Latest / PCMA Convene Podcast / Convene Talk: Why Airports and Airlines Deserve a Bigger Role in Business Events
Transcript
- Convene Talk, ep. 69/July 11, 2025 *Note: the transcript is AI generated, excuse typos and inaccuracies Magdalina Atanassova: This is the Convene podcast. It's time for another Convene Talk. Today we are talking about a fun topic, actually something lighter. Travel Daily News recently published a study from booking.com for business revealing the top 10 airports for business travel. So they ranked Dubai International, Tokyo, Haneda and Frankfurt as the top airports based on connectivity, lounges, proximity and hotel access. And this was something that Travel Daily News looked at the metrics and they just reconnected the dots, so to say. So this was their top three. And I was honestly very surprised to see Munich, which made the top 10, which is an airport I avoid at all costs at this time, especially post pandemic. Before the pandemic it was good. Afterwards it's no, I am not doing Munich. So I know we can geek about airports and you can all, you know, give your opinions so we can rearrange that list many times over. And I know with Jen we already kind of talked about it and we gave our own alternatives offline. But I actually wanted to ask you something else and the whole reason why I picked that article was do you think the industry is actually utilizing airports and airlines to the best extent for events and maybe if you have some examples that come to mind. Jennifer N. Dienst: So the first thing that comes to mind, first of all, I agree with you wholeheartedly. That list is abysmal. They just use the wrong, I think, standards to make that list. Like when I think of, I mean, I travel a lot for fun and for business and I feel like there's a whole separate set of standards you want when you're traveling for business. Anyway, I digress. I a really good example, I think, of how destinations at large and airports can utilize our infrastructure for meetings better. The first example that comes to my mind is the Atlanta airport district who advertises with us quite frequently. Hey, hey. But that's an actual cbb. That's an actual destination marketing organization that formed just for the area around the Atlanta airport, which for those who aren't familiar, is the world's busiest in terms of passenger traffic. So like actual people. What I love about the Atlanta airport, a lot of people don't like the Atlanta airport, but I like it for business. I think it's highly efficient, it's easy to get around. It has a great train system in and out and there's a lot of hotels that are connected to the airport. So that district, that CVB represents those hotels and there's actually like quite a bit to do around there. So if you wanted to, you know, have a Group of people meet there, which Atlanta is super well connected when it comes to the number of international domestic flights. It would be a great location because you don't actually have to go into Atlanta, which does take quite a bit of time. But if you wanted to just meet there for a day, there's plenty of infrastructure to do that, and they market themselves that way. Like, you can fly in, meet at the hotel that's connected to the airport, maybe do something close by. There's some, like, cool neighborhoods or some cool, like, attractions nearby, fly out, which I think I remember, like, 10, 15 years ago. More destinations hyping that up, if that was, you know, a feature of their destination, if the airport was really close to some of their infrastructure. Anyway. So that's the first example that comes to mind. I agree with you, Maggie. It kind of feels like that has gotten a little bit lost, and people care more about, like, luxury, like lounges and, you know, speeding through security lines and whatnot. Barbara, what are you thinking? Barbara Palmer: You know, I am thinking there were two things that came to mind when you asked the question, Maggie, and one of them is very similar to what Jen mentioned is under utilization of the airport as meeting space. Not necessarily. The airport is just a conduit to get business travelers. I'm thinking of when I went to Seattle. I looked at some of the Seattle airport's accessibility features, which were amazing. And when I met with the people at the airport, I met in meeting space. I mean, I didn't tour the rooms, but it was a little conference center at the airport. It was beautiful, and it seemed like a great place to meet. Magdalina Atanassova: And. Barbara Palmer: And then it was easy to get to the city from there. But you could, as Jen said, you could come in, meet. And a lot of people like that, a lot of people that are really busy, really eases a lot on the travel time if you fly to the airport, go to the meeting, and then have the option of flying out again or staying, extending your stay. But what I also thought about is there was a story about the population of a specific flight was large enough going to a meeting that they actually had some of the meeting activities on board. And I think it was the German airline, the big. I can't remember the name of it. There you go. I think it was that. But I was thinking there maybe are ways that even if that's absent, that you could maybe have a