Each July, as the summer sun casts golden light over the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey becomes the unlikely epicentre of global dealmaking. The reason? The annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference—often dubbed “Billionaire Summer Camp”—draws some of the most powerful names in business, tech, and media to the nearby resort town of Sun Valley.
While the conference itself remains famously secretive, with closed-door panels and off-record conversations, the visible impact begins and ends at Friedman Memorial Airport. With up to 175 private jets arriving in a single day, the airport transforms from a quiet regional hub into a high-stakes logistical feat.
The Business of Flying In the Powerful
For airport director Tim Burke and his operations team, this week is the pinnacle of their calendar. “It’s definitely the busiest week of the year for us,” Burke told Observer. Preparations begin as early as four months in advance, involving close coordination with the local air traffic control tower and regional FAA offices in Salt Lake City. From runway use to ground procedures, every detail is choreographed to ensure precision under pressure.
Managing such high-volume traffic with only one runway—hemmed in by mountainous terrain—requires the kind of operational finesse often reserved for major metropolitan airports. But despite the challenges, Burke notes that his team has developed “a pretty smooth-running machine.”
The conference’s fly-in day, this year set for July 8, brings an influx of Gulfstreams, Dassault Falcons, and Bombardier Globals ferrying elite passengers like Sam Altman, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Rupert Murdoch, and Bob Iger. Just four days later, on July 12, they’ll all lift off again—often after private meetings that could reshape industries.
Southern Parallels: What Smaller Airports Can Learn
For Southern regional airports looking to scale their capabilities and economic impact, Friedman Memorial offers a case study in high-capacity flexibility. With the South’s growing population of high-net-worth individuals and the expansion of luxury and business travel corridors in cities like Nashville, Raleigh, and Charleston, the lessons from Hailey are particularly timely.
Airports in the Southern U.S. may find opportunity in becoming preferred access points for niche executive events, regional summits, and exclusive resorts. Building FAA partnerships, implementing voluntary noise abatement programs, and pre-coordinating aircraft arrival slots are now table stakes for transforming local infrastructure into high-value economic catalysts.
Noise, Neighbours, and Net Benefit
Despite the jet-set glamour, not all locals are thrilled. Aircraft noise and tarmac congestion come with community impact, but Burke and his team have sought to balance regional economic benefit with neighbourhood tranquillity. The airport’s year-round voluntary noise abatement policy—asking aircraft to avoid operations between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.—has earned high compliance.
Still, Burke sees the overall effect as overwhelmingly positive. “Our hotels, restaurants, breweries, transportation companies, and boutique shops all see a lift,” he said. “I’m proud of the role our airport plays in connecting this amazing mountain valley to the rest of the world.”
Behind the Gates: More Than Just Networking
Though cloaked in secrecy, the Allen & Co. conference is often a launchpad for seismic business decisions. Past gatherings are credited with sparking Jeff Bezos’s 2013 acquisition of The Washington Post and Disney’s pivotal 1996 merger with ABC. The expectation that major deals will quietly germinate each year keeps the event relevant—and the air traffic intense.
For Southern business leaders, particularly those in aviation, hospitality, and private investment, Sun Valley represents a unique convergence of infrastructure planning, luxury tourism, and corporate strategy. It’s a reminder that even small towns, when prepared with vision and operational rigor, can host the most powerful people in the world.
