{"id":9923,"date":"2018-07-19T15:57:08","date_gmt":"2018-07-19T19:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.atl.com\/?p=9923"},"modified":"2018-08-09T15:01:13","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T19:01:13","slug":"innovation-forum-envisions-airports-of-tomorrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.atl.com\/atl\/innovation-forum-envisions-airports-of-tomorrow\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation Forum envisions airports of tomorrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Emerging technology expert Ian Khan urges change at the fourth annual AAAE Airport Innovation Forum July 17\u00a0at InterContinental\u00a0Buckhead Atlanta. \u00a9 2018 Decisive Moment Events<\/p>\n

By Anika Robertson
\nSenior Editor\/Assistant Public Relations Manager<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n

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Airport leaders preparing for self-driving cars, virtual reality and artificial intelligence gathered to share what\u2019s in store for passengers in the not-so-distant future as Hartsfield-Jackson hosted the fourth annual AAAE Airport Innovation Forum July 16-18.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong before Hartsfield-Jackson became the world\u2019s busiest airport, or most efficient airport, or the best airport for dining and shopping, it was a hub of innovation,\u201d interim Airport General Manager Balram \u201cB\u201d Bheodari told attendees at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta during the July 17 welcome.<\/p>\n

Bheodari said Hartsfield-Jackson remains on the forefront of change since ATL\u2019s revolutionary design of its passenger terminal in 1980. Nearly 40 years later, he said, the Airport continues to search for new ways to enhance operational efficiencies and improve the customer experience.<\/p>\n

With 220 attendees, the conference held sessions featuring \u201csmart\u201d technology in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, biometrics lessons and even an Airport Shark Tank.<\/p>\n

During the forum\u2019s opening keynote, emerging technology expert and author Ian Khan stressed that airports must activate a value-creation attitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always talk about the future as if it is not here yet \u2026 the future is tomorrow,\u201d Khan said to industry executives. \u201cAll of you here are creating and making decisions that will shape everything that will happen in your facilities and in your world tomorrow. \u201c<\/p>\n

The three-time TEDx speaker is convinced that robots, big data and automation will drive the future.<\/p>\n

ATL Innovation and Performance Manager Dawn Gregory said the Airport\u2019s innovative ideas can emerge from a host of sources.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019ve tried to do is create an ecosystem of collaborators ranging from incubators, educational institutions \u2026 and organizations to keep a pulse check of what\u2019s going on,\u201d Gregory said during the airport roundtable.<\/p>\n

ATL\u2019s innovation team is exploring multimodal transportation connections throughout the up-and-coming Aerotropolis Atlanta, augmented reality for vision-impaired passengers, and vertical takeoff and landing of aircraft, which Uber Air is developing.<\/p>\n

Innovation, Bheodari said, questions conventional wisdom, seeks solutions and \u201cinspires us to look beyond what is, to imagine what is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must look out on the horizon,\u201d he said, \u201cand explore ways to deliver new value to our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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