LTAS 2026
9–11 December 2026
Eindhoven
Eindhoven
9–11 December 2026
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
The aim of the Let’s Talk About Service (LTAS) conferences is to introduce PhD students and early career researchers to the world of service research and guide them through their journey in academia. LTAS is much more than a typical conference or doctoral consortium; keynote speakers and mentors have helped young scholars start collaborations and publish papers together.
The theme of LTAS2026 is "Engineering the Future of Service: Innovation, Impact & Integrity".
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is the Alma Mater of engineering talent in the Netherlands.
Engineering is in our DNA. While engineers are typically associated with natural sciences such
as physics, chemistry, or mathematics, we as service researchers also engineer. In a time
where technologies transform service production, delivery, and consumption, we have to engineer
solutions that optimize the outcomes for all stakeholders (e.g., firms, brands, customers, or even societies).
The aim of LTAS2026 is not only to engineer new service solutions, but also to engineer YOU.
Keynote speakers and coaches are ready to educate and train you, such that you can grow and become the
future expert in the service domain.
To become this future service expert, you need (at least) three important skills:
You should be able to spot innovation,
conduct research that has impact, and work with integrity.
One of TU/e's core values is to be "Curious". This means that we cherish curiosity, driving us to explore, question, and innovate, encouraging continuous learning and discovery. In the service domain, this means that we examine service ecosystems, firm strategies and customer responses to successfully implement a wide variety of innovations. Think of innovations such as service robots and hybrid (human-AI) service teams , blockchain applications, digital twins, remote healthcare, servitization, and the broader challenge of sustainable service and consumer behavior, among others. Together with our keynote speakers and business case owners, you will dive into several of these service innovations.
TU/e is widely known for its deep and structural connections to industry. We treat industry as a core element of our academic mission, strongly influencing both research and education. The university is embedded in Brainport Eindhoven, one of Europe’s leading high‑tech innovation hubs, alongside companies such as ASML, NXP, Signify, Philips, Vanderlande, DAF Trucks, VDL, and hundreds of SMEs and startups. A large share of TU/e’s research is conducted in public–private partnerships, and TU/e is one of the most successful Dutch universities when it comes to valorization—the translation of academic knowledge into societal and economic impact. TU/e's Innovation Space is a unit which actively supports researchers and students in patenting, licensing, and venture creation. You will meet the people at Innovation Space and learn how to rethink the impact of your research.
Other core values of TU/e are Open, Respectful, and Responsible. This means that we we are transparent about our actions, processes and decisions, that we are honest and trustworthy, that we acknowledge and value each other’s professionalism, and that we are accountable for our work and our contribution to the university. Indeed, these are important values for academic researchers, to be able to lead by example and make a positive impact on society. Hence, special attention will be given at LTAS2026 to principles like open science, the role of ethical review boards, preregistrations, data management plans, and related topics. This is essential knowledge for any your service scholar to be part of the future of service.
(continuously updated)
We are happy to confirm the following speakers and contributors to LTAS2026.
Jenny van Doorn is professor of Service Marketing at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Her research focuses on the use of new technology in the service frontline, such as technology and customer engagement
(i.e. non-transactional customer behavior), sustainability, and food waste. Currently, she is fascinated by the
use of social service robots as the next frontier of societal transitions.
Her work has appeared in, amongst others, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,
Journal of Service Research and International Journal of Information Management. She conducts her research at, and together with, partners from practice,
such as the robot application developer Welbo, care facility Tangenborgh, Emmen, Humanitas Rotterdam, sushi restaurant IMONO or Landal Green Parks.
She frequently shares her research with practitioners and public policy makers, but also with the general public.
Dennis Herhausen (Ph.D. 2011, University of St.Gallen) is Full Professor of Digital Marketing and Analytics
and Head of the Department of Marketing at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, moving to
the Institute of Marketing and Customer Insight (IMC-HSG) at University of St. Gallen
mid 2026. Previously he was a Associate Professor
of Marketing at KEDGE Business School, Visiting Professor at the St.Gallen Institute of Management in Asia,
an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of St.Gallen, and a Visiting Academic at Cardiff University. Before joining academia,
he worked as an International Marketing Manager for a German Food Producer and a Sales and Marketing Consultant.
Dennis’ research, teaching, and executive education revolve around the themes of digital communication, customer journeys and experience,
multichannel management, digital capabilities, and social media management. His work has been funded by national and international research
grants, has received several awards, and is published in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research,
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and Harvard Business Review, among others.
Yves Van Vaerenbergh is Professor of Marketing at KU Leuven
and a leading expert in customer experience management, service management, and marketing strategy.
His work has been published in leading academic journals and has earned numerous awards.
Beyond academia, Yves is a sought-after keynote speaker and strategic advisor, helping organizations
translate evidence-based insights into practical business strategies.
Yves is also recognized as a strong advocate for open science and research transparency. As Associate Editor of the Journal of Service Research
and through his own scholarly work, he has championed practices that improve the rigor, reproducibility, and societal impact of academic research.
