• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 23, 2012

Elite Media in Las Vegas and Clear Channel Airports in Philadelphia signed new deals for out-of-home advertising in transportation venues.

Elite Media, a Las Vegas-based out-of-home company focused on the local market, announced that it has signed an exclusive deal with the Las Vegas Monorail Company, giving it the right to sell interior and exterior ad space on the monorail system.

The deal gives it access to various advertising surfaces, including floors, ceilings, stairs, LED monitors, light boxes, column wraps and door panels, among other options. Under the terms of a previous deal, Elite only had the right to place exterior wraps on the monorail vehicles and stations.

The Las Vegas Monorail carries over 50,000 riders per day on nine trains serving seven stations concentrated along the Las Vegas Strip, including stops at MGM Grand, Caesar’s Palace, Harrah’s, the Las Vegas Convention Center and Sahara Avenue.

After launching in 2004, the system carried its 50 millionth passenger late last year. Separately, an analysis of online activity in January and February of this year by AdGooroo forecasts that Las Vegas will be the second-most-visited destination in the U.S. this summer, following Disney.

Also this week, Clear Channel Airports announced that it has been awarded a new seven-year contract by Philadelphia International Airport, the 19^th-busiest airport in North America, with 32 million travelers passing through in 2011. Under the terms of the contract, CCA will be allowed to install and operate new digital displays and video walls in the airport -- including touchscreen surfaces -- augmenting its existing portfolio of static displays.

CCA plans to install a total of 76 new LCD screens throughout high-traffic areas in the airport, including eight synchronized 55-inch vertical digital panels, 13 70-inch double-sided LCDS in all domestic baggage claims, and 50-square-foot digital walls on overhead arches at the airport’s B and C concourses.

In addition, CCA unveiled a new version of its “FlySmart” mobile travel app, created in partnership with SapientNitro. The new FlySmart is an improved and expanded version of SapientNitro’s “goHow” airport app, and provides a variety of information, including flight status, gate location, baggage claim, current weather conditions, parking availability, security wait time and ground transportation options.

"FlySmart" new features include customized content from participating airports, flight push notifications and detailed information from Bing Maps to help travelers navigate restaurants as well as retail, terminal, gates, and baggage claims.

The Philly airport deal and the launch of the FlySmart app arrived soon after CCA encountered new competition. In April, Titan announced the launch of Titan Air, also dedicated to out-of-home advertising in airports. The new division is being headed by Michael Riley and Sam Hart, both veterans of CCA.