TESTIMONIALS

The energy and excitement at the 2008 ARN Conference & Exhibition was palpable. 
ARN received many testimonials from attendees about the high level of productivity they achieved both in networking with current and potential business partners and gaining new knowledge from the informative sessions. Below are some comments from show participants.

"The 2008 ARN conference provided an excellent opportunity to learn more about best practices at airports around the country and to solidify relationships with other industry members. Airports and airlines face many challenges in the coming years, and the ARN conference – along with the ARN magazine – provides opportunities for discussion and creative solutions."

John L. Martin
Airport Director, San Francisco International

"The ARN conference was once again a terrific event. The networking and education was highly productive for us and most of all, the timing of the conference always seems to be right on the mark. We achieved our objectives for the show and look forward to coming back next year."

Adam Torine
Vice President of Business Development, Villa Enterprises

"This was my second year attending the ARN conference and I found it to be tremendously helpful.  The exhibit hall features the newest ideas in concessions as well as an opportunity to spend time with some of the industry stalwarts.  It is the best conference to attend in order to focus solely on concessions. Each year I bring new ideas back to the airport team.

This conference is well-attended by CEOs from all sizes of airports, as well as from the concession industry. It is a high-level opportunity to exchange ideas."

Krys T. Bart
President and Chief Executive Officer, Reno-Tahoe International

"There are many reasons why the ARN conference has quickly become the quintessential conference for the aviation industry. One of these reasons, or features, for me is the unique networking opportunity the conference provides. As an F&B brand operator, there is no better platform available to me than the ARN conference to meet with, engage and exchange industry insights with such a diverse group of industry leaders – whether it's other F&B and retail operators, airport directors, consultants, architects, concessions program managers, policy influencers and much more. The ARN conference is one of the most important events of the year ... and is a highly productive environment for me. With record-breaking attendance, I had in one forum the necessary individuals that shape the industry under which I operate."

Giorgio Kolaj
Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Global Business Development, Famous Famiglia

"I want to congratulate the ARN staff on putting together a first-class conference. I know that successful conferences just don't happen but are the result of long hard hours, teamwork, meticulous planning and attention to detail.

Having everything under one roof – the rooms, meeting rooms, exhibit hall, and restaurants – made for a pleasurable experience. Not having everyone spread out made it easier to meet with people and network. The exhibition hall was well-lit and open. Having the central core seating area made it convenient to meet, and overall the hall provided a good central place to gather. I also found the education sessions and speakers generally informative and interesting. Lastly, the attendees seemed to have a great sense of energy, enthusiasm and passion for the business. In today's world, that is always refreshing to see.
Given the potential for many new contacts, numerous networking opportunities and some education within a compact period of time, why wouldn't one want to attend ARN? See you in Orlando next year!"

Jeremy Smith
President, InMotion Entertainment

"What I really liked about the ARN conference is the exhibit hall.  With the many exhibitors which participate in this event it is a great place for 'one-stop' shopping where you can meet with many perspective airport vendors in a short amount of time.  Also, by having the breakfast and lunches in the exhibit hall, it allows you to meet with the vendors and maximize your time at the conference.

The show was very productive for me, as I was able to meet with over two dozen potential concessionaires and bring back some useful information from the general sessions. Thank you!"

James DeCock
Food and Beverage Manager, Commercial and Business Development Department
Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International

"The best features about the ARN conference were the ample opportunities to interact with the conference attendees and the wide variety of sessions.  The breaks throughout the day, as well as the evening activities, provided the chance to really get to know other attendees in a comfortable and open environment.  All the sessions we attended were interesting and relevant, giving us a better understanding of the industry and helpful insight."

Sasha Muir
Chief Executive Officer, butter LONDON

"I thought the facility/venue was excellent. I really like the trend sessions, and the subject matter of sessions in general was excellent.  The awards night celebration was a great time."

John Cugasi
Director of Concessions, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International

"Over the years, ARN has accomplished gathering the best of the industry under one roof. This year's event proved itself to be the best conference to date with the tremendous number of participants. The exhibit hall experience proves to be the best place to meet and greet potential vendors, as well as allow vendors to showcase their products and/or services. Keep up the good work, ARN team!"

Susan Bush
Manager of Concessions and Central Agreements, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

"There were so many outstanding features to this year's ARN conference. The venue was superior. ... Additionally, the diversity of the sessions was exceptional. The discussions varied from staffing and employees, retail and car rental to landside operations' issues and possibilities for maximizing non-airline revenue. ... Finally, the line-up of speakers was top notch."

Marshall Evans
Airport Properties Manager Division of Aviation, Philadelphia International Airport

"I am incredibly pleased to have been a part of this year's ARN conference in Dallas.  While the formal sessions were interesting and informative, the best part of the conference was the opportunity to spend more unstructured time with key people from airports all over North America.  We were able to have discussions with most of our existing airport partners and with leaders from many airports where we hope to do business in the future. The fact that so many important partners were in the same place at the same time was extremely productive. Add to that the fact that we were able to initiate discussions with other businesses that may eventually lead to joint relationships, and it ended up being extremely successful.  I am looking very forward to attending next year's conference!"

Jon Dario
Regional Divisional Director, Travelex Americas Retail Foreign Exchange

"We thought the ARN conference was a great one-stop opportunity to learn firsthand what the latest airport concession innovations are and an excellent place to track the state-of-the-art for food and beverage and news and gift and the overall direction this industry is taking."

Pat Abeln
Director of Aviation, El  Paso International

"'Quality Schmoozing' is always my favorite feature! The ability to speak one on one and have that valuable time is priceless! The conference brings together so many of my constituents from franchisees to master concessionaires to development companies along with the airports that we serve, which allows for very productive use of my time!"

Karen J. Peterson
Director of Non-Traditional Development, Arby's Restaurant Group

"Our team really enjoyed the conference in Dallas.  The value we received in attending comes from the opportunities to build relationships and to learn about new ideas that can be applied to our concession program at YVR.  In addition, where else could we ever participate in an armadillo race!? Thanks to the ARN team for a great time."

Susan Stiene
Director of Retail and Passenger Services, Vancouver Airport Authority

"I was particularly impressed with the amount of networking time that was allotted.  As an exhibitor, this benefited us greatly, especially when everyone convened in the exhibit hall. I think Dallas, and in particular, the Gaylord, was a terrific location.  Not only was the hotel beautiful, it had great restaurants and excellent customer service!

"The band, WAR, was outstanding and made the awards show a huge success!
"So far we have signed one new client and are following up on six hot leads and have eight more prospects pending. We were able to bolster our contacts list with new contacts we made at the show."

Lise D'Andrea
President and Chief Executive Officer, Customer Service Experts Inc.

"The growth of our business is centered on building relationships based on integrity and trust. The key step to this process is the opportunity to meet the leaders in the airport concessions industry face to face in an atmosphere conducive to discussing beneficial deals. The ARN conference delivers on this crucial need."

Chris Cheek
VP of Franchise Development, Bruegger's Enterprises Inc.

"The 2008 ARN conference was the best ever. There were excellent networking and educational opportunities for veterans and newcomers alike."

Andrew Shedlin
President, The Andrew Shedlin Cos.