ARN awards best airport concessionaires

ARN-new logoAmong the many airports recognized by airport Revenue News at its annual conference in March, Pittsburgh International Airport’s AirMall was honored in Airport Revenue News’ (ARN) 2017 Best Airport & Concession Awards, with the award for “Best Management Team” for its concessions program in the small airport category.

Miami-based airport travel company NewsLink was named the “Best Overall Retailer” and “Best Travel Convenience Operator” in the small retailer category by Airport Revenue News (ARN) for 2017. NewsLink operates travel/convenience, specialty retail and food and beverage concessions at Miami, Boston Logan, Tampa and John F. Kennedy international airports.  The company has close to 500 employees.

In the Large Airport category, SFO was recognized as the “Airport with the Best Management Team” for creating a concession program which prominently features local and small San Francisco businesses.

Airport Director Ivar C. Satero notes 87% of SFO’s food & beverage leases, and 57% of its retail leases have local San Francisco Bay Area owners. In January 2014, SFO launched an innovative “pop-up” concession concept in its newly-renovated Terminal 3, Boarding Area E.  The concept allowed small businesses representing the San Francisco Bay Area to gain access to the Airport, with move-in ready facilities designed to reduce the initial start-up costs that challenge many small businesses.

Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) overall dining, retail, duty free shops, and passenger services was awarded by ARN with the Airport with The Best Overall Program and Best Program Design, Large Airport Division.

The awards were for LAX’ dining and retail program design and passenger services in the new Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) and Terminals 2 and 6, part of the current $14 billion modernization effort airport-wide.

New TBIT features 55 dining and retail concepts, 18 local L.A. brands, and 18 new airport concepts, unavailable anywhere else in the world. Terminal 2 features a brand new design inspired by “L.A. in Motion”, along with 16 new dining and retail brands, seven of which are Southern California native and six new airport concepts. Terminal 6 also features a bold new design inspired by the drive along L.A.’s iconic Sunset Boulevard, along with 21 new dining and retail destinations, 14 L.A. brands, and 13 airport firsts.