Airport Experience News (AXN), the North American airport concessions industry’s leading media brand and conference organizer, is pleased to announce the appointment of Amy Hornby as brand director and publisher. Hornby joins AXN from Emerald, where she served as associate show director for KBIS.
A 25-year veteran of the trade show industry, Hornby is a highly respected executive with a proven track record of customer-focused leadership, innovation and delivering business results. She is passionate about bringing people together to foster meaningful connections and drive business growth. Building on AXN’s strong foundation, Hornby will lead the AX Team in expanding and enhancing both the Airport Experience Conference and the Airport Experience News media portfolio, further strengthening the brand’s role as the premier source of information, networking and business opportunities for the airport concessions industry.
Hornby succeeds Melissa K. Montes, who is pursuing a new opportunity outside the airport concessions industry after nearly 14 years leading the AXN brand. To ensure a seamless transition, Montes will continue to support the organization as a strategic advisor.
“Over the past nearly 14 years, I’ve had the privilege of building incredible relationships and helping grow Airport Experience News and the Airport Experience Conference into the airport concessions industry’s leading media resource and annual gathering,” Montes said. “As my flight path takes me in a new direction, I’m excited to bring my passion for building connections to a new industry while continuing to support the AX community in an advisory role.
“I’m equally excited for everyone to meet Amy,” Montes continued. “She brings tremendous trade show experience, is deeply respected for creating customer-focused events, and shares my passion for developing experiences that bring people together and deliver real business value. Together with the exceptional AX team, I couldn’t be more confident in AXN’s future. I look forward to introducing Amy to the community that has meant so much to me.”
“Joining the AX team is an incredible opportunity for me,” said Hornby. “I am excited to be part of an organization and industry with such a strong foundation, a tight-knit community, and a talented team of experts. I look forward to immersing myself in the industry, building new connections, and growing the brand. I am also eager to leverage my trade show experience to help us innovate, scale, and create memorable new experiences.”
Throughout this leadership transition, AXN’s mission remains unchanged: to connect and inform the airport concessions industry through best-in-class journalism, meaningful industry relationships and the sector’s premier annual conference. Under Hornby’s leadership, the organization will continue to build on its legacy while identifying new opportunities to serve and grow the airport concessions community.
