48 million passengers a year: Houston’s energy, medical, and corporate workforce flying out, the partners, patients, and visitors flying in, and CERAWeek, OTC, and the Rodeo on top. Get the IAH media kit for formats, planning ranges, and booking windows.
You’re in good company
At a glance
Bush is the United hub and international door for Houston’s energy, Medical Center, and corporate base. Hobby is the Southwest-heavy airport across town, and it is not this buy.
IAH handled about 48 million passengers in 2025 inside a Houston Airports system of 62 million (IAH plus HOU). International traffic at Bush reached a record 12.4 million. United is the hometown hub carrier, with a majority share of IAH traffic concentrated in Terminals B, C, and E. IAH is the energy, corporate, and Medical Center buy; Hobby is Southwest’s leisure spine, and DFW is a different market.
Five terminals, linked by Skyway airside and Subway landside. Terminal C is the United domestic hub heart (Clubs, retail, claim). Terminal E carries United international. Terminal D carries the foreign-flag and international mix. Terminal A carries mixed domestics (American, Delta, Spirit, and others as published). Terminal B is the United regional and Express emphasis. Confirm airline maps at contract.
The always-on audience is Houston itself — Energy Corridor and downtown energy headquarters, Texas Medical Center, port and industrial employers, and universities — thickened by Latin America and international visitors on D and E. Business travel runs both directions: residents flying out and partners flying in.
CERAWeek (March 8–12, 2027) and OTC plus URTeC (May 3–5, 2027) add short overlays. They do not replace the resident base. Holiday and winter corporate travel fills the United terminals. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs March 2–21, 2027 at NRG Park, overlapping CERAWeek.
Planning ranges: a single unit or network runs $25,000–$120,000 per four-week period. A two- or three-unit package runs $75,000–$200,000 per period. Full-airport digital domination (88 screens on the current kit) runs north of $240,000 per period. Production and installation on static units are priced separately at quote. Those are planning ranges, not a rate card.
Inventory is sold in four-week periods. Hold expiry, cancellation, and proof-of-posting terms are set at contract. Digital creative is due 14–18 business days before start; static creative is due 21–28 days before start. Competitive separation may be possible, but it isn't guaranteed; ask when booking and write it into the contract. Creative needs airport authority approval.
Start your IAH plan
Three ways to start, depending on where you are.
What you can run
Six placements on the current kit: Terminal C claim and Club-adjacent static banners, a large funnel LED network across A, B, C, and E, gate-hold charging screens on A, C, and D, and a full-airport digital network. Digital is a ten-second spot in a sixty-second loop. No single unit reaches everyone.
Terminal C · Static
Under the claim information boards, either side of the info booth, Terminal C
Terminal C · Static
Next to the United Club, Terminal C South Retail
Terminal C · Static
Outside the United Club, Terminal C North Retail
Terminals A, B, C, and E · Digital
Ticketing, TSA, and other high-dwell funnel zones
Terminals A, C, and D · Digital
Double-sided screens in gate holds
Terminals A, B, C, and D · Digital
Arrivals, departures, and major gate holds
Confirm how many advertisers are in the loop, and the live share of voice, at quote. Require play-log terms at contracting. In an energy week the loop fills; the spot still plays on the same cycle, but it shares the screen with more competitors.
Print and static inventory in Terminal C is a real share of the branding program on this kit — the claim package plus Club-adjacent faces — not an afterthought. Branding plans often mix one digital network for motion and play logs with Terminal C static for continuous United presence.
The 88-screen package is a frequency buy across the building, including connectors who never enter Houston. Use it for hub-network and always-on brand briefs. For people actually in Houston this week, pair or replace it with Terminal C claim and curb-facing units rather than assuming airside share of voice equals local reach. The kit also cites 69 screens in one line. Confirm the live count at quote.
Terminal E ticketing work has been completing. Terminal B transformation is a multi-year Houston Airports program. United continues upgrades in C and E. Confirm unit locations against the current fly2houston map at contract, not against last year’s proposal screenshot. Airline assignments drift, especially any Southwest residual at IAH versus Hobby-only.
