Airport Experience® News - Post-Conference Issue 2025

APRIL/MAY 2025

Dear Valued Readers,

MAY 2025 / V23 N262

We made it! The 2025 Airport Experience Conference is in the books. Our 21 st conference was a huge success, with record numbers of attendees and record numbers of exhibitors in the Experience Hall. Thank you to all who supported us this year! This issue of Airport Experience News allows readers to relive the sessions, Experience Hall events and parties that combined to make this year’s event so memorable. We spotlight award winners, provide coverage of the educational sessions and showcase in images some of the networking that took place over the three days. This issue also contains one of our most important articles of the year. Each year at the AX Conference, we gather leading concessions company CEOs for a private roundtable discussion about the state of the industry. This year’s conversation – edited and printed on the following pages – includes a frank discussion on many of the challenges facing our industry. Looking ahead, the June issue of AXN will focus on the existential challenge facing the ACDBE program. The new presidential administration has signaled its opposition to race- and gender-based programs; thus, the ACDBE program could be the most vulnerable it’s been since its launch 20 years ago. The June issue will also spotlight some of the best ACDBE operators in North America with AXN’s ACDBE of Distinction recognitions.

RECAP OF THE 2025 AX CONFERENCE

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AXC2025

OPERATORS EMBRACE LATEST F&B TRENDS

HIGH COSTS, OTHER CHALLENGES CONTINUE FOR CONCESSIONAIRES

PAT MURRAY SHARES STRATEGY FOR SSP AMERICA

LEADING CONCESSIONS CEOS DISCUSS OUTLOOK

KEYNOTE SPEAKER SHARES AI STRATEGIES

AIRPORTS, CONCESSIONAIRES TROUBLESHOOT PARTNERSHIPS

Enjoy!

Carol Ward Editor-in-Chief

Airport Experience News carol@airportxnews.com

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AX NEWS MAY 2025