If there was one theme we expected to dominate TMRE 2025, it was AI in market research, and yes, the topic was omnipresent. But as our attendees, Stephan Sigaud and Rachel Abugov left Las Vegas (after navigating the unavoidable neon-to-nouveau path through the casino), what stood out even more wasn’t the technology itself. It was something the industry still isn’t talking enough about: breaking the silos between UX and CX.This disconnect is costing brands clarity, consistency, and resources—not to mention opportunities to deliver better, end-to-end customer experiences. And it’s a major reason we believe our industry needs to shift from measuring channels and touchpoints to understanding fluid, AI-influenced experiences as a whole.
AI Was Everywhere, But Mostly as a Tool, Not a Strategy
Yes, AI was mentioned in nearly every presentation—even the ones that weren’t specifically about AI. But most discussions focused on:
While that’s valuable, few explored the bigger implication that if AI is now part of the customer journey, our measurement frameworks need to evolve to include it.
At Phase 5, we’ve been championing this belief for some time, and TMRE 2025 validated that the gap remains wide. Conversations with brands reflected two very different realities: a select few, like Vanguard, are already integrating UX and CX in meaningful ways, while others openly shared that their organizations still operate worlds apart.
That’s where our TAR Framework, presented at the AI in Action summit track, resonated. Rather than treating AI as a tool that accelerates market research, TAR reframes how we evaluate and design holistic experiences when AI is part of the experience itself. Based on feedback, this perspective felt refreshingly actionable and future-focused—a gap the industry is hungry to fill.
The Value of Smaller Sessions
One of the positive shifts we noticed this year was the rise of intimate breakout sessions. Not every room was packed with 1,000+ attendees, and that was a good thing. The most meaningful conversations happened where:
A great example? The Phase 5 AI session. It wasn’t the largest room, and it was on the first day in the AI in Action summit track before everyone had fully arrived for the conference. But Arnie Guha’s session (Arnie is a partner at Phase 5 and the firm’s User Experience Strategy & Design practice head) on how AI-driven, outcome-only experiences are redefining customer expectations and brand perception was one where attendees were engaged, curious, and actively contributing. People weren’t transcribing slides; they were connecting, asking questions, and even coming up to us later in the conference wanting to explore the TAR framework further.
This is the kind of learning format our industry needs more of: less passive listening and more dialogue and application.
A Conference Moment That Proved the Power of Experience
Beyond the content, TMRE 2025 reminded us of something fundamental: people don’t just buy what we do, they also buy who we are. In fact, the most energizing speaker wasn’t a researcher at all, but a musician, Mark Schulman, drummer for P!nk, whose message hit home: You don’t “have to” do this work, you “get to.” His closing keynote’s energy, relatability, and audience participation illustrated exactly what research conferences often miss: emotional resonance. If we want to inspire change in our own clients and teams, information isn’t enough; experience matters.
Which brings us back to UX + CX.
If an event experience can transform based on format, engagement style, emotion, and connection, shouldn’t the same lens apply to customer experiences?
Our TMRE 2025 Takeaways in a Snapshot
If TMRE 2025 is a preview of where our industry is headed, the opportunity is clear: bring CX and UX together, design research for the AI-enabled journey, and keep the human experience at the center.
Phase 5 is excited to keep leading that conversation in conference rooms, boardrooms, and yes, in those smaller breakout sessions that inspire the best ideas.
Contact us today to learn more! And check out our session at the upcoming TMRE Continued 2025, happening online December 2–4, 2025, as we share our perspective on how brand tracking needs to evolve and how organizations can better connect brand insights to growth with our brand tracking framework.
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