The digital, static, experiential, and exterior units brands buy in airports. For IAH we plan specific units and dates against what is open at the time.
Digital screens and video walls in airline business club lounges reach affluent business decision-makers and high-net-worth travelers in a captive setting.
Travelers often spend 90 minutes or more in the club. Screens in dining and seated areas and larger video walls (about 84–100 inches) give the brand both frequency and a dominant face.
Full motion or static creative can rotate through the loop while the audience is already seated.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Target high-level decision-makers and affluent individuals with entrance banners in airport business club lounges.
Engage with a discerning audience in a premium, brand-safe environment.
Showcase innovations for business-to-business brands or emphasize luxury for high-end brands.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Baggage claim digital network screens provide a unique opportunity to connect with travelers at a prime moment.
Strategically placed in high-traffic areas throughout the baggage claim area, these screens ensure maximum exposure for your brand.
By using baggage claim digital network screens, you can deliver your message to travelers multiple times, building frequency and driving engagement.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Packages can range in screen size and quantity. Strategically positioned throughout central airport concourses.
These screens can target 100% of arriving and departing traffic as passengers move towards airport exits and a large percentage of departing traffic as passengers move through the concourses and frequent favorite concessions in the area.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Large format banners offer a large, eye-catching space that can capture the attention of everyone walking through the airport.
They can be strategically placed on walls or hung from ceilings throughout the airport, ensuring maximum exposure for your brand.
With large format banners, you have the opportunity to own 100% of the share of voice in that area.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Experiential advertising at airports lets the brand interact with a captive audience through immersive installations.
Activations can include brand ambassadors, tech-focused displays, and product sampling.
Exhibit space is the same idea: a physical footprint where travelers can engage face-to-face.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Digital charging network screens are a highly effective advertising tool for brand marketers looking to reach a captive audience of travelers.
Travelers engage with the screens while charging devices, which adds dwell to the impression.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Digital spectacular screens offer a powerful advertising tool to capture significant attention in airports.
Strategically located in high-traffic areas, these screens provide maximum visibility and impact for your brand.
With their attention-grabbing size and creative flexibility, digital spectacular screens hold the attention of travelers and drive engagement.
* Differs depending on the airport.
By using digital network screens, you can deliver your message to travelers multiple times throughout their journey.
Strategically placed in high-traffic areas, these screens ensure maximum exposure for your brand.
These screens build frequency and drive engagement, making them an effective advertising option.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Dioramas are backlit displays at eye level in corridors and holdrooms.
They offer a lit, poster-scale face with 100% share of voice on that unit.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Leverage exterior signage to engage airport visitors as they arrive or depart, keeping the brand visible on the campus.
High-impact banners on the building or approach create a lasting impression before travelers enter the terminal.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Flight information screens are some of the most frequently viewed screens in the airport, where passengers already look for gate and time updates.
Advertising on these screens puts the message next to information travelers are actively reading.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Jet bridge wraps put the brand on the walk between gate and aircraft.
The space is captive and sequential: every boarded passenger on that gate walks the length of the wrap.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Large format digital screens offer a unique opportunity to make a lasting impression on travelers.
These screens have the wow factor needed to capture your target audience's attention and inspire them to engage with your brand.
Large format digital screens offer creative flexibility to showcase your brand's messaging and art in a way that resonates with your target audience.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Large format banners offer a large, eye-catching space that can capture the attention of everyone walking through the airport.
They can be strategically placed on walls or hung from ceilings throughout the airport, ensuring maximum exposure for your brand.
With large format banners, you have the opportunity to own 100% of the share of voice in that area.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Mini-spectaculars are smaller spectacular units that still dominate a sightline without a full-wall takeover.
They own share of voice on that face and work in tighter terminal pockets.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Exterior digital billboards at the airport engage a wide mix of travelers on the approach and campus roads.
