Smarter Signage Starts Here: Watch Synect’s Full Panel from FTE Global 2025

At FTE Global 2025, Synect brought together a panel of visionary communicators to explore a big question: how is airport signage evolving?

Things are changing fast. Signage is about far more than screens. From new systems to new strategies, our expert panelists shared how leading airports are approaching digital signage and visual communication as tools for engagement, efficiency, and growth.

We were delighted to welcome these incredible experts to the stage:

• Faith Varwig, founder and managing principal of Faith Group, moderator

• Yahav Ran, CEO of Synect

• Prasad Yarlagadda, AVP of Enterprise Systems at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

• Ian Birnbaum, Project Manager at Burns Engineering

In what one guest called “the most cohesive panel [he’d] ever seen,” our speakers had a clear conclusion: the disparate FIDS, BIDS, GIDS, and digital signage systems that were once just informational must be unified to become communication tools that drive engagement, efficiency, and growth. By starting with content and choosing smarter systems, airports can create better customer experiences, influence passenger behavior, and enhance operational outcomes.

Here’s a quick look at what our panelists shared and why these topics are top of mind for many airport leaders.

Communication is the Key

After a warm welcome from Faith Varwig, Yahav Ran, Synect’s CEO, set the stage with a bold claim: content strategy is the key to creating communication that helps airports reach their goals. Screens are part of the toolkit but can’t be the starting point.

Synect's content strategy puts outcomes at the center of every conversation, as Yahav explained:

“We are looking for a tangible outcome, either in revenue, efficiency, or reputation. The key to all of those things is communication.”

He outlined how our three-stage content strategy framework helps airports meet passengers where they are:

• Attract: capturing passengers’ attention requires delivering the right information at the right times.

• Relate: addressing passengers’ immediate needs increases trust and reduces anxiety.

• Engage: influencing passengers’ behavior guides them toward outcomes that improve their experiences.

As Yahav went on to explain, passengers are in “constant needs fulfillment mode.” They may seek a sense of control, familiarity, or wish to explore their options. If airports meet those needs too late or fail to address them, it creates “a huge level of frustration” for passengers. That translates to lost revenue for the airport.

Scaling Strategy at One of the World’s Busiest Airports

Prasad Yarlagadda, DFW’s AVP of Enterprise Systems, shared his perspective as an airport leader. He discussed how DFW uses content strategy to improve clarity, reduce stress, and support a diverse passenger base with consistent content:

“One thing that we try to leverage at DFW is ... a theme. When a passenger comes to the airport, beyond information, we’re trying to give some interactiveness. We leverage the theme to show information across all the display areas: flight information, gate information, security, and more. We want to relieve stress and make it easier on the customer.”

Creating a strong sense of place creates better experiences, which DFW further enhances with multilingual content. Consistent communication is critical, but it can’t make an impact unless passengers can understand the content. By using visual content that follows universal design principles and delivering written content in familiar languages, DFW ensures that every passenger gets the message.

As Prasad explained, DFW is exploring new avenues to continue elevating their passenger experience. That includes areas such as rental car facilities (CONRAC). As he noted, neglecting these areas runs the risk of turning essential parts of the passenger journey like car pickup into a “stressful activity.” However, DFW is preparing to address that risk. Integrating CONRAC into their visual communication ecosystem supports a consistent passenger experience from curb to gate, ensuring passengers feel supported during every step of their journey.

BUR’s Case Study in Better Experiences at Better Prices

Ian Birnbaum, Project Manager at Burns Engineering, shared a powerful case study from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) that highlighted the transformational power of content strategy.

Amid a once-in-a-lifetime terminal refresh, Ian started some exploratory conversations about Digital Content Management Systems (DCMS) and content-first strategy. Plans were already well underway to implement a traditional FIDS, and the guaranteed maximum price was set. As Ian stated:

“Burbank is the media capital of the world. They have this tremendous opportunity to showcase content for their customers, their staff, [and] the local community. If there’s any airport to do this, it’ll have to be Burbank.”

The idea moved forward with the parameters that no changes could impact the schedule or increase costs. As the project moved forward, Ian saw the opportunity to make an incredible impact by thinking of BUR’s signage as one holistic system using Synect’s Passenger360®. That was the major breakthrough:

“When we got the numbers, we ended up beating the budget we had for EVIDS by more than 70%. That was seven months in the making ... the numbers came in, included content, included strategy for how we’re going to execute it, and we’re beating the budget.”

Perceptions of the plan quickly shifted:

“All of a sudden, the tone changed. Everyone realized ... not only can we do this, but we have to do this. This is the right way forward. It was a big win for everyone.”

By implementing Synect’s Passenger360 DCMS, BUR and the project team will be able to streamline operations and consolidate FIDS, BIDS, GIDS, and more into a single, flexible system. With the budget they saved, they were able to reinvest in further passenger experience improvements and additional signage.

Asking the Right Questions

Faith Varwig took the microphone back to lead our panel through a Q&A, kicking things off with a challenge to address a popular question: why continue investing in digital signage when every passenger has a cell phone?

Each panelist focused on a substantial reason why. Yahav emphasized that smartphones have multiple failure points: batteries can die, and service can be spotty. Prasad addressed passengers’ travel habits, as many are accustomed to glancing at always-on displays rather than reaching for their smartphone for additional information. Displays also help passengers glance and go when their hands are full with luggage, children, or other travel items. Ian spoke to the effectiveness of capturing passengers’ attention with airport displays: content keeps them connected with the airport and passenger journey, rather than distracted by their phones.

Faith offered her own answer to the original question:

“There are different media requirements for different types of passengers. Maybe the 20-somethings and 30-somethings depend holistically on the phone, but there’s still old generations of passengers that are used to consuming information in a different way. I feel like you leave them behind if we do nothing but one form of media.”

As the panel wound down, the conversation shifted to the importance of building content strategy early. While it makes an enormous impact at every stage of the planning process, introducing a strong strategy early helps airports reap the greatest rewards.

Airport Signage Will Keep Getting Smarter

Improving airport communication isn’t about adding more screens. It’s about making every screen smarter, more strategic, and better positioned to support your airport’s goals.

Whether you’re planning a terminal expansion, a new build, or you’re preparing to modernize your current display strategy, Synect’s panel is packed with high-impact ideas and strategies that will help you increase efficiency, drive revenue, and improve your airport’s reputation for incredible passenger experiences.

Smarter signage starts here. Watch the full recording today.

Want to talk about what this panel means for your airport? Speak with our team.