“If I Knew Then …”

​A Conversation with Paul Brown
Senior Director, Airport Brand and Concept Development
SSP America

Watch the Video

Listen to Audio

Read a Transcript

​Many of us know Paul Brown as manager of concessions at Atlanta, and earlier in his career at SeaTac, O’Hare, and Midway. Most recently, Paul was airport director at Jackson, Mississippi. And along the way he worked for concessionaires and brands. Paul has been part of the concessions scene for more than 20 years and has seen our industry from all sides. So, when Paul speaks, we should listen!

There are many gems of insight from our interview. But in my opinion, Paul’s most Important observation: airports and concessionaires still need open dialog and collaboration, not a return to pre-pandemic mindsets. “We have to realize there isn't really a normal anymore. We have a new world. It’s a new world now. And so now we have to learn to adapt and thrive in this new world. And that’s going to take bilateral and multilateral communication. We can’t do it with everybody going back to their respective corners and saying, ‘okay, we're back to normal.’”
 
We can’t go back to our corners. Rather, “bilateral” communication. What an interesting word. What an interesting approach. Not zero-sum. But “win-win.” And a “win-win” leads to a win for our customers – the traveling public. After all, they are who we are here to serve!
 
This observation and line of thought are most important. But Paul has more to say. Here are three other takeaways from my conversation with Paul that everyone in our industry – concessionaires and airports – should consider and act on!
 

1. Labor remains a challenge - hiring and retaining workers. Paul’s solution: show workers that the industry is “interested in more than what do on their shift.” We have to create a future to these jobs. Create a better life for our workers and their families.
   
2. In addition to a better life for our valued associates, we must create awareness of careers at airports. Other than being a pilot or flight attendant, awareness of aviation careers is not widespread. Our industry needs to spread the word within the community. Some airports are doing this now. Many more of us need to join the effort. 
3. Airport landlords should “try a little harder” to understand their tenants. Likewise, concessionaires need to appreciate “all the other stimuli” that their landlords face. We can then understand each other’s problems and better communicate, moving beyond a transactional relationship to a partnership - or, as Paul calls it, a “great society.”

 
These are just three takeaways. Throughout our conversation, Paul offers much to think about as we go forward. I encourage you to watch, listen to, or read our interesting and informative conversation at the following links:

Watch the Video

Listen to Audio

Read a Transcript

​MEET OUR GUEST

Paul Brown
Senior Director, Airport Brand and Concept Development
SSP America

​Delivering more than 20 years of experience in non-aeronautical revenue generation, specifically in airport concessions development and management, Paul Brown is regarded as one of the industry’s leaders in analysis, forecasting and trending for and about the airport concessions industry. Prior to joining SSP America, Brown was CEO of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JMAA) in Jackson, Mississippi, and immediately prior Brown was Assistant General Manager of Commercial Development at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
 
In 2010 Brown was recruited to City of Atlanta as the Director of Concessions for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to lead the design, evaluation, and selection process for the world’s largest single airport concessions RFP. This RFP featured 152 preexisting and newly created spaces for retail and food and beverage in the Atrium, Concourses T, A, B, C, D, E and the Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. International Terminal (Concourse F).
 
As a consultant, Brown worked with airport master developers, concessionaires, institutional and global investors, development companies and research firms to optimize airport commercial programs, evaluate individual concepts, and conduct competitive analyses for one-off spaces as well as entire airport concessions master plans.
 
Brown’s other airport work experience dates to 1994 and includes positions held at Seattle-Tacoma, Chicago O'Hare, and Washington Reagan National airports. In addition, as an executive for various private operators, Brown ran successful retail concessions at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston-Bush Intercontinental, Greenville-Spartanburg, Birmingham, Jacksonville, and other smaller airports and metropolitan hotels.
 
Given a broad range of successful ventures and experiences, Brown is highly pursued and often called upon to present expert testimony regarding the airport concessions industry. As such, he continues to be a thought leader for aviation space use and development.