Creative on digital billboards can run full motion or static.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Large format banners offer a large, eye-catching space that can capture the attention of everyone walking through the airport.
An overhead banner package is sequenced across multiple faces so the brand owns a stretch of the travel journey and a specific airport area, which is what creates the wow effect.
They can be placed on walls or hung from ceilings, with 100% share of voice in that zone.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Spectaculars are large-format displays built for a single dominant face in a high-traffic terminal space.
With the ability to own 100% of the share of voice, your message is the only one being seen by travelers in that area.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Tension fabric displays are a visually stunning way to showcase your brand or product in the airport.
They command attention in a crowded terminal and offer a cost-effective way to reach a large audience.
With tension fabric displays, you have the opportunity to own 100% of the share of voice in that area.
* Differs depending on the airport.
By advertising on airport security trays, the brand reaches travelers during an essential part of the departing journey.
Every passenger who uses that lane handles the tray.
* Differs depending on the airport.
By using vertical digital network screens, you can deliver your message to travelers multiple times throughout their journey.
These are vertical units with a different view profile: most sit at eye level and read with a poster feel.
Strategically placed in high-traffic areas, they build frequency as passengers walk the concourse.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Video walls are strategically positioned in high-traffic areas of the airport, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement for your brand.
These high-impact screens provide maximum visibility for your brand, making a lasting impression on travelers.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Wall wraps offer a visually striking and modern way to showcase your brand in the airport, with the ability to customize them to your brand.
Strategically placed in high-traffic areas, wall wraps capture attention and own 100% of the share of voice on that surface.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Sponsoring Wi-Fi access at airports engages travelers on their personal devices.
Call-to-action pages can be video or static, which is what turns access into a media placement.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Window wraps offer a visually striking and modern way to showcase your brand on terminal glass, with the ability to customize them to your brand.
Strategically placed on windows in high-traffic areas, they capture attention from the interior walkway or the curb and own 100% of the share of voice on that glass.
* Differs depending on the airport.
Examples
Airport advertising in practice, photographed across many airports. Availability at IAH varies by format.
Real brands. Real campaigns.
Campaigns across several countries and media owners, each bought through one contract. Swipe or use the arrows for the markets, the scope, and the result.
U.S. + Canada
Multiple media owners.
One coordinated buy.
EAM brought a U.S. and Canada airport campaign together across multiple media owners.
Five continents
Different markets.
One media partner.
Large-format digital and screen networks across five continents, including London, Paris, Tokyo, and São Paulo.
Airports + airline lounges
Airports and lounges.
One coordinated plan.
A combined airport and airline-lounge presence across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East.
Five U.S. airports
A year of visibility.
One coordinated rollout.
EAM bought year-long security-tray takeovers across five major U.S. airports.
Latin America
Four airports.
One regional campaign.
EAM planned digital and physical branding across Buenos Aires, Santiago, Bogotá, and Mexico City.
San Jose · SJC
One airport.
A complete takeover.
EAM coordinated a full San Jose airport takeover across digital displays and all 760 security trays.
Airline lounges · 7 U.S. cities
Executive education.
Reached in the lounge.
EAM planned and executed a lounge campaign for Wharton Executive Education in United, Delta, and American clubs across Philadelphia, New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, and San Diego.
4 markets · Year-round
Four markets.
A full year on screen.
EAM built a year-round enrollment campaign on airport digital video: always on in Salt Lake City, rotating through Dallas, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
U.S. + Spain
An album launch.
Two countries at once.
For the Saturno release, EAM planned and executed airport advertising in Miami, New York, Chicago, Madrid, and Barcelona, plus an in-flight buy across the JetBlue fleet.
“EAM made a nationwide airport campaign feel much easier to manage. The team was responsive, organized, and always on top of the details. They helped us make smart decisions with the budget, kept everything moving, and ultimately delivered exactly what we were looking for.”
