Airports Council Announces Winners of 2021 Airport Concessions Awards

December 13, 2021

WASHINGTON – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today announced the winners of the 2021 ACI-NA Airport Concessions Awards, which celebrate the resilience of airports, concessionaires, and business partners.

“This year’s recipients are just some of the many examples of how the airport and concessions industry continues to work in partnership through challenging times,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “Since the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, airports and their stakeholders have taken proactive steps to help ensure the health and safety of passengers and airport workers. We look forward to continuing to work with our members on these important issues and celebrating more examples in 2022.”

The 2021 ACI-NA Airport Concessions Awards are comprised of seven award categories — encompassing three airport awards, three concessionaire/service provider awards, and one joint award.

2021 Award Winners

Adaptability Awards: This category recognizes airports, concessionaires, and/or service providers that have demonstrated adaptability and versatility to maintain a safe concessions program while preserving the customer experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Airport Adaptability Award winners are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (large airport), Indianapolis International Airport (medium airport), and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (small airport).

The 2021 Retail Operator Adaptability Award, Food and Beverage Operator Adaptability Award, and Service Provider Adaptability Award winners are Hudson, HMSHost, and Unison Retail Management, respectively.

Best Employee Recognition Program Awards: This category recognizes an airport, concession operator, or service provider that supports an employee concessions recognition program.

The winner of the 2021 Airport Best Employee Recognition Program Award is Tampa International Airport, and the winner of the 2021 Concession Operator Best Employee Recognition Program Award is SSP America.

Heroes Awards: This category recognizes a single person from an airport, concessionaire, or service provider that has gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on their peers, customers, or the airport community.

The 2021 winner of the Heroes Award – Food & Beverage Operator is Carolyn (Suzie) Grider from SSP America.

The 2021 winner of the Heroes Award – Retail Operator is Crystal Channel from Paradies Lagardère.

The 2021 winner of the Heroes Award – Medium Airport is Nicholas Covelli from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.

The winner of the Heroes Award – Large Airport is Kate Webb from Tampa International Airport.

Partnering with Airports and Concessionaires Award: This category recognizes how airports and concessionaires have worked together for the good of the airport, passengers, and the community.

The 2021 Partnering with Airports and Concessionaires joint-award winners are Paradies Lagardère and Salt Lake City International Airport.

Please click here to view the winning project descriptions and applications.

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About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.