2026 Marketing and Communications Conference

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be sent to meetings@airportscouncil.org no later than September 4, 2026. Registration fees are refundable but subject to a $100 administrative fee. Refunds will be credited back to the original payment method within 14 business days. No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received after September 4, 2026.

The schedule at a glance is now available. Please keep checking back for updates.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2026 Marketing and Communications Conference. The deadline to secure sponsorship is Friday, September 18, 2026.

Please contact Karynna Baresel at sponsorship@airportscouncil.org for additional details.

Vice President of Real Estate and Airport Affairs for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines

Ben Brookman is the Vice President of Real Estate and Airport Affairs for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, where he leads the airport strategy, infrastructure planning and development, airport affairs and corporate real estate. He is responsible for developing the facilities and airport partnerships that support Alaska’s continued domestic and international growth.

Prior to his current role, Ben held leadership positions across network planning, revenue management, and commercial strategy at Alaska Airlines, Amazon Air, Sun Country Airlines, and US Airways. Throughout his career, he has helped shape airline growth strategies, launched new markets, optimized network performance, negotiated major airport agreements and led complex infrastructure initiatives at airports across North America.

Ben holds a degree from Northeastern University and is a frequent speaker on aviation strategy, airport infrastructure, and the evolving airline industry.

Bestselling Author and President of Bailey Strategic Innovation Group

Eric M. Bailey is the bestselling author of The Cure for Stupidity: Using Brain Science to Explain Irrational Behavior and President of Bailey Strategic Innovation Group, one of the fastest-growing human communication consulting firms in the United States. Eric has a diverse set of experiences that includes helping NFL All-Pro Larry Fitzgerald pet a rhinoceros, doing barrel rolls in an F-16, and chatting with LL Cool J on the campus of Harvard University.

Honored as Diversity Leader of the Year, Eric is the creator of the Principles of Human Understanding™, a leadership and communication methodology based in brain science and psychology. Eric’s unique style blends fact and emotion and finds ways to appeal to the analytical thinkers, the emotional feelers, and everyone in between. Eric has a unique ability to communicate seemingly complex concepts in practical, easy-to-comprehend ways, aiding in self-awareness and knowledge retention.

As a honoree of the prestigious 40 Under 40 award, Eric has been featured on CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Soul, Huffington Post, Forbes, the Consciously Unbiased Podcast and has helped leaders and teams across the world see common problems from new and different perspectives. Eric works with Google Inc, the US Air Force, Los Angeles County, the City of St. Louis, MO, Phoenix Police Department and many more. Eric also runs a YouTube series of 2-minute executive lessons called The Walking Meeting (www.thewalkingmeeting.com).

Eric has a Master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Psychology from Saint Louis University and is a lifetime learner of human and organizational behavior. When not working or researching, you can find Eric and his wife Jamie racing on their road bikes, being cheered on by their three children.

Madi McNamara is the Director of Team Business Operations for the Seattle Torrent, where she leads the organization’s business strategy and operations with a focus on building a strong, sustainable franchise and a meaningful connection between the team, its fans, and the Seattle community.

As a member of the Torrent’s inaugural staff, Madi helped build the business side of the organization from the ground up. Her work spans fan engagement, game presentation, marketing, community relations, strategic partnerships, ticketing, and overall business operations. Throughout the team’s inaugural season, she helped establish the foundation for how the Torrent shows up both inside the arena and throughout the region, while working across departments to turn the vision for a new professional women’s sports franchise into reality.

Prior to joining the Torrent, Madi worked at Visit Seattle, where she focused on business development, membership growth, and building relationships across Seattle’s tourism and hospitality community. She previously spent several years with the Seattle Sports Commission, leading efforts to attract and support major sporting events, including NCAA championships, while developing partnerships across Seattle’s sports, civic, and business communities.

A former goalkeeper for the University of Washington women’s soccer team and graduate of UW’s Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership program, Madi brings the perspective of both a former Division I athlete and a sports business leader to her work. She is passionate about the continued growth of women’s sports and creating organizations where strong business results, memorable fan experiences, and genuine community impact go hand in hand.