podcast recording about the event that you could market to people like, you know, listen to it on your way and you can maybe talk about the meeting. You can Maybe also give some tips on how to get around the airport where you will find, you know, if you're going to find somebody at the baggage claim, just tips for getting to the city. I mean, I think that I would listen to that depending on how well it was done in the meeting. Like when I flew back from Chicago from the meeting we all just attended, I nearly missed my flight. And I'm not, not a flight misser because of the construction on the freeway. And the apps that I use that was telling me the time were not at all accurate. They said, oh, 45 minutes. And then I got in the car and it was like, oh, you're going to be there. Like, it added another 40 minutes to the flight and it all kind of worked out. But if somebody would just tell you, oh, if you don't, you know, just tips. And my seatmates were also like, whew, we barely made it. So I think that kind of information delivered in flight could be really just a good way to make a connection. Magdalina Atanassova: By the way, I was thinking, I was first of all very surprised of Singapore's airport, Chang Airport being so like in the middle of the list. It's insane. I mean, people literally go to that airport just to visit it. It's a destination, it's all right. So I cannot understand the logic there. But also I like Barbara, your point of listening and having things promoted in flight. And that can be a very interesting way to include airlines as partners. I believe the last time I saw airlines exhibited IMAX was probably pre pandemic. I don't know if they go still to exhibit and show their different seats and whatnot. Maybe not, I'm not sure. So I'm not saying it's, it's like that. I remember them being there though, before the pandemic, but I, other than having discount codes, I don't see any other kind of partnership between events and event planners and airlines. And airlines can be a pretty interesting partner and they can make the whole, like they can be the dessert of an event. If you think of a meal, how the dessert is, you know, the finishing touch, the one thing you remember going to an event and leaving from that event is what you will remember for sure. Because if you have travel issues, delays, if your airline is not good, you have issues with your flight, this is the first thing you're going to mention. You're not going to speak about the event, you're going to mention the travel. So I am not sure why other than the discount codes, we, you know, planners are not kind of leaning on that, because also airlines sometimes are, you know, they're in a good position to offer a lot, especially if you fly through their home airports. Michelle Russell: When I first started in this industry, there used to be more like group sales at airlines where there were people who were devoted to that. And I don't see that anymore. I don't honestly don't know why. Whether the convention sizes got smaller or there were more airlines competing for the same routes, I don't know. But that used to be a big part of the convention industry, was having these partners at airlines and like, a whole team devoted to group sales. Barbara Palmer: Oh, you know, when Maggie was talking about her surprise at Singapore not being included, what I was thinking when I read this list is it really indexes very highly how many lounges they have, like the business lounges. And, you know, I feel like that is very relevant to those every day on the, you know, people that travel from city to city all week long and maybe are meeting clients in business lounges and, you know, setting up meetings there or like. But I feel like, you know, planners, when you talk about traveling, you're talking about two audiences, you're talking about the planners, and then you're also talking about participants. So I feel like for the events industry, the amenities in an airport that are available to all without having to have membership in three different clubs are really. Those are, I think, really important. Whether you have a place to sit, whether the kinds of food that you can get is inclusive, you know, just how easy they make it to move from place to place. I know that, like, I love. It's my hometown airport, but I love the San Francisco airport because I have never not found a place with lighting and a plug in and a chair that if I get there a little early, I can work. And when there's also, like, rotating exhibits about San Francisco, you know, historical and cultural. And so, you know, I rarely have time to look at those, But I just feel like when you do, like, I think. I think those kinds of things can connect you to a place in a way that the lounges, I mean, I understand why people use them. I love them. Magdalina Atanassova: But. Barbara Palmer: But they're more. Oh, this lounge looks. The lounge in Dubai is like. The lounge in San Francisco is like the lounge in Munich. It's not different. And I love those. Like, the Long beach airport is one of the most, like, you know, it's got this 1930s art deco building and you can sit outside while you wait for your flight. And I think those. Those kinds of things are more memorable to me than. Than