Watchfire LED Network Promotes Concessions at Philadelphia Airport
2026-09-15 · via invidis
Marketplace PHL, which runs the concessions program at Philadelphia International Airport, has installed a network of six indoor LED displays from Watchfire across two of the airport's busiest passenger connectors. The displays span roughly 258 linear feet across the B/C and D/E Connectors, areas that link travelers to food courts, retail and other amenities as they move between gates.
City Sign Service handled the installation. The displays run on Watchfire's cloud-based Ignite OPX content management platform, which Marketplace PHL says lets staff manage messaging across multiple locations from one system, scheduling campaigns in advance or pushing updates immediately when a promotion, event or operational notice changes.
For operators, the notable part here is less the hardware than the reasoning behind the buy. According to the release, Marketplace PHL spent nearly two years evaluating digital communication systems before choosing Watchfire, weighing image quality, cybersecurity, content management, training, technical support and room to expand the network. That is a long evaluation cycle for a signage deployment, and it signals how much scrutiny airport authorities are now putting on vendor selection, particularly around cybersecurity, given how these networks sit on shared airport infrastructure.
Why connectors, not gates
The placement is deliberate. Philadelphia's connectors allow passengers to walk between Terminals A and F without leaving the secure zone, so a display near one gate can steer a traveler toward a restaurant or shop near an entirely different one. Marketplace PHL frames this as widening exposure for merchants who would otherwise depend on foot traffic tied to a single gate area. That is the same logic driving airport digital-out-of-home generally: connectors and walkways are increasingly treated as inventory, not just circulation space.
Dana Krawchuk, marketing and guest experience manager for Marketplace PHL, is quoted saying the goal was messaging "as dynamic as the airport itself" and that updates can now go out in minutes rather than through whatever static signage process preceded this.
What the announcement does not say is as telling as what it does. There is no mention of advertising sales tied to the network, measurement or audience data, which is where a lot of airport DOOH revenue now comes from. It also does not specify display resolution, brightness or pixel pitch beyond calling them "high-resolution," nor does it give a project cost or completion date beyond describing the system as newly installed.
Marketplace PHL says it is now looking at additional locations, with an eye toward a broader airport-wide communications network, which would put more pressure on other terminals and connectors to follow with similar digital replacements of static signage.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
Six indoor LED displays now carry retail promotions, event information and operational messages across two busy passenger connectors at Philadelphia International Airport.
Marketplace PHL has installed a network of Watchfire indoor LED displays to promote concessions and deliver real-time information at Philadelphia International Airport.
The project includes six high-resolution displays spanning approximately 258 linear feet (79 meters), across the airport’s B/C and D/E Connectors. City Sign Service installed the network in the heavily traveled areas, which link passengers with food courts, stores, airport programming, and other amenities.
Marketplace PHL develops and operates the airport’s concessions program which will use the displays to promote restaurants, shops and services, support special events and communicate operational information.
Watchfire’s cloud-based Ignite OPX content management platform lets Marketplace PHL control displays across multiple locations through a centralized system so staff can schedule campaigns in advance or publish updates immediately when promotions, events or operational requirements a change.
“Our vision was to create communications that were as dynamic as the airport itself,” said Dana Krawchuk, marketing and guest experience manager for Marketplace PHL. “Now we can update messaging in minutes, highlight merchants across a much larger area, support airport events and keep information fresh, relevant and engaging for passengers.”
Passengers can move between Terminals A and F without leaving the airport’s secure area. Marketplace PHL said the network can therefore introduce travelers to dining and shopping options beyond those located near their departure gates.
MarketPlace PHL evaluated digital communication systems for nearly two years before selecting Watchfire. Its criteria included image quality, cybersecurity, content management, training, technical support and the ability to expand the network.
The company is now evaluating additional locations for Watchfire displays as part of a potential airport-wide communications network.