Special Coverage: 2022 AX Conference
Many airports paused or completely revisited plans to develop their facilities when the pandemic shut down travel globally. The 2022 Airport Experience Conference saw six airport representatives presenting their airports’ upcoming opportunities to plan and develop new customer experiences.
Christine Lindenmuth, director, concessions and quality assurance for Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) described the opening for increasingly popular specialty vending and automated retail spaces, citing a need to fill underserved terminal areas by offering 24-hour service.
“We are looking forward to having some really new and great ideas,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of automation here [at the 2022 AX Conference] this week and we’re looking forward to seeing some of that come to Denver Metro.”
In addition to a vending program, DTW is assessing its Delta Air Lines terminal, the contract for which expires next year. Lindenmuth offered that interested parties could reach out to the airport for further information about “what is on the horizon.”
Jim DeCock, director, revenue generation and partnership development, San Diego International Airport (SAN), explained his airport’s need for a slew of concessions options as part of its upcoming New Terminal 1 project.
“Terminal 1 was built back in the early to mid-sixties, so it’s a little bit outdated,” DeCock admitted. He explained the airport is seeking to update its layout to allow freer movement throughout the airport and, by extension, more opportunities to find food and retail outlets travelers are interested in. “For the first time at San Diego, you’ll go past the checkpoint and you’ll be free to move between all the terminals.”
In addition to the 75,000 square feet the new terminal will add to the airport, seven new routes are planned to be introduced this year. Interested parties can anticipate the request for proposals (RFP) process to begin in August, with awards in early spring; and visit newt1.com for more information as it is made available.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s (DFW) concessions manager, Cristen Mosley, presented the opportunities coming up soon for the massive but still growing facility.
“We are looking in the next five years to really turn this program over,” she said. This could be the typical refresh of a contract turnover, or it could be due to the emergence of a new kind of traveler supporting the travel industry. “As we all have known, our business travelers have declined from fiscal year 2019 and our travelers now are leisure travelers.”
Still, DFW isn’t slowing down. New RFPs will release in the coming months, Mosley said, seeking a bar with a coffee component, a convenience concept and another coffee concept (one that offers entertainment and bar elements) across a couple of terminals.
“In 2023 and 2024 – that’s when you’re going to start seeing more RFPs from us,” she added.
Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB) Assistant Airport Director Rachel Engeler said her airport released an RFP in March. GRB will be adding 242,000 square feet to its facilities, said Engeler, to accommodate travelers from all over its large catchment area. Labor, she boasted, shouldn’t be as much of an issue as it has been elsewhere.
“Unemployment for the area has been low compared to the country and the state, signaling strong recovery,” she said.
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is planning a completely new concessions program alongside its terminal expansion project, explained Senior Manager of Properties Carolyn Langdon. The main terminal will increase in square footage, allowing for several concessions opportunities, all of which will be located post-security thanks to a new, consolidated checkpoint.
“We also would like to introduce the least disruptive plans for our concessions program as we’re moving through our terminal project,” Langdon said. HMSHost and Paradies Lagardère are already operating in the space, but “our goals led to a solicitation for a third concessionaire,” she explained.
Two specialty retail spaces, one for electronics and one for sunglasses, are being sought.
Finally, Unison Consulting Director Ken Buckner presented a number of opportunities from across his company’s portfolio, including Laredo International (LRD), Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International (JAN), Fresno Yosemite International (FAT), Glacier Park International (FCA) and John Wayne (SNA) airports.
Buckner said SNA is adding 54,000 square feet to accommodate growth – the airport reached 5.3 million enplanements in 2019. The airport is looking for a local Orange County sense of place from 17 food and beverage and nine retail outlets for a total of 26 new spaces.
Further north, in Fresno, FAT is seeking partners that “reflect the cultural diversity of the region,” said Buckner. “They experienced tremendous growth before the pandemic and it hasn’t really stopped after,” he added, noting, “Fresno was one of the quickest airports in the country to recover in enplanements after the pandemic hit.” The airport is so far seeking seven new outlets.
Mississippi’s JAN expects to grow nine percent every year through 2030, said Buckner, with many of the upcoming opportunities seeking to support that growth while also supporting JAN values.
One space in Texas’ LRD is particularly unique, Buckner said. “They have one restaurant they want the new operator to take over,” he explained. “They have a high percentage of non-travelers that visit the airport for food and beverage – it’s very unique.” As such, the space would have to serve both landside and airside customers.
FCA in Montana also recovered fairly quickly from the pandemic and is planning to double the size of its terminal. The airport has experienced 11 percent growth since 2017 and have even surpassed 2019 traffic levels. The seasonal nature of the airport’s traffic lends itself to more seasonally-appropriate opportunities for concessions, Buckner said.