how. How many steps it was to the business lounge. Jen? Jennifer N. Dienst: Yeah, so I don't think airlines are doing group sales as much anymore because of a few reasons. And it's probably similar to why we see more people booking outside of the block and that's. They want to use their miles, they want to stick with the airline that they have status with. Also, they're probably tacking on their own trips before and after. We know, I don't have to say it. Leisure is growing. So, you know, I think if you, I mean, Maggie, you can probably like, share some insight on this, because I've never done this as a meeting planner. I've done it as a travel agent for, like, my clients. But, like, you know, if you're negotiating a certain rate with an airline for that's part of a package or something like, that really limits your attendees in terms of. My guess is, like, the routes, you know, the. Which class. I'm not really sure how it works, but I don't. You know what I mean? Like, there's so much choice nowadays, and that's what customers want. They want to travel their way. They want to travel on their airline. You know, they don't want to be limited, and they want to be able to use their points and get their points. I think that's the biggest factor. I would love to interview someone from an airline and know why that actually is, though. But that's my best guess. And I don't think, I think, like, business travelers now, as someone who spent two years on the road working and still do quite often, I really think it's just, like, convenience. Like, I don't even care. Like, I have membership to Centurion Lounges, like, priority Pass, like, all that kind of stuff. And I've gotten rid of a lot of them because it doesn't quite match up to the cost anymore. And like, for me, just having a quiet place to do my work, maybe take a call, the lounges are so crowded that half the time you can't get in. And you've seen that a lot lately, especially with, like, Delta, where there's lines out the door, people waiting to get into their lounges. Same with United. And they've made it so that you can't access certain levels of lounges because they're so packed and they make it only available to, like, their international business customers. So you have to be actually booked in an international business. You can't just be like, oh, I'm business. I'm flying domestic. Like, they've made it so strict now and there's just more people traveling. So I think like it's been interesting to see like how much that's changed in the past couple of years and how many credit cards are introducing their own lounges to try to stay competitive. Because I think that's by and large like business travelers. Another thing that people might not know about is a lot of business travels will go through brokers to get business class fares for cheap. So when I used to be a travel agent, one of the girls that kind of mentored me had like a flight. I don't even know what they're called but this is like such a little known thing I think publicly. But it's so interesting. Interesting. There's flight brokers who will get you. They basically, it's like they get access to flights much cheaper and they're sellers of travel. So it's not a third party. This isn't an ota, this isn't like a weird thing. But basically if you know what route you want and you know you want business class, they can get it for a whole lot cheaper because they basically can buy it at a discount and then they pass that discount on to the traveler. So that's, you can only book it through them. So say if you were, you know, if you're offered this certain kind of rate, you know, that a meeting planner has negotiated with an airline, you can't book it that way. You can't get that like amazing discount on the business class fare. Like there's, the way you book air is like really complicated and to get those deals you have to do it through an avenue like that. So I think that's another issue. And I think a lot of people who travel business and travel in business class a lot know about that and they do that a lot. Especially like, you know, if you're on like a corporate account, that's like high end business travel. I think that's a little bit different from attendee travel, which, you know, I think it varies depending on the industry. Magdalina Atanassova: But you know, you reminded me about lounges. I feel, and Barbara, you mentioned it also that they all look the same. I feel that maybe so especially in the lounges, I've been in the us they all feel the same, they're small and they're really busy. But I don't necessarily see that internationally, especially towards Asia. I travel a lot to Asia and just love this part of the world. So there they all have personality, they serve local food. I can remember them distinctly one from another. So I, I feel that may be an issue just because the US Is such a vast country and, you know, having that perk is a bit different than traveling internationally. Barbara Palmer: I, I think that's probably more a function of how few of those lounges I've been in. Like, I don't, I don't have a vast array of experience in lounges. So I was pretty surprised at the number of lounges that I saw that some of these airports had. Like one of them, I think had 37, which just