Mark Zuckerberg- Facebook founder want to speak Chinese

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wanted to speak Chinese. In addition to his normal studies, he decided to enlist the aid of a couple of employees who were native Chinese speakers. He sat with them daily and insisted that, while in his presence, they only speak in their native tongue. Like anyone trying to learn a language, Zuckerberg struggled. He implored them to speak simpler. Again they would speak, again Zuckerberg would struggle to understand and again he would ask them to simplify the message. This continued several times until he was finally able to gather a basic understanding of what they were trying to say. At that point, the speakers had whittled down the message to its most basic form. 



This story can be equated to the narrative of airports. Just as Zuckerberg insisted his programmers to speak more simply, maybe, so too, should the airport message be reduced to a very elementary yet powerful, “Airports are important.”



That is the theme that we have taken with the September2013 Anniversary Issue of Airport Revenue News. Though ARN shows its support of airports in each issue throughout the year, it’s the ARN September edition in which the focus from cover to cover is entirely on the causes, challenges and triumphs of our industry.



On Page 20, ARN asked several airport directors to put pen to paper (or in this case fingers to keyboard) and write about the industry. Thella Bowens of San Diego International (SAN) writes of her airport’s Green Build. It’s an example of how an airport developed and improved its offerings for a better traveler experience, but a key benefit for the community was the 7,000 jobs that were created over the life of the project. Joe Lopano of Tampa International (TPA) writes about his efforts to increase flights to and from TPA. Once again, the message he hammers home is, “Airport passenger numbers positively correlate to higher economic output, wages and incomes.” David Edwards of Greenville-Spartanburg International (GSP) gives a state-of-the-industry look from his seat as the current chairman of Airports Council International-North America. He writes that “airports need the flexibility to make business decisions that are in the best interest of their airport and community.”



Andrew Tellijohn writes about the development at Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS) on Page 8. In this instance, it is the airport that is trying to keep pace with the growth of its city. As with any major development, the economic impact in its community and region certainly will be felt.



On Page 36, Tellijohn details how airports are working to overcome the various airline mergers that have occurred in recent years. Ricky Smith of Cleveland-Hopkins International (CLE) is one of several airports to discuss the topic.



Tellijohn also sits down with former ACI-NA President and CEO Gregory Principato. On Page 60, Principato reflects on his accomplishments during his tenure and the industry he leaves behind. We wish him the best of luck on his future endeavors.

On Page 44, Carol Ward reports on an airport’s role in its community. She focuses on initiatives such as how the airport reaches out to include the community on business opportunities, generates enthusiasm and interest in aviation through educational programs, and includes children with special needs on the experience of going through the airport. These are but a few things about which Ward writes.

Ward also speaks with Rosemarie Andolino of the Chicago Aviation Department, which is described on Page 14. Andolino comments on Chicago O’Hare International’s (ORD) modernization program, including the much-anticipated concessions request for proposals.



On Page 54, ARN Editorial Director Ramon Lo writes about the efforts of Palm Beach International (PBI) director of airports Bruce Pelly and the airport's new director of marketing Stephanie Richards to increase awareness of PBi and to attract new flights.

For those who do not know, ARN was launched in its current format, coincidentally, on September 11, 2001. It is somewhat surprising how our fortunes have closely paralleled that of the industry we serve since that fateful day.

Airport Revenue News March 2013 issue

In the Airport Revenue News March 2013 issue, on Page 16, you can read ARN Editorial Director Ramon Lo’s interview with the leaders of some of the largest airport concession companies in the industry.  The gathering was the first time that any in attendance can remember that these people were together in one room for something other than an airport contract. It was an off agenda highlight at the 2013 Airport Revenue News Conference & Exhibition, serving as an enjoyable and educational time where industry heads waxed philosophical on things such as the benefits to competition, the quest for innovation, the value of inspiration and more.  It's served as a welcome respite from the usual questions on contracts, protests and trends.  Additionally, it offered a glimpse that despite the hard-fought battles, there exists a professional respect and shared mindset among rivals.

On Page 34, Carol Ward delves into the growing popularity of mobile app use by airports.  Whether they license or develop their own proprietary apps, airports are piggybacking onto the burgeoning use and reliance of smartphones as a means to stay connected to travelers and to provide them premium customer service.

Wine bars and wine offerings have graduated from being a trend to becoming a staple in many airports, so much so that all of the major operators have a horse in the race with their own concepts.  On Page 42, Andrew Tellijohn's story touches on the market-leading, nationally recognized brands, as well as the uniquely local concepts reflecting the tastes of the airport's home city or region.

The issue of passenger traffic has been a hot topic of discussion, in large part because of airline mergers and the economy. Naturally, it's because our business depends on it.  On Page 38, Ward spotlights the issue of passenger leakage whereby Canadian airports are losing passengers to U.S. airports close to the border.  Ward takes a closer look into the cause, which is not as simple as the offering of low fares, and the effects, which are not just limited to the airports.

Tellijohn puts the rise of consolidated rental car facilities, or ConRACs, under the microscope on Page 28. By bringing both sides of the table into the conversation, he sheds light on the benefits which, ultimately, is reducing busing and pollution, improving efficiencies and providing customer service. 

Finally, on Page 12, Ward speaks to Miami International (MIA) Aviation Director Jose Abreu, who will be stepping down from his post at the end of this month. Ward and Abreu reflect on his tenure with the airport, overseeing the $6.4B capital-improvement program that expanded the airport's North and South Terminals, and what he plans to do next.

Passion is the main ingredient.

So boldly declares a prominent airport food and beverage operator. Simple yet true.Passion is not manufactured but something that is innate: Basically, whatever skills or talents we possess are useless if we do not have the will to use them. Because July is our annual food and beverage issue, I focus on those who have tapped into this passion to elevate airport dining to the next level. But taking an additional step back, it’s easy to apply such thinking to the industry as a whole.

