Page 26 - TFWA World Exhibit 2022 Special Edition

INSIDER

Denver International Airport’s 2.6 million square foot Jeppesen Terminal features an internationally recognized peaked roof, reflective of the snow-capped
Rocky Mountains, and designed to evoke the early history of Colorado when Native American teepees were located across the Great Plains.

One on One with CPI Managing Director Susan Gray
How global consultancy CPI is helping Denver International Airport

create a benchmark Concessions Program Master Plan

There is an unprecedented wave of airport infrastructure and terminal investments underway in the U.S. – a phenomenon that
began prior to the pandemic outbreak, but which should accelerate since the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) announced it is awarding nearly $1 billion from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to 85
airports across the country to improve terminals of all sizes.
Denver International Airport (DEN) is in the forefront of preparing for the future. Passenger traffic is returning at an incredible rate,
and DEN is now ranked as the third-busiest airport in the United States and one of the top ten busiest airports in the world according to
Airport Council International’s data for 2021. In recognition of its new concessions program, DEN has even been shortlisted for Airport
of the Year at the Frontier Awards.
TMI speaks at length with Susan Gray, managing director of the key consultancy – Concession Planning International --that is
helping DEN develop and implement a Master Plan for its concessions that is designed to be a benchmark for decades to come. Lois
Pasternak reports.

Last fall, Denver International Airport workshop the commercial and customer
CEO Phil Washington announced Vision experience opportunity that existed at the
100, a plan to ensure that the airport will airport.
have the capacity and infrastructure to “The DEN project has been a huge
support 100 million annual passengers and ambitious undertaking on the part
within the next eight to 10 years. This of the Denver International Airport
strategic plan will guide the airport’s management team,” CPI Managing
work over the next three to five years, and Director Susan Gray tells Travel Markets
was formulated after months of intensive Insider.
research, including the consideration of “These initial engagements have
community, employee and stakeholder developed into the most exciting,
feedback and suggestions, said the airport. Susan Gray, Concession Planning International professionally respectful working
Most of the planning related to the Managing Director relationship, and the creation of what
concessions program was done in close we believe to be one of the most
coordination with Australia-based specialist continents. comprehensive, considered, and ambitious
airport commercial planning consultancy DEN began working on its Master strategic concessions programs we have
Concession Planning International (CPI), Plan long before the announcement of worked on in the last decade,” she added.
which has advised on world-class programs Vision 100, however. The Airport Authority Since that 2017 workshop, CPI
for more than 100 airports across six originally engaged CPI back in 2017 to was engaged to develop and support

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