Airport Experience Conference 2022 Agenda

Sunday, February 27
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
 

Registration Desks Open

Airport Tours
Space is limited. You must add this event to your registration to participate. Confirmation required.

Join us for a tour of Orlando Internation Airport.  

Transportation information coming soon. 
 

• Sponsored by Orlando International Airport 

Monday, February 28
7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
 

Registration Desks Open

Session 1: Women in Leadership Breakfast
AXN’s wildly popular celebration of women’s excellence is back for a second year! Join Team AXN and our valued sponsors as we spotlight the current women in leadership in our industry and assess the pathways to expanded influence for the next generation of female executives.  

Space is limited. You must add this event to your registration to participate. Confirmation required.
 

Networking Break 

Session 2: Keynote Address

Details coming soon...
 

Networking Break

Session 3: Airport of the Future. Tomorrow's Traveler. Tomorrow's Airport Experience.

As airports look to develop and adapt to the needs of travelers in the post-pandemic world, decision making can be challenging. In this session, data findings from a recently commissioned independent travel survey will be shared, along with a series of insights that will help inform and transform the roadmaps of airport concessions. The findings will be discussed by a panel of innovators, already ahead of the curve on leading the transformation to the future airport experience. 

Property Managers’ Luncheon

Airports only

Session 4: Trends Mixer: What To Expect As The Industry Evolves

The tumult of the past two years has upended standard operating procedures, forcing rapid change in an industry that is already in constant evolution. In this session, a range of experts will discuss everything from food and retail trends to tech advancements to airline strategies and more. 

Presentation 1: 
Airline Actions And Their Impact On Airports
Airline strategies are shifting again in the wake of the pandemic. Some airports will thrive, others will falter as carriers shift attention to select markets and leave others behind. Find out the factors at play and which airports are most vulnerable in this still-tumultuous time in aviation. 
Speaker: William Swelbar, Chief Industry Analyst, Swelbar-Zhong Consultancy

Presentation 2: 
Food & Beverage Outlook
The right menu offering is crucial to success for any restaurant, and finding the right mix is constantly moving target as consumer tastes evolve. The National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast" breaks down what to expect this year. 
Speaker: B. Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President, Research & Knowledge Group, National Restaurant Association

Presentation 3: 
Using Digital Technology To Enhance Non-Aero Revenue
Last fall, Meehan Aviation Group was tasked by ACRP to examine the use of digital technology and how it impacts non-aeronautical revenues. Hear about the findings thus far.
Speaker: Sonjia Murray, Managing Director, The Meehan Aviation Group

Presentation 4:
Finding Synergies in Non-Traditional Markets
Details to come..
Speaker: Abby Whetstone, Owner and Principal Consultant, Non-Trade Consulting

Refreshment And Networking Break  

Session 5: Business Pitch Showcase 

Witness a handful of creative entrepreneurs pitch their concept to a panel of experienced airport and concessions operators who will then provide feedback on the viability of those ideas in the airport environment. 

 

Opening Night Reception In Experience Hall 

Open to All-Access Badge Holders

Registration Desks Open

Breakfast and Networking in the Experience Hall

• Breakfast Sponsored by Areas USA

Schmooze: Part 1

We’re mixing it up this year, moving the popular Schmooze sessions to Tuesday morning to enable airport representatives the opportunity to visit concessionaire booths after their initial introduction. In this event, airports and concessionaires meet at scheduled times for one-on-one discussions, speed-dating style.
 

Refreshment Break

Experience Hall Open

Lunch In The Experience Hall 

Tuesday, March 1
1:15 PM - 3:00 PM

Part 1:
1:15 PM- 2:00 PM

Part 2:
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

 

Session 6: Evolving Airport/Concessionaire Relationships

Both airport and concessions executives broadly agree that the old way of doing business may not make sense anymore. The pandemic eviscerated the terms of traditional airport-concessionaire contracts – in many cases alterations made to those terms nearly two years ago are still in flux today. As the dust settles and new contracts come up for bid, what’s the best framework? In Part 1, panelists will lay the groundwork with airports sharing funding realities and priorities, and concessionaires sharing financial realities as recovery continues. In Part 2, panelists will tackle issues of lease terms, pricing policies, build-out costs, MAGs and more.

Part 1: Chasing Profitability: Funding, Finances, and the Long-Term Impact of the Pandemic

Part 2: Airport-Concessionaire Business Model Evolution
Speakers: 
Tim Barnes, Senior Director, Commercial Services, Calgary International Airport
Carlos Bernal, CEO, Areas USA
Mookie Patel, Chief Business and Finance Officer, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Bob Wilson, Group President of Travel, Delaware North

Session 7: Surviving And Thriving As An ACDBE

Obtaining financing has been a challenge for airport concessions disadvantaged business enterprise operators in airports. Even pre-COVID, operators were calling on airports to take a more direct role in helping with financing challenges. Now, with those prime partners struggling to put their own balance sheets back in order, airports and small operators likely must find new ways to ensure that small businesses have the opportunity to compete for space and operate successfully.

Experience Hall Happy Hour

Speakers’ Dinner

Invitation Only

Registration Desks Open

Breakfast and Networking in the Experience Hall

Refreshment and Networking in the Experience Hall

Lunch in the Experience Hall

Experience Hall Closing

Session 9: Director Panel
AXN’s annual panel of airport directors brings together some of the industry’s most dynamic leaders for a discussion on key challenges and opportunities. This year’s group will discuss the latest on pandemic recovery, infrastructure financing, revenue generation, customer service strategies, technology and more.

Moderator: Carol Ward, Editor-in-Chief, Airport Experience News
Speakers:
Cynthia Guidry, Director, Long Beach Airport
Chad Makovsky, Directory of Aviation Services, City of Phoenix
Tom Nolan, President & CEO, Orlando Sanford International Airport
Phillip Washington, CEO, Denver International Airport

Refreshment And Networking Break

Session 10: Airport Opportunities

Airport terminal construction and renovation has picked up steam again, and with the new activity comes a range of new opportunities for concessionaires. In this session airport representatives will discuss their upcoming opportunities in concessions and other revenue-generating areas.  

AX Closing Event 

Join us for cocktails to celebrate the wrap-up of the 2022 AX Conference! In this year’s program, we will honor AXN’s 2022 Directors of the Year, plus the 2022 Property Manager of the Year and AX's newest recognition - the AX Icon Award.