ARN Editorial Director Ramon Lointerviewed three chefs who were respected for their culinary skills long before they became television celebrities. The story, which appears on Page 34, isn’t about passion but about the relationship they have formed with the airport restaurateurs with which they partnered. One of the things that Lo took away was the energy, excitement and, here we go again, passion with which they spoke to me about their craft. Having interviewed Chef Lorena Garcia in her studio kitchen, headmitted to beingpretty energizedhearing her talk about something as mundane to the lay person as the positioning of kitchen equipment. In listening to Andrew Zimmern talk about what he would do for an airport restaurant if he did not have any restraints, it was pretty dramatic.

Aside from this story, Andrew Tellijohn writes on Page 20 about his conversations with several noted consultants who discuss how airports are catching up to street-side dining. Airport dining, from emerging concepts to evolving menus, is a perfect example of how operators are mirroring what is on the street and keeping abreast of trends.

On page 28, Carol Ward writes about the importance of the breakfast day part. She  even details the efforts of operators who worked with brands to add a breakfast component to the menu when their street-side locations did not feature one. The work of LaTrelle’s Management Corp. with Buffalo Wild Wings is one example that comes to mind.

Also, on Page 14, Ward speaks with Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) CEO Thomas Naughton on his accomplishments and the airport’s concessions overhaul, which began with retail and will continue with food and beverage.

These are but a few of the many must-read stories in the Airport Revenue News July Big Food Issue.

One last thought on passion. Ralph Waldo Emerson declared, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Cheers,
Ramon Lo
Editorial Director
ramon@airportrevenuenews.com
Follow me on Twitter: @ramonglo

Airport Revenue News year-end double issue

Mario Diaz of the Houston Airport System is our Director of the Year in the large airports category. During the interview, Diaz shared bits of inspiration from the many books he’s read and the many mentors for which he’s worked. None struck me more than this one:

“You cannot open a new front until you can cover your flank and your rear. You try to do new and innovative things when you can’t even maintain what you’ve got going, you’re doomed to fail. Make sure you’ve got a good operation and everything is working properly, and then advance the team forward.”

Diaz explains that there would be no achieving what he set out to do unless he first got his house in order. Read the entire story about Diaz on Page 20.

Our year-end issue does look back on the year that was, but the focus is on the promise of the year ahead.

Carol Ward speaks to several airport directors on Page 28 about their plans for 2014. All are undergoing a variety of enhancements either in anticipation of increased passenger traffic or simply looking to improve the passenger experience. Regardless, the carryover from 2013 that will be at the top of the list will be the issue of funding with an increase or elimination of the passenger facility charge.

Andy Tellijohn covers succession planning on Page 42. With a number of airport leaders stepping down this past year, Tellijohn writes about what organizations are doing to make for seamless transitions between the outgoing and the incoming in order to maintain stability.

On Page 38, we take a look back on 2013, a year marked by sequestration, the opening of new airport developments, the marriage of two carriers and a changing of the guard at the top of many airports.

Louis Miller of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) sits with Ward not only to reflect on what has transpired over the past 18 months but to look forward to what is next. Read what is in store on Page 14.

After completing Terminal 2 nearly six years ago, Raleigh-Durham International’s (RDU) Terminal 1 is undergoing a similar overhaul. On Page 8, Tellijohn details how RDU has taken the older terminal to develop a sense of place for passengers.

These are but a few of the stories that you will find in this Airport Revenue News year-end double issue. Please take the opportunity to read it cover-to-cover. If you do not already subscribe, click here to get your copy!

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Stories you will read in the August issue of Airport Revenue News

In a past episode of Mad Men, Don Draper, frustrated with his agency's lack of business, snaps at account man Peter Campbell, "Just get me in a room, Pete!" Don knows full well that once he is in a room with the client, he can work his Don Draper magic to close the deal.

Airport retail programs have become more and more shopping mall-like but with a larger, more captive audience. Catering to or creating a demand for a consumer need or want is at its most basic what retailers do. Still, unlike a shopping mall, there are a far greater number of distractions at an airport that unfortunately might not have anything to do with shopping. Therein lies the hurdle: getting customers into your store. This is the Peter Campbell. But once inside the immaculately designed and decorated establishment, it is up to the Don Drapers to work their magic. It's far too easy to say that training associates to engage, inform, and sell is all that is needed. Airport retailers know and wish it was this simple. Offerings such as high-end clothing to jewelry to electronics have become staples in concession programs, further divvying up a traveler's dollars from one operator to the next and thus placing a greater premium on engagement and education.

Now comes the more innovative pieces such as touch screens and tablets to aid in transforming that traveler into a consumer. The education and the selling of the customer has indeed evolved. Once you get them to choose your store it's up to you, then, to convert them. Carol Ward's story on Page 18 delves into what a handful of operators are doing.

On Page 24, Andrew Tellijohn compares the airport retail offerings here in the United States to those offered overseas. The gap may have narrowed, but the gap still exists.

I'd like to introduce a new column on Page 32 titled Airport Perspective. Each column will be penned by an airport executive sharing a new innovation or commenting on industry issues. Since August is our retail issue, we begin with John Reeb, the acting associate deputy director of San Francisco International (SFO). Reeb spotlights the airport's Pop-Up Retail program as a way to both showcase the local retail flavors of the Bay Area and give small businesses a taste of operating in an airport.

On Page 14, Chattanooga Airport Authority president and CEO Terry Hart speaks with Ward in regards to Chattanooga Metropolitan's growth.

These are but a few of the stories you will read in the August issue of Airport Revenue News.