Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2025

New Developments With the opening of MCO’s new Terminal C in 2022, Conner Harris experienced a major opening for the first time. “I had not been a part of opening a terminal and I have a whole new appreciation for people that do that on a regular basis – that is a monumental undertaking,” says Conner Harris. She’s even more excited about the reimagining of Terminals A and B and “completing this master plan I’ve had in my mind for a while,” she adds. “Historically, as a concession space expired, we would solicit for the same sort of thing: we had a food court that went down, we would issue a request for proposal for a food court,” says Conner Harris. “A few years ago, I was looking at our concession schedule and realized that within a four-year span, almost every concession was going to be expiring. I went to our leadership and said, ‘This is a great opportunity to really take a step back and think about the program as a whole. Do we need to repurpose some spaces? Is there any way we can expand spaces to accommodate travel demand?’ That was the genesis of this master plan.” With the collaborative efforts of MCO leadership, teammates, and consultants and with the support of the airport’s board, “we came up with what we believe is a really great plan,” says Conner Harris. “We’re in the initial phases of implementing that plan and are really excited about it.” She’s also looking ahead to the eventual end of her long and accomplished tenure at GOAA. “I’m really focused on succession planning, particularly for my role, and also building a bench for my team members,” says Conner Harris. “When I do retire, I plan to travel and volunteer for several non-profits, which are near and dear to my heart.” Conner Harris also looks forward to spending more time with family, she adds. “My family is my true passion – their wellbeing is my primary concern.” But for now, she’s also enjoying the pleasant surprise of a three-decade career at GOAA, and being named Property Manager of the Year by Airport Experience News . “It is truly an honor to receive this recognition,” she said when learning about the award. The terms “flabbergasted” and “so very honored” also came up. She gave credit to those she works alongside every day. “I am blessed to be surrounded by an incredible team and amazing partners who are dedicated to providing an exceptional experience to our 58 million annual guests.”

New retail and dining concepts, including outposts of local brands operated in partnership with OTG Concessions Management; Areas USA; SSP America; The Marshall Retail Group (WH Smith North America) and Newslink for terminals A and B are also in the works. Conner Harris and her team are keen to stay on the cutting edge of passenger engagement in all of MCO’s new spaces as well, drawing inspiration from installations like the interactive LED display in the new Terminal C. “We have a really strong gaming, AI, AR/VR, and simulation community here in Central Florida, one of the leading in the country,” says Conner Harris, “and we’re working with some of those groups to create spaces for customer engagement.” Their goal “is to make MCO a ‘destination between destinations,’” she adds. “We want our guests to feel that their time at the airport is actually an enjoyable part of the journey, rather than something to be endured. We want them to experience the unique characteristics of our community through beautifully designed spaces, creative culinary offerings and curated retail options,” says Conner Harris. “Being at the airport really should be a great experience, and we’re doing everything we can to make that happen.”

Above: Conner Harris is a long-time participant in the Schmooze event at the annual Airport Experience Conference, including the 2024 event (pictured).

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AX NEWS MARCH 2025