Blayke Esparza is the general manager at LAX for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Airports and as such, he’s focused on finding new ways to meet the ever-evolving demands of airport customers.
“I do feel like that customer demand of something bigger and better, it keeps my wheels turning and my thoughts engaged on what I would want and what I would expect as a consumer,” Esparza said. “I think, ‘How can we plus up what has been a pretty basic or cookie cutter experience?’ That’s the exciting challenge. What makes customers tick? What makes them excited? What will draw them in? That’s probably the most exciting thing about this chapter and this business with the airports.”
With a decade of retail experience under his belt, Esparza is using his knowledge in working with Los Angeles World Airports on its guest service council, which serves to improve all aspects of the LAX experience, and the value for money council, whose goal is to improve the value for goods and services at the airport.
In addition, Esparza has been the operations lead implementing LAX’s new digital marketplace, which allows guests to pre-order food in the terminal and browse products and menus from restaurants and stores at LAX. Esparza was also one of URW’s leaders in the multimillion dollar redevelopment of Terminal 1, which was awarded “best airport concessions transformation” by Airports Council International-North America.
“I feel like now where everyone is at with their expectation of being wowed, I do feel like it’s a pivotal moment for the non-aeronautical side of the business to focus on how we can wow the customer,” Esparza said.
