Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2024

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26 Succession Planning With Baby Boomer retirements coming fast and furious, there’s lots of turnover in the C-Suite these days. Four airports share their strategies to ensure a seamless leadership transition. 32 Brand Provenance Over the past two decades, the pendulum has shifted from a stark reliance on national brands to programs with a heavy focus on local concepts. But the swings are temporary, and finding the right balance is a moving target. 40 DEN Devotion AXN’s Property Manager of the Year – Penny May, chief commercial officer at Denver International Airport – shares her history and vision, while colleagues laud her positive impact on the industry. 48 AXC Wayfinding Check here for a map of the 2024 AXC Experience Hall, along with the full agenda of the week’s activities. 60 Sponsor Shoutout The Airport Experience Conference wouldn’t be possible without the support of our broad array of sponsors. We appreciate the ongoing support! 71 Exhibitor Showcase More than 80 exciting and innovative companies are exhibiting at AXC this year. Learn a bit about each brand before engaging with them in this year’s Experience Hall. 82 Featured Speakers Compelling content is a constant at AXC. Check out this year’s list of speakers and moderators who will share their expertise throughout three days of educational programming.

6 Letter From The Publisher 8 Data Check

86 One-on-One Longtime global industry executive Sabine Trenk joined Fraport USA in summer 2023. She is eager to further evolve the company’s existing concessions development operations with a bigger embrace of technology. 89 One-on-One Delaware North’s Travel Division has a new leader, but one who is familiar to many in the industry. Scott Socha, who led the Travel division from 2019 to 2021 is back at the helm and is putting his stamp on the company’s airport operations.

Airport spending on information technology is expected to surge, according to a new report from SITA. The report suggests the industry is ready to invest in growth and developing rather than just sustaining operations. 12 Latest Buzz Denver International Airport is completing a $2.5 billion concourse expansion program and is in the midst of a $2.1 billion Great Hall program as the airport prepares for passenger numbers approaching 100 million annually. 20 Director’s Chair Henry Thompson is putting his stamp on Fresno Yosemite International Airport as the terminal is expanded and more travelers flock to central California.

91 Advertising Index 92 Before You Take Off

The Airport Experience Conference is turning 20, but that’s young compared to most airports. Some, like Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Long Beach Airport are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year.

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AX NEWS MARCH 2024