The 2017 ACI-NA Conference has over 2,000 attendees "and the numbers keep growing," said William Vanecek, Chair, ACI-NA and Director of Aviation at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, at General Session 1. The expo is "the largest in history, with 290 booths," he said.

To get a sense of those numbers, all one had to do was look around the packed session hall , where just about every seat was filled -- including one by the Mayor of Fort Worth, Betsy Price. "Air service is one of the main reasons Fort Worth is now the 11th largest city in the nation," she exclaimed when it was her turn on stage. Kevin M. Burke, President & CEO, ACI-NA, had some interesting numbers to share, as well, from the North American Annual Traffic Report that was released earlier in the day. According to the report, there was a 4% increase in air traffic in 2016., with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world’s most traveled airport with 104 million passengers in 2016.

The numbers were equally impressive when Sean Donohue, CEO, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport took the stage, and shared with the audience some information that validated the importance of the travel and tourism industry. For example, it is responsible for 10% of the world’s gross domestic product, to the tune of $7.6 trillion; globally, 292 million jobs; and 1 out of 10 jobs on the planet. "Let that sink in," he said, "and understand the impact our business has on the world."

With power comes responsibility, however, and that is where ACI-NA and its gatherings come in. The strength of the association is in its ability to "forge strong partnerships for the betterment of the industry – your industry," said Burke, adding: "At the core of our mission, we exist to help you make better business decisions." Donohue reiterated a similar message when he said, "We need partnerships to make this possible." In addition, "There is an incredible amount we can learn from each other. We should learn as much as we can from experts in the field."

And that is exactly what Rich Karlgaard is, in addition to being Editor-at-Large and Global Futurist at Forbes and a "power-user in airport travel," he said. While this was a light-hearted approach, the information he shared during his Keynote Address was substantive and serious. Companies have picked off all of the low hanging fruit and "now we are in this new era. They are trying to stick a straw into your operating model and suck everything out of It."

What we need to do is "bring this country back into balance," he explained. We are seeing these "wild asymmetries, said Karlgaard, and the American economy is under-performing because it is out of balance.

Bringing balance back requires action and adaptability. Karlgaard mentioned that there are four adaptability "must do’s" :

1. Be digitally fluent.

2. Understand cultural clarity. Look at culture as a triangle -- strategy, execution, values -- where we all have to be equally strong . When the balance is out, the Cadillac Cimarron is the same as the Chevy Cavalier, except for the hubcaps and grille.

3. Create great teams within companies. The optimal brainstorming/creative team size is no more than two pizzas can feed. "Almost everybody’s teams are too big," said Karlgaard. Also, pay attention to its diversity.

4. Allow for human development. "Hire for character," said Karlgaard.

Some of the other topics that Karlgaard touched on were growth percentages, "atom" vs. "bits" companies, the six Rs (reach, retention, relevance, reputation, revenue, ROI), technology and the "digital bang for your buck," the price of a taxi cab medallion in NYC (from $1.3 million to $200,000, 2014 to 2017), more parking spaces at airports (thanks to Uber), videoconferencing’s effect on air travel, the "two speed" economy, and megatrends.