With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/443582
has limited options for raising funds. When the authority issues debt, it incurs financing fees; raising the once "tempo- rary" airport improvement fee irks pas- sengers; and jacking up airline landing fees can lead carriers to look at more cost-effective destinations. While the authority relies on all of the above, mak- ing the most of their 4,000-acre footprint on Sea Island—creating an inviting space for passengers to stay and spend money— has been critical to YVR's success. Today, YVR counts the highest per- passenger spending on duty-free and concessions of any airport in North America. The international terminal beyond the security gate is a lush, tai- lored experience for the long-haul flyer, with five spas, nap pods, a cosmetic dentist practice and a new ultra-high- end duty-free shop (a $5,500 carafe of whisky greets passengers that walk through the store). Between 2004 and 2013, the authority increased revenues by 57 per cent, from $276 million to $433 million—thanks, in no small part, to food and duty-free sales and rents from a burgeoning list of retail tenants. A new open-air designer outlet mall, scheduled to open in 2015 on the north- ern end of Sea Island, will only add to those numbers. Of course, YVR's success at retailing is just one measure of how well it's manag- ing the customer experience. As a main port of entry into Canada, Vancouver's airport has made considerable efforts in recent years to improve the face with which it presents new arrivals—invest- ing $3 million annually in new customer service programs, including a 24/7 infor- mation desk and a 1-800 translator line. Those endeavours have fortified YVR's existing accessibility initiatives, which include low-volume PA announce- ments (for those with hearing aids), her- ringbone carpets and clear large-font signage that directs passengers with visual impairments. In addition, throughout the airport, there are the Green Coat Volunteers—a cadre of mostly senior citizens who help pas- sengers with wayfinding or frequently asked questions. The most distinctive aspect of the YVR experience, from a visual stand- point, is its commitment to smart design and thought-provoking art. From the soaring windows with views of the North Shore mountains, to the gener- ous use of indigenous woods and earthy colours throughout the terminals, to the 10-metre-high fish tank in the interna- tional pier replete with wolf eels, cop- per rockfish and sea nettle jellies, YVR very deliberately evokes a sense of place. "They've been able to integrate the cul- tural heritage into the experience so that when you enter, you know where you are," observes Carolyn Ray, managing director of Interbrand Canada, a brand- ing wing of global advertising agency OmnicomGroup. Perhaps nothing accomplishes that sense of place more than the airport's collection of contemporary and tradi- tional First Nations art—in particular, Bill Reid's standout jade-coloured monolith, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii. The Reid piece sits at the axis in the main terminal, A GOOD INVESTMENT YVR's per-capita spending on duty- free items leads North America; below, Bill Reid's The Spirit of Haida Gwaii. Of course, YVR's success at retailing is just one measure of how well it's managing the customer experience. as a main port of entry into canada, Vancouver's airport has made considerable efforts in recent years to improve the face it presents to new arrivals 44 BCBusiness FebRuaRY 2015 Continued from page 35