Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2026

Session 10: The Lounge–F&B Balancing Act Common-use lounges are rapidly expanding, fueled by traveler demand and continuous innovation. But as more passengers opt for these exclusive spaces, traditional terminal concessionaires are feeling the pinch. This session will dive into the ripple effects of lounge growth and explore how lounge operators, concessionaires, and airports can work together to create a more integrated, profitable ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders.

11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m Tennessee Ballroom

Moderator:

Kylies Fung, Airport Contract Specialist, Business & Development – Concessions, Harry Reid International Airport Pascal Bélanger, Senior Vice President, Americas, Plaza Premium Group David Bisset, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Paradies Lagardère Belinda Jain, Vice President Customer Experience & Commercial, JFKIAT

Panelists:

General Session Room Sponsored by: Concessions International, LLC

Lunch In The Experience Hall AXC Meeting Zone Sponsored by: Airport Dimensions The Speakeasy Experience with Nashville International Airport ® : Where Runways and Rhythm Meet, Sponsored by: Nashville International Airport Experience Hall Sponsored by: OTG

12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Ryman Hall A1

2:00 p.m. Experience Hall Closes

Session 11: Director-To-Director In a new take on our annual Airport Directors’ session, AXC is launching Director-to-Director interview series, where airport leaders interview one another on stage. Each set of two airport directors will take the stage for 15-minute sessions. They’ll ask each other questions, creating an engaging, peer-to-peer exchange of insights and experiences. Speaker Teams: 1. Brian Ryks Executive Director and CEO, Metropolitan Airports Commission and Atif Saeed, CEO, City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation 2. Tory Richardson, President and CEO, Gerald R. Ford International Airport and Alexis Higgins, CEO, Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust 3. Chad Makovsky, Aviation Director, City of Phoenix and Doug Kreulen, President and CEO, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority 4. Charlene Reynolds, Director, John Wayne Airport and Mookie Patel, Director of Aviation, San Jose Mineta International Airport.

2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Tennessee Ballroom

Session Sponsored by: HMSHost and Hudson General Session Room Sponsored by: Concessions International, LLC

AX Awards Gala Cocktail Reception Reception Sponsored by: Crews

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tennessee Ballroom Foyer

Airport Experience Awards Gala

7:00 p.m. Tennessee Ballroom

Awards Gala Sponsored by: Atmosphere TV Wine and Opening Toast Sponsored by: Vino Volo Awards Program Sponsored by: Clune Construction

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AX NEWS MARCH 2026