Chief Marketing OfficerFortinet · nationwide airport campaign“This was one of the most challenging campaigns we had ever managed, launching during COVID and the unprecedented freeze in air travel. EAM was an incredible partner throughout the entire process. They worked closely with the airports and media partners to protect our placements and ensure our space was held until travel resumed. Their persistence, communication, and attention to detail made an extremely difficult situation manageable. Without EAM, navigating this campaign would have been a nightmare.”
Chief Marketing OfficerInvest in Canada · airports and airline lounges“We ran a security tray advertising program across several key airports, and EAM was a tremendous partner throughout the process. Their team helped secure the space, manage renewals, and coordinate the campaign seamlessly from start to finish.”
Chief Executive OfficerFlexispot · security tray programThese examples show past EAM campaigns—not a minimum campaign size, a forecast, or a guarantee of results. One-airport briefs are welcome, too.
Cost
$25,000–$120,000 for a single unit or network per four-week period. $75,000–$200,000 for a two- or three-unit package per period. North of $240,000 for full-airport digital domination (88 screens on the current kit) per period. Rates are for space. Production and installation on static units are priced separately at quote. Those are planning ranges, not a rate card.
Everything on the January 2026 proposal face is quoted on a four-week buying unit. That is the natural fit for a branding brief: you buy periods, not days. An energy-week brief that only needs show week still pays for the four-week block that contains it unless a shorter unit is released at quote time.
What a budget buys at IAH
Planning ranges per four-week period. Pick the one closest to your brief and we’ll build the plan from it.
A single unit or network
A two- or three-unit package
Full-airport digital domination
These are planning ranges, not packages or a rate card. Actual plans depend on the terminal, the period, and what is open when you book.
Buying unit: four weeks. Rates shown as net space. Production and installation on static units are priced separately at quote. Hold expiry, cancellation, proof-of-posting photo terms, and any annual-contract discount are set in the quote and written into the contract. Digital creative is due 14–18 business days before start; static creative is due 21–28 days before start. Competitive separation may be possible, but it isn't guaranteed; ask when booking and write it into the contract. Creative is subject to airport authority approval.
Unit-level rates, loop-position premiums, and week-specific quotes. Those numbers move with availability and with the period. What you can plan against: a four-week buying unit; $25,000–$120,000 for a single placement; $75,000–$200,000 for a two- or three-unit package; north of $240,000 for full-airport digital domination. Specific units and periods come back as a quote.
| Unit | Terminals | Where it sits | Type | Your spot | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baggage-claim banner package | Terminal C | Under the claim information boards, either side of the info booth, Terminal C | Static, 2 banners, about 65.5 in × 224 in | Full face | Primary United domestic arrival read for people entering Houston |
| United Club–adjacent banner, South Retail | Terminal C | Next to the United Club, Terminal C South Retail | Static, 1 banner; size not stated on the kit | Full face | Affluent United departures and arrivals with retail dwell |
| United Club–adjacent banner, North Retail | Terminal C | Outside the United Club, Terminal C North Retail | Static, 1 banner; size not stated on the kit | Full face | The same affluent United path on the north retail side |
| Large funnel LED network | Terminals A, B, C, and E | Ticketing, TSA, and other high-dwell funnel zones | Digital, 8 large LED screens, various sizes | 10-second spot in a 60-second loop | Departure frequency across United and the mixed domestics |
| Gate-hold charging-station network | Terminals A, C, and D | Double-sided screens in gate holds | Digital, 44 screens, about 32 in | 10-second spot in a 60-second loop | High-dwell departures and connections, including international D |
| Full-airport digital network | Terminals A, B, C, and D | Arrivals, departures, and major gate holds | Digital network; the kit cites 88 screens and, in one line, 69 — confirm the live count | 10-second spot in a 60-second loop | Domination-scale frequency, including connectors who never enter Houston |
Timing
For a branding buy, the resident energy, Medical Center, and corporate base matters more than any single week. CERAWeek, OTC, and the holidays thicken United terminals. Hold those periods 3–5 months out. Standard always-on periods are often workable at 6–10 weeks.
