AX Virtual Summit

Just Announced!

“Shaping Tomorrow’s Airport Experience”

March 2 & 3, 2021
 

One year from the last time the industry was together at the Airport Experience® Conference in Denver, this new virtual event promises to lay the groundwork for the industry’s future. We’ll convene airport executives, operators and other industry leaders in a series of visionary panels and sessions as the community moves toward a stronger, more efficient and more vibrant airport concessions business.

Registration for the AX Virtual Summit is now open. Airport Experience® News subscribers receive complimentary admittance with their subscription. You must be a subscriber to attend this dynamic and informative event.

  SUBSCRIBE TODAY

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? CONFIRM YOUR SPOT HERE>>
If you have any questions regarding the status of your subscription, please contact Barb Moreno at [email protected]
 

2021 AX Virtual Conference Schedule 

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 2:00 pm - 2:05 pm EST Welcome from Airport Experience® News Speaker: Melissa Montes, Publisher, Airport Experience News 2:05 pm - 3:15 pm EST  Airport Director Outlook sponsored by HMSHost With recovery still in the nascent stage, four airport directors will discuss their expectations and goals for their concessions programs and their ideas about how their programs, and the airport-tenant relationship, will evolve in the future. Directors will also address infrastructure plans, new technologies and efforts to enhance the passenger experience. Speakers: Chellie Cameron, CEO, Philadelphia International Airport; Justin Erbacci, CEO, Los Angeles World Airports; Lance Lyttle, Managing Director, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; and Brian Ryks, Executive Director and CEO, Metropolitan Airports Commission. Moderator: Carol Ward, Editor-in-Chief, Airport Experience New 3:30 pm - 4:50 pm EST  Best Practices From The Experts, Part 1 sponsred by Airport Dimensions and Servy The Covid-19 pandemic instantly created a greater demand by consumers and employees for safety throughout the airport experience. That demand is often answered by the addition of technology, and 2020 accelerated the speed at which consumers adopt both existing and new digital offerings. Hear from this unique group of innovative thought leaders, not just about what has been implemented already, but more importantly, what the future holds. They’ll share how they see the evolution of technology throughout the travel experience and how the entire ecosystem can work together to strengthen confidence and bring travelers back. Speakers: Chris Gwilliam, Vice President of Business Development, Airport Dimensions; Jeff Livney, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Servy; Blake Halseide, Senior Analyst, Product Strategy JetBlue Airways and invited guests.

 

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 12:15 pm - 1:35 pm EST Best Practices From The Experts, Part 2 A series of Ted Talks-style presentations on the latest thinking from experts. Each presentation will be 10-15 minutes, followed by 5-10 minutes of Q&A. Session 1, 12:15 pm – 12:35 pm EST Leo Carrington will share research from Credit Suisse on global airport concessions trends and assess expected passenger demands in a post-pandemic environment. Speaker: Leo Carrington, Travel and Leisure Research Lead, Credit Suisse Session 2, 12:45 pm – 1:05 pm EST Lewis Allen will tap into his global experience in travel retail to offer insight into how airport retail will need to evolve in order to thrive in the coming years. Speaker: Lewis Allen, Senior Director, Portland Design Associates Session 3, 1:15 pm – 1:35 pm EST Robert Firpo-Cappiello will share data from two recent Hospitality Technology studies, spotlighting restaurant customer demand for contactless transactions, efficiency, and health and safety — and the tech roadmaps and implementations that restaurant operators are considering for 2021. Speaker: Robert Firpo Cappiello, Editor-in-Chief, Hospitality Technology Magazine 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm EST  Concessionaire Roundtable, Part 1: F&B sponsored by Qdoba Representatives from the major F&B operators convene for a moderated discussion on the way forward for airport concessions and airport-concessionaire relationships, as well as dining trends for the post-pandemic traveler. Speakers: Carlos Bernal, CEO, Areas USA; Steve Johnson, President and CEO, HMSHost; Jamie Obletz, President, Travel, Delaware North; and Michael Svagdis, CEO, SSP America. Moderator: Carol Ward, Editor-in-Chief, Airport Experience News. 3:45 pm - 5:00 pm EST Concessionaire Roundtable, Part 2: Retail The conversation continues with leaders in North American Travel Retail. This session will examine airport-concessionaire relationships and also delve into challenges facing specialty retail going forward. Speakers: David Charles, President and COO, Marshall Retail Group; Raymond Kayal, Jr., President and CEO, NewsLink Management Group, LLC; Gregg Paradies, President and CEO, Paradies Lagardère; and Brian Quinn, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Hudson. Moderator: Andrew Tellijohn, Senior Writer, Airport Experience News

Click click here for sponsorship opportunities