Congratulations. Odds are if you’re reading this, you are a survivor! Considering all that’s going on, this is probably no accident.
We all hope that President Obama and his newly minted team will provide the leadership, and money, to help move America out of our current financial mess.
For the airport industry, however, our future is less dependent on a miracle stimulus package than on tried-and-true funding programs that exist (sure we can adjust along the way) and our ability to create our own destiny through better management and deployment of existing resources.
If all hopes are pinned to a stimulus package, we could be setting ourselves up for failure. What happens if this money doesn’t materialize? I’d rather have control over our destiny than be reliant upon something that may never happen.
This issue of Airport Improvement provides you with great examples of airports leveraging resources already at hand or in other cases saving money by using new technologies or outside resources. Our airports have real marketing muscle that demands respect and creates opportunities. This muscle involves partnering with the private sector to either create or save money while enhancing service.
Our article about Cleveland Hopkins is a great example. The airport is generating revenue from Pepsi simply by harnessing its demographic muscle. Cleveland and other airports have target markets that are inherently appealing to companies looking for the right consumers. The best part is we’ve only scratched the surface here.
There’s much more to mine, but it takes expertise like Cleveland employed. Consultants work with us all the time to help with airport construction. This is really no different except that these experts help us market our assets.
Our hangar article from Bloomington, IN, and baggage in Fort Myers, are examples of airports re-thinking past practices and partnering with the business world to create winning strategies for themselves and their customers.
Yes, we are survivors, not because we’ve been rescued, but because we’ve changed with the times.
As always, thanks for all of your support.
Cheers! Paul
