ACI – Transformation disruptors in the airport commercial space

The ACI Europe Airport Commercial & Retail Conference 2018 is being held in Tel Aviv this year with a focus on transformational disruptors in the airport commercial space.

We operate within the airport management arena, working both airside and landside giving us a full 360-degree appreciation of the non-aviation components of the airport environment. We recognise the importance of delivering an exceptional customer experience from the moment a passenger enters the car park. Whether the role is security, retail, station management or anything inbetween, we understand the importance of being customer-centric in approach and will deliver the right people to provide this.

The ACI event is of particular interest to us as we pride ourselves in being fully immersed in our specialist sectors. The topics scheduled to be discussed below are all relevant to the types of roles and individuals we deal with on a daily basis.

Are stores being used or are they just showrooms?

This subject is very topical within one of our other specialist sectors: shopping centre & outlet management. The threat of digital and e-commerce is significantly enhancing the importance of developing the customer experience and the same will be in airports. It is important airports understand their passenger demographic and ensure they have the right stock that appeals to the traffic coming through. They need to create experiences that not only engage with consumers, but also entice them to make a purchase. They have guaranteed footfall, but that would that footfall visit that store outside of the airport, are passengers simply browsing whilst waiting for a flight? It will be interesting to hear what the specialists have to say on this matter.

What will the future of airport car parking look like?

The car industry is advancing at pace, we have seen the development of electric cars, car sharing apps, convenient taxi services such as uber, as well as the current development of driverless cars/ vehicle automation. These advances are changing the way the car parking commercial space is being used and it will be interesting to listen to what predictions the specialists have made on how it will change in the near future.

How are airport retailers coping with the current pace of increased passenger traffic we are enjoying?

Over the last 6 months, it appears all the news being released is showing increased passenger traffic. These statistics are really positive for the industry, but how are retailers preparing to cope with this? A big challenge for the high-street and shopping centres is generating high levels of footfall consistently for the tenants. Airport retailers are guaranteed this footfall, especially in some when the layout forces passengers to walk through a store in order to go to their gate. This is a massive benefit and we are looking forward to hearing the insights on how the people managing this space are preparing to reap the high sales figures that are available.

What is the key to commercial success and true innovation?

Technology is affecting all the markets we operate in, and the airport management sector is creating innovative, new initiatives and procedures to truly advance the passenger experience. We’ve seen food delivery services, biometrics reducing queues, data allowing retailers to select products that are relevant to their consumers, Wi-Fi, the list goes on. These talks will be particularly exciting to hear what new markets and new ideas the experts have researched to create a more profitable airport.

If you’re attending please get in touch, it would be great to meet to discuss what trends we’re seeing in the market and most importantly, views on where you see airport commercial space changing in the future.