His recent work on open science explores how greater transparency, data sharing, and collaborative research practices can strengthen the quality
and credibility of service and marketing research, while helping bridge the gap between academic insights and managerial decision-making.
Professor Sabine Benoit is Professor of Marketing (Practice) and Associate Dean (Impact)
at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University.
An internationally recognized service marketing scholar, her research focuses on retail technology,
artificial intelligence (AI), consumer behavior, the sharing economy, and sustainability,
with a strong emphasis on generating research that creates real-world impact for businesses and society.
Her work has been published in top-tier journals and has earned numerous accolades,
including the Bo Edvardsson “Industry Impact in Services” Award (2023),
Researcher of the Year (2022) and Impact Researcher of the Year (2021) at Surrey Business School,
as well as several Best Paper Awards from leading marketing and service research journals.
Tobias Schäfers has been an Associate Professor at the Department of Marketing at Copenhagen Business School since September 2018.
Since March 2023, he is also a professor of marketing at HSBI - University of Applied Sciences and Arts Bielefeld, Germany.
Before joining CBS, he was an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Technical University Dortmund, Germany.
In his research, Tobias investigates the psychological aspects of individuals’ behavior in relation to services, prices, and digitalization,
in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business contexts. For example, he has examined consumers’ motives to use access-based services as an alternative to ownership,
customers’ reactions to the introduction of fees for previously free products, and consumers’ reactions during service recovery via digital channels.
Tobias’ research has been published in leading international journals, such as Journal of Service Research, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Industrial Marketing Management,
Psychology & Marketing, and Marketing Letters.
Andrew S. Gallan is full professor of marketing. His research interests are in the areas of transformative service research, patient experience in health care, and extracting customer insights from unstructured data. He has collaborated with a variety of health care organizations, including Mayo Clinic Arizona, Advocate Health Care, the Patient and Family Centered Care Innovation Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Chicago Medical Center, and others. He was also Academic in Residence with Advocate Health Care in Chicago. As a Mentoring Officer at AMA’s SERVSIG community, he helps early career academics. Dr. Gallan has published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research, Social Science & Medicine, California Management Review, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Service Management, and other top services and health care journals. He is an Editorial Review Board member at Journal of Service Research, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Service Management.
Kim Willems is Professor of Marketing at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in the Faculty of Social Sciences
& Solvay Business School. After graduating as MSc Business Engineer, she obtained her PhD
on Retail Differentiation Strategies in collaboration with Hasselt University and Vrije Universiteit Belgium.
Her research investigates how to effectively inform, persuade and educate people about the benefits
and applications of (digital) innovations to ultimately fully unlock their potential. Kim's work
spans various areas including the impact of emotions and role mental imagery in shaping customer experiences
within digital environments, as well as the potential of technologies such as virtual reality,
augmented reality, and touch interfaces to enhance these experiences. Kim also focuses on developing strategies
to encourage consumers to make more sustainable choices, aligning with the growing need for environmentally
conscious consumer behavior.
Jonas Heller is a tenured Assistant Professor at the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management at Maastricht University's School of Business and Economics. His research investigates how artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, and other immersive technologies shape consumer decision-making, service experiences, and well-being outcomes such as pension engagement and healthy consumption. He is the Co-Founder and Scientific Director of DEXLab, Maastricht University's innovation lab for digital and immersive technologies, and Co-Founder of the Limburg Immersive Technology Network. He has secured over €2 million in competitive research funding and has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles in journals including the Journal of Retailing, Journal of Service Research, Computers in Human Behavior, and the Journal of Interactive Marketing.
Kristina Heinonen is Professor of Service and Relationship Marketing at the Department of Marketing
at Hanken School of Economics. She is also Professor II at the Department of Strategy and Management
at Norwegian School of Economics, Norway. Widely recognized as a leading researcher in the field of
service research, Kristina specializes in service innovation, value creation, customer experience,
service technologies, and customer-driven service strategy, among other topics.
In addition to her research contributions, Kristina is known for her leadership and service
to the academic community. She currently serves as the co-chair of American Marketing Association Service
Special Interest group (AMA SERVSIG) and is a board member of CTF Center for Service Research at Karlstad
University, Sweden. She is the Development Officer of the ServCollab which is a global human services
nonprofit focused on serving humanity through collaboration. S
She is also associate editor and editorial board member of several leading scientific journals.
Prof. Dr. Marion Büttgen is Professor of Business Administration and Chair of Corporate Management
at the University of Hohenheim, where she has held a full professorship since 2009.
Her research focuses on leadership, organizational behavior, service management, digital transformation,
human–AI collaboration, and strategic human resource management.
Her work has appeared in leading journals such as Journal of Service Research,
Journal of Service Management, and Journal of Business Research, and has received thousands of citations.
In addition to her research, Prof. Büttgen has held several academic leadership positions,
including serving as editor and later managing editor of the SMR – Journal of Service Management Research.
She is also active in university governance and research leadership at the University of Hohenheim.