Dates checked October 2026.
| Event | Timing | Who arrives | What it means for the buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Always-on energy, corporate, and Medical Center | Year-round | Residents, weekly United flyers, inbound partners | The branding spine. Stack four-week periods. Weight Terminal C Club and claim. |
| Holiday and winter corporate travel | Late November through early January | Residents, visiting family, year-end corporate | Four-week periods covering Thanksgiving through New Year. Arrival and departure both work. |
| CERAWeek by S&P Global | March 8–12, 2027, Houston | Energy CEOs, policymakers, technology and finance leaders | A short overlay on the energy base. United Terminals B, C, and E. Book the four-week period that covers the week. |
| OTC and URTeC | May 3–5, 2027, NRG Center | Offshore and unconventional energy operators, suppliers, technologists | An energy inbound overlay on the same United spine. Do not rebuild the annual plan from OTC alone. |
| Spring energy cluster | February–May pattern | Industry plus the resident mix | An efficient window to thicken always-on before the summer shoulder. |
| Summer shoulder | June through early September | Residents; a lighter visitor mix outside special events | An efficient always-on window. Confirm any construction impacts on C and E. |
| Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo | March 2–21, 2027, NRG Park (World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest February 25–27) | Local and regional leisure, plus corporate hospitality | A consumer and hospitality overlay in the same four-week period as CERAWeek; twenty days of nightly rodeo and concerts. |
The mistake at IAH is buying one energy week and calling it a Houston strategy — or copying a Hobby Southwest brief onto Terminal C. CERAWeek and OTC fill hotel rooms for a few days. They do not replace the Energy Corridor employee who flies every month. Brands that treat IAH like an events-only market overpay for a peak and miss the audience that lives here. Buy four-week periods against the United, energy, and Medical Center base first. Add the conference week as weight when the brief names that audience. Keep DFW and Hobby on their own briefs.
Energy weeks (CERAWeek, OTC) and holiday periods: hold 3–5 months out. Standard always-on periods: 6–10 weeks is often enough. Confirm windows at quote against a real IAH buy. The kit does not publish a separate event-week rate card. The premium shows up as availability pressure on Terminal C claim banners, Club-adjacent faces, and the large funnel LEDs.
The proposal shows flat four-week net rates, not a printed event multiplier. The practical energy-season premium is availability. Terminal C statics and the best digital networks sell first when CERAWeek and OTC overlap corporate travel. Multi-period bookings protect presence through the spring cluster. Single peak periods take what is left.
| Tier | Examples | Hold by | What sells first | Pricing character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | CERAWeek week; OTC week; Thanksgiving through New Year | 3–5 months | Terminal C claim banners, Club-adjacent statics, large funnel LEDs | Open four-week rates; contested United inventory |
| High | Broader February–May energy and corporate season; major Medical Center or civic peaks once dates lock | 3–4 months | Terminal C arrival path; gate-hold digital on A, C, and D | Standard four-week rates; contested in United terminals |
| Standard | Summer shoulder; quiet mid-weeks outside the energy cluster | 6–10 weeks | Most networks and static faces open | Standard four-week rates; the window to start always-on before spring |
Ready to plan?
Tell us who you need to reach, where, and when. We come back with current availability at every airport in the plan and a recommended mix.
Placement
In the terminal your audience flies, along the path they walk. United-heavy energy and corporate briefs center Terminals B, C, and E, with Terminal C claim and Club-adjacent faces as the branding spine on this kit. Mixed-domestic briefs add Terminal A. International inbound centers D and E reclaim after inspection.
