PM
Inspirational talk from our host Fraport;
Simone Schwab, Vice President Aviation Development
8:20 PM
Inspirational talk from Harmonic Design:
Patrick T Quattlebaum & Jamin Hegeman
8:40 PM
Networking
10:30 PM
Event Ends
Meet our Speakers
Simone Schwab
Senior Vice President Aviation & Cargo Development
Fraport AG
Simone Schwab has been a member of the management team of Fraport's Aviation division since 2018. As Senior Vice President Aviation & Cargo Development, she is responsible for the strategic development of both the cargo and passenger businesses at Frankfurt Airport. This involves creating attractive, competitive frame conditions at the airport for airlines, cargo partners and passengers to drive sustainable growth.
One of her top priorities for air cargo is the implementation of Frankfurt Airport’s strategic cargo master plan to. Her focus is on breaking new grounds in digitalisation, the expansion of new capacity for cargo business and collaboration with the cargo community and international partners.
Simone Schwab holds a university degree in Business Administration and brings extensive expertise in strategic business and product development, digitalisation and international marketing. During her career at Fraport, she has held various management positions across different business units and subsidiaries of the Group. She therefore brings with her experience from a range of industries.
Patrick Quattlebaum
CEO
Harmonic Design
Patrick Quattlebaum is a designer and teacher who brings creativity, rigor, and humanity to problem-solving. He is the co-founder and CEO at Harmonic Design, a US-based service design consultancy. Previously, he was Managing Director at Adaptive Path and Head of Service Design at Capital One. As an expert in design strategy and service design, Patrick prioritizes advancing design practice toward greater value-centeredness, collaboration, and iteration. He and his co-author, Chris Risdon, share their design philosophy and its practical applications in Orchestrating Experiences: Collaborative Design for Complexity.
In addition to consulting and writing, Patrick is a passionate speaker and instructor. He has taught thousands of practitioners in North America and Europe on topics such as service design, design strategy, design research, and interaction design. His other passions—storytelling, film studies, and improv—often influence his design work. You can follow him on LinkedIn at @ptquattlebaum↘.
Jamin Hegeman
Executive Partner
Harmonic Design
Jamin Hegeman is an executive design leader with 20+ years of experience delivering exceptional customer experiences, driving innovation, and scaling design teams. As Executive Partner at Harmonic Design, he leads business transformation, journey management, and customer-centered culture across industries.
He’s led transformative work at Nokia, Adaptive Path, and Capital One, where he grew design across multiple business and enterprise domains. A longtime service design advocate—including leader within the Service Design Network—Jamin has shaped the field globally through conferences, teaching, and contributions to foundational books.
What to expect?
Inspiring talks from within our community
Space to meet, mingle, and connect with peers from around the world
A relaxed, informal setting made for real conversations
Small bites and refreshments throughout the evening
Please note this is a SDN Members-Only event and requires registration. More details on speakers, agenda and registration coming soon.
Venue
Fraport AG Corporate Headquarters
Frankfurt Arpt, Geb 178, 60549 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
By Car
If you arrive from the „Frankfurter Kreuz“ motorway junction, follow the signs to– „Flughafen Terminal 2“ (Airport Terminal 2) and– „Flughafen Tor 3“ (Airport Gate 3) Turn right into Hugo-Eckener-Ring. At the next traffic lights, turn left and follow the signs to „Tor 3“ (Gate 3). If you arrive from the West, follow the signs to „Flughafen Tor 3“ (Airport Gate 3). At the junction turn right. Keep to the left lane and turn into the entrance to the underground parking garage.
Coordinates for navigation devices:
50°03´07.2“N8°34´48.0“E
50.052000, 8.580000
By Train
If you arrive at the regional train station in Terminal 1, leave the terminal building on the Arrivals level. Then turn right and follow the terminal access road eastward until you reach the end of the terminal building. Take the crosswalk (at the entry to the DHL Airmail Center) and keep on walking straight ahead, passing the southern side of Parking Lot P36. Follow the signs to „Tor 3“ (Gate 3). At the end of the sidewalk, cross the road that joins trom the right (Departures access road).
At the next crossroad turn right towards „Tor 3“. Cross the pedestrian crossing and you will be just a ew steps away from the main entrance to Fraport AG‘s headquarters building.
Step inside
This is a members-only event. If you’re not yet a member of the SDN, this is the perfect moment to join.
When completing your SDGC26 registration, you can add a Service Design Network membership as an add-on for a special rate of €120 via the SDGC26 website. It’s your access to this event and a full year of content, learning, and opportunities within our global service design community.
Be there and meet your people. Make SDGC26 count even more!