Professor Thomas Leclercq is Full Professor of Marketing and Head of the Marketing Department
at IÉSEG School of Management (LEM-CNRS). His research lies at the intersection of service marketing,
innovation, digital marketing, customer engagement, value co-creation, online communities,
and gamification, with a particular focus on how organizations can leverage interactive technologies
to create engaging customer experiences.
His research has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Service Research,
Journal of Interactive Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Technological Forecasting and Social Change,
and the International Journal of Electronic Commerce. His contributions have been recognized through
several prestigious awards, including the Most Promising Young Researcher Award from the Association
Française du Marketing (2016), the Most Innovative Paper Award from Elsevier (2016),
the Bob Johnston Best Paper Award (2017), and recognition as a Finalist for the Best Dissertation Award
in Service Research from SERVSIG (2018).
Sarah Gelper is Professor of Marketing Analytics at the University of Luxembourg
and a leading expert in quantitative marketing research, marketing analytics, consumer behavior,
new product adoption, social interactions and networks, forecasting, and advanced statistical methods.
Her research combines rigorous analytical techniques with marketing applications, helping organizations
better understand consumer decision-making, innovation diffusion, and the impact of social influence
on market outcomes.
Sarah's work has been published in leading journals, including Journal of Marketing Research,
Management Science, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Annals of Applied Statistics,
and Journal of Forecasting. Her research contributions have attracted widespread recognition,
with her publications receiving thousands of citations and influencing both academic research
and marketing practice.
Arne De Keyser is Full Professor of Marketing at EDHEC Business School (France). His research focuses on customer experience, service recovery, frontline service technology and circular services. Arne has published articles in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Service Research, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Service Management, Journal of Services Marketing, and the Journal of Service Theory and Practice. His work is also featured by Harvard Business Review and the European Business Review. He has won numerous research and teaching awards, including the AMA SERVSIG Emerging Scholar Award (2025), the AMA SERVSIG Best Dissertation Award (2016) and the 2019 Journal of Service Research Best Paper Award. Arne serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Service Management and the Journal of Service Theory and Practice. Next to this, he is also an associate editor for the Journal of Business Research (Service Research track) as well as the Journal of Service Management.
Janneke van Heteren is Vice President in ASML and Head of Central Services within Customer Support.
This global team supports regional service organizations in both day-to-day operations and long-term
business transformation. Central Services plays a key role in enabling service excellence worldwide
through areas such as material availability, training, software infrastructure, operational support,
and enables scalable, standardized, secure and future-ready service operations.
Over the past 30 years, Janneke has held a variety of technical and commercial leadership roles
spanning both the customer-facing and supply-side dimensions of industry, of which 20 years at ASML
and 10 years at Tata Steel. She holds a master degree in Mechanical Engineering from Eindhoven University
of Technology (TU/e).
Lisa Brüggen is Director of Netspar, Professor for Financial Services at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE) and Principal Investigator at BISS, The Brightlands Institute for Smart Society. She is also member of the supervisory board of NIBUD, and member of the policy advise group pensions from SPMS.
She is an internationally recognized expert in financial services, financial behavior, choice guidance and retirement communications. She has received several awards, including the American Marketing Association's Emerging Scholar Award. She also obtained NWO and Netspar grants for her research on retirement communication and how to better prepare for approaching retirement. Her work has been published in leading international journals, such as the Journal of Marketing. She likes to bridge the gap between science and practice and shares her findings with the pension industry in an accessible way.
A unique part of LTAS is the collaborative workshop format. The workshop is designed
explicitly for teamwork and immediate application. Participants work in mixed groups with
guidance from experienced scholars from European top universities. The goal is to setup
a proposal for research that is innovative, has impact, and characterized by integrity principles.
Four industry experts will introduce their companies and the challenges within those companies.
These practical cases will form the basis for the collaborative workshop and the associated
research proposal.
Located in the heart of the high-tech ecosystem of the Netherlands, called Brainport,
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is a young university, founded in 1956 by industry,
local government and academia. Today, their spirit of collaboration is still at the heart
of the university community. We foster an open culture where everyone feels free to exchange
ideas and take initiatives. Our mission is to leads the change for a better world
by educating responsible engineers, by empowering academics and professionals,
by advancing global scientific knowledge, and by driving impactful, sustainable innovation
in the Brainport ecosystem and beyond.
Our campus is located at the edge of the city center.
Arrive at Eindhoven Central Station. The TU/e campus is a short walk from the station.
Fly into Eindhoven Airport (EIN) or Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). There are smooth bus connections from Eindhoven Airport to Eindhoven Central Station (#400 and #401). Trains from Schiphol to Eindhoven Central Station run frequently.
Follow signage to “Universiteit / TU/e”. Paid parking is available on campus.
Community partner of the LTAS series.
Host institution for LTAS 2026.
Case owner at LTAS 2026.
Case owner at LTAS 2026.
Financial sponsor of LTAS 2026.
Home of the organizing committee and support staff.
To be announced.
Organizing committee: