By Tim Harms, Chief Executive Officer, Enliven

Airports are full of well-intentioned silos. Concessionaires can market only inside their lease lines. Advertising sells impressions on walls and screens, but which do not coordinate with in-terminal activity. CX teams pilot great ideas that don’t always tie to purchase. Sustainability creates programs that can stall at implementation. On their own, none of these pieces can drive the 360-degree approach necessary to drive long-term, sustainable value across the entire terminal.

A strategic pouring rights agreement is the rare tool that can.

Pouring rights, properly initiated, unites a beverage brand’s investment into airport media, CX, sustainability, and retail execution—so that customer engagement and marketing campaigns are funded, coordinated, and measured to airport KPIs (conversion, ASQ movement, percentage rent, and sustainability targets). That linkage matters: ACI has shown that improving passenger satisfaction is correlated with higher non-aeronautical revenue—meaning aligning CX and commerce is not just nice to have; it’s financially material.

A quick example: Waypoint Focus

Imagine a beverage company releasing Waypoint Focus, a lightly sparkling, tea-based functional energy drink designed for adults on the move. Because of the airport’s pouring rights agreement, the airport becomes one of the first places travelers can encounter it—and every department has a role.

• Awareness that pulls to place. Two weeks before launch, terminal digital screens run simple creative with wayfinding (“Coming soon at Gate B5”). Airports’ DOOH networks are uniquely positioned to capture passenger attention at multiple points along the journey.
• A launch moment that creates buzz. On launch day, one of the beverage company’s celebrity partners makes an unannounced appearance in the concourse. The activation generates activity on social media and draws coverage from local TV, digital outlets, and even national travel press—PR value that individual tenants or ad placements alone could never generate.
• A Value-Add Promotion. To harness the excitement, the campaign includes a “Buy 2, Get a Free Tote Bag” offer—funded entirely by the beverage partner. Passengers get a useful, reusable bag (which includes airport branding and supports the airport’s sustainability goals), concessionaires enjoy a higher average transaction size, and the airport sees both incremental sales and higher percentage rent.
• Retail and sustainability aligned. Participating concessionaires receive coordinated SKU lists, cooler plans, and funded POS displays, while the product ships in aluminum cans to align with plastic-free policies. The result: a seamless campaign that promotes innovation, drives measurable revenue, enhances guest experience, and reinforces environmental goals—all orchestrated under the umbrella of a strategic pouring rights agreement.

Who wins—and how:

• Passengers get more than just a beverage—they get a memorable airport experience. A surprise celebrity appearance creates buzz, while the “Buy 2, Get a Free Tote Bag” offer gives them tangible value and a sustainable keepsake.
• Concessionaires enjoy higher average transaction sizes driven by the tote campaign, plus funded merchandising and new demand they didn’t have to create themselves.
• Advertising and PR partners benefit from a campaign that delivers both: traditional media buys inside the terminal and earned media coverage across digital, print, and TV—spotlighting the airport as a place where “big things happen.”
• The airport sees the upside on multiple fronts: increased sales (and percentage rent), paid media investment, and free PR that strengthens its brand. The CX lift adds to non-aero revenue potential.
• Sustainability teams see progress on two fronts: aluminum packaging aligned with plastic-free policies and a reusable tote bag campaign that reinforces the airport’s environmental story.

Why pouring rights are essential: No single tenant, advertiser, or department can stitch this together at scale. A well-designed pouring rights agreement names joint owners (airport + beverage partner), funds an annual activation budget, and sets shared metrics: product trials, offer redemptions, conversion-to-purchase, ASQ movement, ad revenue delivered, and recycling rates. At scale, this collaboration delivers measurable value through significant recurring revenue and improved CX. That’s how a “new drink in one shop” becomes an airport-wide success—by design.

 

Tim Harms – Chief Executive Officer, Enliven

Tim Harms is the Chief Executive Officer of Enliven, the nation’s leading beverage vendor management partner for the aviation industry. Enliven develops and manages world class beverage programs at airports both domestically and abroad. Tim’s work has helped reshape how airports approach beverage programs—transforming them from fragmented vendor relationships into strategic partnerships that drive long-term value. With more than 20 years of experience, Tim and the team at Enliven have driven millions in new non-aeronautical revenue and made lasting enhancements to the passenger experience.

 

DISCLAIMER

This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.