Airport Experience® News - Post-Conference Issue 2023

Left: Pitch participant Vida Humphries, founder of A Shaving Grace Hairport, shared his vision for a portfolio of nationwide in-airport barber shops, and underscored the pitch with an on-stage haircut done by one of his team. Below Left: Business Pitch Showcase judge Cassandra Bozeman (center), vice president of business development for Paradies Lagardère, offers advice to a pitch participant while Carolyn Langdon (left), senior manager of properties at Lee County Port Authority and Liz Grzechowiak (right), senior director of brands and concept development at Delaware North, look on.

Four entrepreneurs stepped up to the plate to pitch their concepts, a process that Tafoya recalled fondly as he recounted Mission Yogurt’s earliest days. “It wasn’t that long ago that we were sitting hopefully on that stage,” he noted, “just looking for something that would give us a chance to get a foothold in this industry.” First up was a proposal from Jim Schwandt, vice president of non-traditional development at WOWorks USA , the holding company of portfolio brands Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Zoup! Eatery, and Barberitos. Schwandt pointed to the company’s focus on plant forward, Mediterranean flavors and create your-own entree options as conducive to traveler concession preferences and noted that the company’s locations are already succeeding in three major airports. Judges were eager to know how WOWorks planned to advertise its brands to an all-day customer appeal, particularly the popular “morning-rush” market. Schwandt noted that restaurants like Garbanzo, though seemingly focused on lunch and dinner, also include breakfast entrees prominently displayed on their menus to encourage all-day ordering. Schwandt was also asked about the company’s entry costs and licensing opportunities, to which he responded that the brand’s more than 400 total locations and supplier relationships would help keep

garner an additional $1,500 in revenue a week and $150,000 more a year. Most important, said Willard, was the story that restaurants tell with their menu — a combination of art and science. If concessionaires can install clear options, connected ordering technology and a personalized narrative about their brand story and ingredients, “they canmake it easy to help guests find items that they’ll love.” Business Pitch Showcase Day 1 of the Airport Experience Conference would not be complete without the annual Business Pitch

Showcase, a Shark Tank-like event where entrepreneurs pitch their concepts to a panel of industry judges. The session was moderated by Rod Tafoya, president of Mission Yogurt , which sponsored the session. The judging panel included Liz Grzechowiak, senior director of brands and concept development at Delaware North ; Cassandra Bozeman, vice president of business development for Paradies Lagardère; Carolyn Langdon, senior manager of properties at Lee County Port Authority ; and Dominique Sheck, program manager revenue generation and partnership development at San Diego International Airport (SAN).

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