When Aeropuertos Argentina set out to rethink the food & beverage strategy across its 35+ airports, the ambition went far beyond upgrading spaces. The goal: to redefine the guest experience through food, culture, and meaning. That's when they brought in Conceptional.
'We researched F&B consultancies and found that Conceptional had the right expertise—not just in foodservice, but in airports specifically. That made all the difference.'
Aeropuertos Argentina was looking for a partner who could guide not just a commercial transformation, but a cultural one, rooted in empathy, operational knowledge, and strategic clarity.
'Conceptional brought a complete perspective—understanding operations, consumer trends, and how to adapt them to our local context. That made this collaboration truly valuable.'
While others brought retail expertise, Conceptional stood out for its deep understanding of airport F&B — from both the operator's and airport's perspective. Their experience with major hubs like Schiphol added confidence.
But before the transformation could begin, the team needed to clarify their own direction.
'Our first challenge was understanding what we actually needed. Once we figured that out, Conceptional moved fast to align with us.'
The collaboration unfolded across four defined phases, beginning with on-site immersion to understand the local context and traveller behaviour. This was followed by detailed customer segmentation and airport profiling, laying the groundwork for a guest-centric, commercially viable F&B vision.
Together, the teams developed a full suite of deliverables:
'This wasn't just consultancy, it felt like building an encyclopedia of common knowledge for future teams. That's unique.'
This approach turned strategy into practice. It gave teams across the network — from commercial managers to tenant operators — the clarity, vocabulary, and frameworks needed to act with confidence.
'It's not just inspiration—it's a practical resource for our commercial managers. It helps structure discussions with stakeholders across marketing, infrastructure, and operations. Instead of relying on gut feeling, we now have shared references and tangible tools to guide our decisions.'
'We have a roadmap to align general managers and airport teams on what the next five years should look like—for revenue, experience, and operations.'
One of the most memorable moments came when the team reviewed the strategic vision. It centred on the idea of the 'Argentinian host' and the emotional warmth of being welcomed to an asado.
'You understood what it means to be hosted by an Argentinian. That cultural insight was impressive.'
This wasn't just about food; it was about identity. By connecting culture, people, and place, the strategy became not only operationally sound but emotionally resonant.
Though it was built on Aeropuertos Argentina's broader airport strategy, the F&B vision added a powerful new layer: tangible, relatable, and capable of uniting teams around a shared story. It became a compass for decisions, from concept curation to guest experience design.
The project also marked a shift in how Aeropuertos Argentina sees F&B. No longer just a revenue line, it became a tool for connection, placemaking, and long-term value.
'You helped us reframe how we think about F&B. It's no longer just revenue—it's a core part of the airport experience.'
'You helped us put people at the centre of our F&B vision. That wasn't fully part of our thinking before. Now it's the foundation.'
This shift extended to the way sales performance was approached. Rather than relying on blanket revenue targets, the strategy introduced a more refined, guest-informed approach. It emphasised diversification — not just in brand mix, but in formats, price points, and occasions.
Guests today are highly intentional: they know what they want, when they want it, and what they're willing to pay for. The strategy recognised this behaviour and focused on creating more relevant opportunities to spend, across time slots, locations, and moods throughout the journey.
Through the collaboration, the team also gained better structure in how to connect business goals with passenger needs. Additional research and surveys enriched the existing customer personas, strengthening the foundation for long-term decision-making.
As the strategy evolved, so did Aeropuertos Argentina's internal setup. A dedicated team was formed to lead implementation, with a clear roadmap and common language to drive consistency across departments and airports.
'Now that we have the structure and the content, it's a great marriage.'
The collaboration also emphasised the importance of internal ambassadors: individuals who champion the strategy, carry the vision forward, and help embed it into everyday decision-making.
'We need ambassadors to make it happen—people who believe in the vision and help bring it to life across the network.'
With a long-term vision, a comprehensive operational and legal framework, and a culturally anchored guest strategy, Aeropuertos Argentina now has the tools to strengthen the guest experience across its entire network, setting a new regional benchmark where food becomes part of the journey, not just the offer.
The collaboration also laid down a framework to govern relationships with F&B operators — giving Aeropuertos Argentina greater control and insight, and ensuring that execution on the ground reflects the ambition set at the strategic level.
This project helped the organisation move from reactivity to foresight — introducing structure, clarity, and a shared direction around F&B.
'We used to work on putting out fires. Now we're thinking ahead. That's a big shift.'
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