About 750 airport and concessions industry executives converged near Washington D.C., earlier this month for the Airport Revenue News 2011 Revenue Conference & Exhibition. With 82 exhibitors taking all of the 100 booths available, the ARN event was the most successful in the conference’s history.
The three-day event, held at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, featured myriad concessionaires and vendors all looking to start or expand their presence in U.S. airports. With the improving economy, many are excited about the projected growth in air travel in the coming years and are eager to expand their airport footprints. Those concessionaires had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with a broad range of airport executives, both in the exhibition hall and at the conference’s popular “schmooze” sessions.
At the same time, a host of speakers led conference attendees in educational sessions, trend forecasts and spirited debates on the way forward for the airport and concessions industries.
Highlighting the speaker lineup were renowned trends experts from outside the airport industry who shared their expertise on everything from purchasing habits to customer service. Daniel Levine, director of the Avant-Guide Institute, a firm that examines social trends and consumer culture, outlined five major trends that are driving consumer retail. Among them were the need for increased transparency and the increased use of mobile applications for information and transactions.
Elizabeth Blau, CEO of the restaurant development company Blau & Associates, says she is intrigued by restaurants with constantly changing themes, restaurants fused with retail, and the increased interest in mixology (craft cocktails), trends which have the potential to translate well in an airport environment.
Customer service expert and author Shep Hyken, chief amazement officer for Shepard Presentations, tackled the vital role of customer service in any transaction. Speaking on turning “moments of misery” and “moments of mediocrity” into “moments of magic,” Hyken says companies should delve deep to find and develop individuals who show a passion for getting it right.
“Any interaction, no matter how remote, is an opportunity,” he says. “It’s not over-the-top, blow-me-away service. … What it always has to be is better than average.”
Retail expert James Dion, president of Dionco Inc., warned session participants about the perils of constantly discounting merchandise, a trend he sees as out of control in the broad retail market.
“It’s unthinkable today to pay full price for a product,” he says. “We are on the road to oblivion if we continue on that way.”
Dion also pointed to the emergence of m-commerce (mobile commerce), with several applications emerging that could drive sales and customer service in airport retail.
Those four speakers were joined by several others within the airport and concessions industries. The Academy of Concessions, hosted by Stephen Freibrun, a principal with SH&E Commercial Planning Group, spotlighted strategies for revenue generation and innovation. Other sessions featured seasoned industry veterans discussing new food business opportunities, new revenue streams and other topics.
The conference also featured sessions devoted to “new opportunities,” with San Francisco International (SFO), Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) all sharing their upcoming concessions opportunities. The annual “schmooze” sessions, connecting airport concessions executives with concessionaires, facilitated the short, face-to-face meetings that often prove invaluable in business.
The ARN Revenue Conference & Exhibition culminated in the annual awards banquet, featuring masters of ceremonies Joseph DiDomizio, president and CEO of the Hudson Group, and Susan Baer, director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Full coverage of the conference will appear in the April issue of Airport Revenue News; the winners of the ARN 2011 Best Airport & Concession Awards will be featured in the May issue.
