Speaker Biograghy: Ricky became Director of Airports for the City of Cleveland in June 2006. He is responsible for overseeing the Cleveland Airport System, which includes Cleveland Hopkins International and Burke Lakefront Airports. Prior to arriving in Cleveland, he served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA), which owns and operates the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall and Martin State Airports. He served the MAA for 18 years, and also served as the Deputy Administrator for the Maryland State Highway Administration. Ricky holds a Business Administration & Accounting degree from Howard University, and an Executive MBA from Loyola University in Maryland. Currently he is active with the American Association of Airport Executives, the Journey Foundation, the National Freight Advisory Council and Airport Minority Advisory Council. Personal fact: Ricky lives in Cleveland with his wife, Karen, and four children.


Day 2 - 26 March
Session: Commercial Development, Retail & Media

10:55 - 11:25 - Transforming an airport food and retail program through competition
Synopsis: Today’s passengers are seeking higher quality and reasonable prices from airport food and retail programs. This presentation will discuss strategies for organically driving quality and prices by unleashing market forces, and will include strategies for increasing service quality while maintaining price controls.

Audience will learn:

• Food and retail program models
• Key factors to establishing a successful airport food and retail program
• Competition as a factor in driving quality and pricing
• Best practices in developing airport food and retail programs