APATS Video Preview: Three Cabin Crew Sessions Shaping the Future of Training

In this CAT video preview for APATS 2026, Cabin Crew Conference Moderator Trevor Jensen is joined by Samantha Marion, Director of Global Partnerships at the Asian Institute of Hospitality & Management, and Katharine (Katie) Ng, Head of Training at OneCrew Ltd., to discuss three sessions that promise to make this year's Cabin Crew conference one of the programme's most interactive.

As moderator for the entire Cabin Crew stream, Jensen explains that the conference has been designed to encourage participation rather than passive listening, creating opportunities for delegates to share experiences, debate ideas and learn from one another throughout the event.

Marion and Ng will feature across three sessions, beginning with the conference-opening "Speed Networking" Ice-Breaker Workshop: Does Training Reflect Reality? Inspired by the success of a similar activity at APATS 2025 in Singapore, the workshop replaces traditional introductions with fast-paced table discussions where delegates rotate between groups, exchanging ideas with professionals from across the industry.

Marion explains that the approach draws on techniques widely used in the hospitality sector, allowing participants to quickly build connections and hear a wide range of perspectives that can continue throughout the conference.

"When people get together, they're able to confidently connect and share ideas and perspectives quickly," she says. "By cycling through a number of scenarios, you'll have a chance to hear from a wide range of people within the session who you'll hopefully continue to connect with as the conference progresses."

The second session, "Cabin Crew Readiness: Culture, Conflict and Competence," explores the shift cabin crew make from delivering exceptional service to exercising safety leadership. Drawing on more than two decades in hospitality, Marion will discuss how cultural awareness influences communication and decision-making in the cabin, particularly when interacting with passengers and colleagues from different cultural backgrounds.

Jensen notes that one of the challenges facing today's younger cabin crew is understanding that assertive communication during safety-critical situations is not the same as aggression. Marion says her presentation will offer practical examples that delegates can immediately apply within their own organisations, while encouraging discussion on communicating across both high-context and low-context cultures.

The pair also preview Ng's practical workshop, "A Workshop to Design Your AI-Assisted CRM Training," which challenges delegates to embrace artificial intelligence as a training tool rather than fear it.

Instead of listening to presentations, participants will spend the hour moving between six practical activities, experimenting with AI prompt design and developing CRM training scenarios together. Ng says the workshop is designed to bring together delegates who are already using AI with those still exploring where it fits into their organisations.

"Participants are not going to sit still," Ng explains. "They're going to learn from one another... and they'll get to practise how to generate AI prompts to develop their training as well."

Networking remains a recurring theme throughout the video. Reflecting on last year's APATS, Ng says the greatest value came from the relationships developed during the conference, many of which have continued long afterwards through collaboration and the sharing of training resources.

"For me, it's the people," she says. "We collaborate, we share resources with one another and we learn new things, so we're not in our own little airline bubble or organisation bubble."

The presenters also highlight Bangkok as an ideal host city, combining a welcoming atmosphere with an international aviation community that encourages conversation well beyond the conference sessions.

As Jensen concludes, APATS is ultimately "a training conference, and training means learning." Judging by the enthusiasm of the presenters, delegates can expect plenty of opportunities to do exactly that—through discussion, collaboration and practical workshops that place learning from peers at the centre of the Cabin Crew programme.