The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced today the launch of a new specialized training program to be called the Institute of Concessions (IOC), offering extensive training and mentoring intended to increase the number of local and diverse airport concessionaires included in the Port Authority’s $19 billion transformation project of John F. Kennedy International Airport. The IOC is part of the agency’s community development program that is the centerpiece of the Port Authority’s redevelopment of JFK. Applications are now being accepted.
“With the $19 billion transformation of JFK Airport into a world-class global gateway fully underway, we are committed to ensuring that this historic project will also provide opportunities to the surrounding communities,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The Institute of Concessions will provide the training and support needed to help local businesses participate fully in the new concession program at JFK.”
“This new multi-faceted program will provide a gateway for local and diverse businesses to gain the in-depth knowledge that is essential to successfully bid for and operate an airport concession,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “The Institute of Concessions will initially focus on concessions at the major airports with the goal of expanding its work to concession opportunities at any Port Authority facility.”
“The Institute of Concessions provides a wonderful opportunity to orient firms to the process of doing business in the airport environment,” said Charles Everett, director of the Port Authority’s Aviation Department.“This initial exposure will give firms a head start or competitive advantage to newcomers who do not have such experience or awareness. We are excited to be able to deliver such an innovative program in association with our partners.”
The IOC is a new multi-faceted program that will provide in-depth knowledge, understanding, and practice of key competencies identified in a study by The Academies of Sciences and Transportation Research Board as necessary to successfully operate a concession in an airport terminal. The education and training will be delivered by successful subject-matter experts on topics such as: customer experience, financial investment and return, design and construction, operations and management, security requirements and more. Opportunities for networking with terminal operators and mentoring by successful concessionaires will also be available.
By completing the IOC, businesses will be equipped with the necessary skills to competitively bid for concession opportunities, win contracts, and effectively operate concessions within the airport. The goal is to create a pipeline of local and diverse businesses that can demonstrate to the Port Authority and its terminal partners their ability to successfully manage concessions and contribute to the overall success of the airport.
The IOC also has the strong support of the Port Authority’s private partners in the redevelopment of JFK: The New Terminal One, Delta Air Lines and JFKIAT, JFK Millennium Partners, and American Airlines, all of whom share a goal of creating a unique, New York sense of place at JFK. By training local and diverse food and beverage and retail businesses, the IOC will help achieve that goal.
The first cohort of the Institute of Concessions will launch in mid-September. A class of 10 local and diverse businesses will be selected to attend the in-person program. The program is being coordinated by Jars of Delight, a local southeast Queens-based minority and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE), and its CEO Dianna Rose, who was selected after a competitive solicitation. For more information on the IOC, including eligibility requirements, interested businesses should visit panynj.gov/institute-of-concessions. Applications are being accepted now through August 25.
“The establishment of the Institute of Concessions program is yet another milestone in the continued revitalization of the JFK International Airport,” said U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks of New York and co-chair of the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council. “JFK is not only our nation’s global gateway, but a vital part of creating new economic opportunities in New York. This demonstrates our commitment to providing local women- and minority-owned businesses with the resources they needed to excel in concession operations. We must continue to work together to transform the workforce, expand business development, and grow education and sustainability programs to our community.”
“The Institute of Concessions will be a valuable tool for helping Queens businesses access the many concession opportunities available at JFK International Airport,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Queens truly is ‘The World’s Borough,’ and the IOC will help our borough’s business owners successfully market authentic Queens foods, beverages, and retail products to the global travelers who shop at JFK Airport’s concessions. The creation of the IOC is a great step forward in getting the local community involved in JFK’s historic redevelopment.”
“We always believed that the redevelopment of JFK will be a boon for southeast Queens, and the Institute of Concessions provides a tremendous opportunity for local small businesses to share the benefits,” said Justin Rodgers, president & CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and the Business Development Committee co-chair of the JFKR Community Advisory Council. “We are proud to be a partner in this business development program.”
“The Institute of Concessions will help deliver on one of our core tenets: to increase the participation of diverse southeast Queens businesses in the operation of the New Terminal One,” said Dr. Gerrard P. Bushell, president and CEO of The New Terminal One at JFK. “By providing knowledge, mentoring, and training, this exciting new program will support local firms as they build best-in-class businesses and allow them to more easily secure opportunities as part of an exemplary concessions program at a world-class terminal.”
“As a Queens-based business, it is important to us that our concessions offerings at Terminal 4 reflect the diverse communities of Queens and New York City,” said Roel Huinink, president and CEO of JFKIAT, the operator of JFK’s Terminal 4. “The Institute of Concessions will provide an invaluable opportunity for local businesses to reach new audiences while offering travelers unique retail, food and beverage, and service concepts that are reflective of this city we call home, and we look forward to collaborating with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on this initiative.”
“Delta’s world-class travel experience is driven by supply chain practices built on integrity and increased opportunities for diverse suppliers,” said George Guillaume, program director for Delta Air Lines JFK Redevelopment. “As Delta continues to invest and modernize key global hubs, partnering with entities like the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to advance representation of diverse business owners in airport concessions will remain a top priority.”
“As we continue to build the future Terminal 6, we’re excited to see the Institute of Concessions take off – and with it the opportunity for many of our local and diverse businesses to become successful T6 concessionaires, said Helena Williams, CEO of JFK Millennium Partners (JMP). “We look forward to working with the Port Authority and the IOC on building out this unique program and encouraging local businesses to apply.”
“This new program is a significant step in the pathway toward achieving our shared goal to bring more diverse and locally owned shopping and restaurant offerings to Terminal 8 as part of our recently announced commercial redevelopment program,” said Obie Kernodle, director of government affairs at American Airlines. “We applaud the Port Authority for providing this resource to the community surrounding our New York hub that will create new unique and authentic experiences for our customers.”
Redeveloping JFK Airport in Lockstep with the Local Community
In 2018, the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council was formed. It is co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and is composed of elected officials, community boards, business and nonprofit organizations, civic organizations, and clergy leaders from the targeted local communities of southeast Queens, southwest Queens, the Rockaways, and western portions of Nassau County.
Since its inception, the council has been working with the Port Authority to expand community outreach efforts and develop community-focused programs, ensuring that this ambitious project solicits ongoing feedback from local stakeholders and provides meaningful opportunities for local and diverse businesses, MWBEs, students, and job seekers. This includes programming to advance the Port Authority’s commitment to a 30 percent MWBE contracting goal in all categories of work and a special focus on opportunities for local and diverse businesses across all aspects of the JFK redevelopment program, including terminal projects, which will be built by union labor under a full project-labor agreement. Other community development initiatives prioritized by the council focus on job opportunities and workforce development programs for residents, small business outreach and development, and educational programming for local students.