seems so vast. And I mean, just being kind of a little bit like the person that's like, man, isn't that nice that we can all sit here and work in little quiet places in San Francisco. I'm like, that is space that you're really taking out of the airport. You know, if you've got 37 lounges, it's like, okay, they've made a decision that they're going to monetize so much of the space and not give that space to just the regular, you know, the non lounge customer. Power to the people. Jennifer N. Dienst: Airports have traditionally had not been money makers though. So, like, if you think about how much money they need to keep expanding and keep modernizing, like, it's not surprising why they're doing that because that's why a lot of our airport infrastructure within the US Lags behind other countries. I think they don't have the investment in the dollars that you see in like other countries like Singapore, which, you know, they get a lot more money. They have a lot more money invested in that infrastructure. So I understand why they do it. I do think, though, you're right, Maggie, the vast majority of lounges in the US don't compare very well with some other someone. And Ashley, however, I think it depends on the airline. I think it depends on the airport and how new the airport is for sure. Magdalina Atanassova: Also internationally, if you're at the country and you're flying with the same airline, so the local airline, you land in their country, I mean, the service and the lounge usually is next level. Jennifer N. Dienst: Yeah. Magdalina Atanassova: And I'm thinking specifically Doha, you know, Istanbul. Those are like, you get such supreme, like, you feel so pampered. You're like, it's worth all the money. I paid for business class just because of all the service. And that's why it made me think, you know, how can we grab that and actually make it part of the event experience? Yes. It may not be applicable everywhere, but why not really make it a part? And I know I've been to so few events which used the Airport for a little welcome. And most of them have been convenient leaders, actually. I love the welcomes at convening leaders at the airport, you know, having live music or just something to tell you, you know, we know you're here for that event. So yeah, it's a huge event. Jennifer N. Dienst: We started signs in Chicago. Michelle Russell: Yes, I did too. But we started doing registration at the airport, which is also a really, if you, if they have the space, it's a really great thing for people. They just loved it because they were all set to go and once they left the airport, they had their badges and they were all ready at the, to get to the hotel. Magdalina Atanassova: I haven't seen that in Europe, to be honest. No, I don't know. Why are our airport just smaller or not flexible for that or it may be security reasons, I don't know. I have no idea. But it's always nice if you're like, yeah, everybody knows I'm here for that event. Michelle Russell: Yeah. Magdalina Atanassova: And also hearing that from taxi drivers, the local infrastructure, being engaged and involved and aware of the event also makes a nice touch, which of, of course now that's a bit outside the scope of event planners and their role and influence, but that's always nice. Anything else before we wrap up that you can think about, Kate? Kate Mulcrone: I am just reminded of the story that Jen wrote for our April issue about Return on Emotion, where she covered a planner who arranged a welcome party at the Nassau airport, just as we're discussing with convening leaders. And there's a great picture I'm looking at. And so I think it's good that there's at least some planners who are taking this opportunity. Like it's, it's us and it's also people who just want to do that little bit of an extra touch for their attendees. And so I think it's great that you asked the question, Maggie, because as our discussion today is revealed, this really makes a huge difference to the way attendees feel. Jennifer N. Dienst: That was something she stressed a lot too. She, the planner was like, we really wanted to make an impact from the very start and obviously the first place that happens is in the airport. And she said they, they like hired people to basically be like cheerleaders at the airport. You know, they did signs and you know, like typical stuff. But they, I think they went like a step further than like the typical airport welcome and really made it so it was energetic, especially in a, in a destination like that. That's like a pretty high energy destination. Like when you go to the Bahamas, you know, like everyone's excited to have a good time. Like, I think that was a really good idea on their part. Magdalina Atanassova: Well, I hope it will resonate with our listeners and maybe they'll start bringing it up with CVB's and destinations and airports and airlines. And I hope we can hear about the effects or we can see and write about them. Thank you for the great discussion. Remember to subscribe to the Convene Podcast on your favorite listening platform to stay updated with our latest episodes. For further industry insights from the Convene team, head over to PCMA.org/convene. My name is Maggie. Stay inspired. Keep inspiring. And until next time.