Content-First Strategy Increases Airport ROI & 4 Other Lessons from Synect's Latest Interview

We were delighted to catch up with Ross Falconer, Head of Content at Future Travel Experience, right after our panel of experts presented Smarter Signage Starts Here at FTE Global 2025.

Ross led an insightful conversation with Yahav Ran, Synect’s CEO, and Montee Fiely, our Head of Strategic Engagement, focusing on how content strategy and smarter solutions give airports the tools they need to unlock ROI through visual communication.

Read on for five fast takeaways from the interview, highlighting how airports benefit by moving from legacy digital signage and siloed EVIDS to content-first, airport-wide ecosystems that deliver tangible results.

What are Synect’s capabilities and how does a content-first strategy increase airport ROI?

Synect is all about communication. We combine strategy, content creation, and an airport-specific digital content management system (DCMS), Passenger360®, to help airports communicate smarter and more effectively.

Our content-first approach puts strategy before screens. It starts by understanding passenger needs and addressing them. Proactively addressing passengers’ needs gives airports the ability to capture or redirect passenger attention. That attention translates into guiding behavior to help passengers, whether it's moving through security faster, exploring concessions, or navigating with less stress.

We also help airports align multiple stakeholders through governance frameworks, turning strategy into an ongoing program rather than a one-time install. The result is greater efficiency, increased airport revenue, stronger reputations, and better passenger relationships.

Synect's work supports three major outcomes for airports: more revenue, better efficiency, and better reputation with passengers.

What did Synect focus on at FTE Global this year?

Our presence at FTE focused on the most powerful shift in how airports communicate with their passengers, which is happening right now: content strategy paired with smarter systems.

We showcased how content-first strategy and smarter systems like Passenger360® let airports unify FIDS, BIDS, GIDS, security, wayfinding, advertising, emergency messaging, and more into one connected platform that replaces siloed, legacy digital signage.

“Airports are great at investing in hardware. But the real value comes from what you put on those screens. Content strategy is the future – , and frankly, it’s already here. The technology is proven. We’ve been doing this for over a decade at airports like Orlando International.”

— Montee Fiely, Head of Strategic Engagement, Synect

As Montee shared during the interview, airports invest millions in screens and hardware, but the real opportunity lies in what goes on those screens. With a content-first approach, airports can deliver the right message at the right time, adapt to real-time activity, and meet passengers where they are.

Our expanded suite of ReadySeeGo solutions helps airports support passengers through every step of their journey.

This isn’t a future trend: it’s already here. Leading airports are already moving in this direction, and Synect has successfully guided them for more than a decade. Investing in legacy FIDS means looking backward. Content strategy and DCMS are the next step in the evolution of airport digital signage and EVIDS.

What projects show the results of a content strategy and smart systems approach?

All our projects showcase real-world ROI. The tangible outcomes vary based on each airport’s goals, but the impact is unmistakable.

MCO has been running on a content-first strategy and DCMS for more than a decade, using digital content to enhance passenger experience, strengthen its brand, and drive operational outcomes. In one program, we increased desired behavior by up to 16 percentage points, and our work was featured in Forbes and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) as evidence of how visual communication drives measurable impact.

But it’s not just for major hubs. ABE has fully embraced content-first strategy and smart systems. Their new security checkpoint is not only beautifully executed, it also helps passengers prepare for screening, creating a calmer, more orderly checkpoint, improving throughput, enhancing passenger experience, and reinforcing ABE’s reputation for friendliness, accessibility, and inclusivity.

ABE’s gorgeous new security checkpoint that greets and guides passengers across the screening experience.

These projects show that a content-first approach is proven, scalable, and results-driven for airports of every size.

Are there challenges with scaling solutions across airports of different sizes?

In short, the technology scales easily. The bigger challenge is mindset, and that applies to airports of every size.

We designed Passenger360® to work in any transportation environment, whether it's a two-gate regional airport or a major international hub. Synect’s DCMS is agnostic to display type, size, and layout. The system can scale from a single zone to an entire airport facility, as seen at MCO: they’ve expanded the use of Passenger360 over time, and it now powers over 2,100 screens in Terminals A, B, and C, and the train station.

Passenger360 gives MCO fast, flexible control over thousands of screens throughout the airport, including at baggage claim.

The real challenge isn’t the tech. It’s helping airports envision, plan for, and budget for content. Those high-impact experiences everyone admires in stadium and retail environments don’t just happen. They’re the result of clear strategy and smart investment.

A content-first approach also gives airports the ability to react quickly to operational variables. Passenger360 integrates with flight schedules, supports multilingual communication, and powers real-time emergency messaging. When designed correctly, smart systems create a ripple effect that goes beyond the screen. Airport that make better infrastructure decisions have lower costs, instant updates instead of delays, and the flexibility to communicate clearly in any language, on any screen, anywhere.

What are your priorities for 2026 and beyond?

Our priority is to keep leading the charge toward content-first strategy in transportation. That means continuing to educate the industry, supporting airports as they modernize, and enabling fast, flexible communication at scale.

With a decade of major global events on the horizon for North American airports, we’re helping them prepare for higher passenger volumes, heightened operational complexity, and larger-than-life opportunities to deliver experiences that build their brand.

We’re doing so by helping airports leverage our Attract, Relate, Engage model for earning passenger attention and engagement.

• Attract: surface timely, relevant information that captures scarce attention.

• Relate: connect content to immediate needs, lowering anxiety and building trust.

• Engage: guide behavior toward outcomes that benefit both passengers and the airport.

As Yahav Ran, Synect’s CEO explained:

“You need to know your audience… Passengers have basic needs that change throughout their journey, whether it’s a sense of control, options, or familiarity. Your communication must first attract their attention — the biggest currency we have — then relate the information to what they need in that moment. That’s how you engage behavior. Attract, relate, engage… those three steps are the foundation of a content strategy that moves both ways and unlocks the full value of your visual communication system.”

If you want more information about this interview, there’s a great summary of Synect’s big FTE splash over on their website.

Are you ready to discuss new strategies for engaging your passengers and finding new ways to increase your airport's ROI? Drop us a line to get started today.