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WAYFINDING 18 airportbusiness May 2017 that this visual communications technology is a valuable tool for achieving that goal. DEN is unique in its design with a termi- nal featuring the Great Hall under the iconic white-tented rooftop that echoes the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Automated trains connect the terminal to three concourses (A, B and C) with 107 gates and 42 apron loading positions. That layout means that the airport's vast conces- sions operations stretch from a large collection of restaurants and shops in the pre-security area of the Great Hall to a variety of retail areas in each of the three concourses. DEN wanted to encour- age arriving passengers and layover travelers to fully understand the wealth of dine/shop/relax options at the airport and find things quickly while also getting wayfinding information for departing gates at the same time. DEN worked with Denver-based market- ing company Street Source Marketing and Communications to issue an RFP for a visual wayfinding solution that would replace static signage with a digital solution that: • Promotes the variety of concessions options available at the airport in a dynamic way • Provides effective wayfinding to passengers to make their way to the dine/shop/relax location • And also provides other valuable information such as flight status and wayfinding to their gate Our team at Four Winds participated in the RFP and worked with Street Source and DEN to implement a successful pilot project before expanding to additional locations in the airport. The wayfinding systems are embed- ded in attractive physical kiosks built by Boyd Sign Systems featuring 55-inch touch sensitive interactive screens by NEC Display. The current scope of the implementation includes 16 wayfin- ding kiosks at strategic locations throughout the airport that were determined through a quanti- tative assessment during the pilot program to determine the most effective sites. Wayfinding screens are located in the pre-security area of the main terminal, at each of the train landings where the automated trains drop off and pick up passengers on the way to concourses, and in each of the wings of the concourses themselves. What our team at Four Winds has found in our implementations at dozens of airports around the world is that there is a resistance among passengers to downloading special apps to assist with wayfinding at airports. That resis- tance is cross-generational and crosses demo- graphics. What passengers feel more comfort- able using are large-format kiosks with interac- tive information to select the information they want, with the option to take select information with them that doesn't require an app download. The touchscreens are designed to attract users with attract loops that show images of the kinds of foods and services that are avail- able from DEN concessionaires. For example, who can resist a picture of ice cream cones with sprinkles? Once a passenger is at the interactive screen, they can get a variety of information about their flight through an interface that is linked directly to the airport's FIDS and other information systems. They can either scan their boarding pass or type in information on the touchscreen, which then pulls up the current status of their flight and latest gate information. That information is available from many sources both in the airport and on their mobile phone, but one thing that makes these screens so useful to passengers is that they provide highly intuitive wayfinding in a variety of for- mats. It can display it in a map on the screen. It can provide turn by turn instructions that can be texted or emailed to your phone. The wayfinding system's flight information and gate-related wayfinding is simply a bonus, though, because the centerpiece of the imple- mentation is a platform that promotes conces- sionaires throughout the airport…and then helps passengers get there efficiently. When passen- gers come to the screen, the first three icons they see on the main screen are "Dine," "Shop" and Relax"—matching the three categories of concessions available at DEN. The screen walks passengers through a list of options, allowing them to tap for more infor- mation, including menus for the restaurants, a list of services for the spas, and more. Here's an example for Elway's steakhouse. Once a passenger makes a selection, the wayfinding system gives them all of the way- finding options mentioned above for finding gates, including a visual map on the screen and turn-by-turn directions that can be sent to your smartphone. The system even provides a photo of the storefront to give passengers a specific visual of what to look for when they approach the end of the directions. One of the things that passengers par- ticularly like is the way that concessions options are customized based on things like the amount of time until the flight departure. For example, if a passenger hsas more than 45 minutes until their flight departs, the screen will display the full range of dining options, including full-service restaurants. If there is less than 45 minutes until the departure, the system will automatically refine the search results to quick-service options. The screen walks passengers through a list of options, allowing them to tap for more information, including menus for the restaurants, a list of services for the spas, and more. Four Winds Interactive When passengers come to the screen, the first three icons they see on the main screen are "Dine," "Shop" and Relax"—matching the three categories of concessions available at DEN. Four Winds Interactive The touchscreens are designed to attract users with attract loops that show images of the kinds of foods and services that are available from DEN concessionaires. Four Winds Interactive