| Step | Zone and units | What the passenger is doing | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Off the plane, United hub | Gate-hold charging screens; the move through Terminal C or E | Walking to a connection or to the exit | Medium for origin-and-destination; high for connecting-audience briefs |
| 2. Toward baggage claim | Terminal C claim approach and the info-booth corridor | Descending to claim, scanning for bags and rides | Highest for visitor and destination brands on United domestic |
| 3. Baggage claim dwell | Terminal C claim banner package, both sides of the info booth | Waiting for bags and deciding ground transport | Highest for arrival-moment services; strong for hospitality and healthcare |
| 4. International reclaim and curb | Public areas after inspection on D and E paths | Clearing customs, meeting greeters, booking the ride | High for international origin-and-destination; the last read before the city |
| Departure side | Club-adjacent South and North retail statics; funnel LEDs at ticketing and TSA; gate-hold digital | Check-in, Club, security, and the gate wait | High for resident, recruiting, university, financial, and energy brands |
Arrivals move to baggage claim under the information boards. The two-banner static package sits on that path. Departures and connections move through South and North retail past the United Clubs. Club-adjacent banners catch affluent dwell. This is the kit’s static heart and the natural always-on read for energy and corporate brands.
Terminals B and E complete United coverage. E carries international United. Large funnel LEDs in the kit include E. Confirm the federal inspection path versus public claim for international arrivals at contract. Terminal A is American, Delta, Spirit, and the non-United domestic mix. Terminal D is foreign-flag international. Gate-hold charging screens on the A, C, and D network reach both without buying every face in C.
Skyway and Subway link all five terminals, airside and landside. Useful when the brief needs passengers changing buildings. Not a substitute for knowing which terminal the airline uses.
IAH is a true connecting hub, not an origin-and-destination airport alone. United banks domestic, Latin America, and long-haul traffic through Terminals B, C, and E. Concourse and gate-hold units reach everyone on those concourses, including connectors who never claim a bag in Houston. Baggage claim, meeters and greeters, and the curb reach people entering the metro. Airline and hub-network briefs can live airside. Hotel, destination, and people-actually-in-Houston briefs must weight the origin-and-destination path.
Why this airport
Because Houston’s energy, Medical Center, and corporate workforce — and the United hub they fly — live at Bush, not at Hobby. About 48 million passengers a year move through five terminals at IAH. Brands that need the people who work the Energy Corridor, staff the Texas Medical Center, and run Houston’s industrial base buy Bush continuously, then thicken the buy when energy weeks pack the city.
IAH is both a hometown United hub and a large origin-and-destination airport for the metro. United carries the majority of IAH’s commercial traffic. Terminals B, C, and E carry the hub heart. Terminal C holds the Clubs, South and North retail, and the domestic claim path the static program leans on.
What makes the market worth an always-on flight is who lives and works on the other side of the curb. The Energy Corridor and downtown energy headquarters, Texas Medical Center, port and logistics employers, and the university systems recruit, serve patients, open accounts, and fly weekly — and they leave through Bush. Hobby is useful for Southwest-weighted leisure briefs. DFW is American’s North Texas story on its own page.
The calendar thickens the same building. CERAWeek and the Offshore Technology Conference pull energy decision-makers into Houston for defined weeks. Holiday and winter corporate travel fill the United terminals. A branding buy treats those peaks as weight, not as the reason to be in the market.
Audience
About 48 million passengers in 2025, heavily United. Terminals B, C, and E carry the hub. Terminal A carries mixed domestics. Terminals D and E carry the international mix. Hobby across town takes the Southwest-heavy close-in domestic share, about 14 million of the 62 million system total. The useful audience for a branding buy is the Houston energy, Medical Center, and corporate resident, and the inbound visitor who actually enters the city.
| Terminal | Role | Airlines (confirm at contract) | What it means for the buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal A | Mixed domestics | American, Delta, Spirit, Frontier, Alaska, Air Canada, and others as published | Needed when the brief names those carriers, or when a full-airport plan requires the non-United domestic mix |
| Terminal B | United regional and Express emphasis | United and United Express as assigned | Part of the United hub spine. Pair with C and E for United coverage. |
| Terminal C | United domestic hub heart | United; United Clubs; South and North retail | Claim banners and Club-adjacent statics live here. Highest affluent United dwell for branding. |
| Terminal D | International and foreign-flag core | Aeromexico, Air France, British Airways, Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar, Turkish, Volaris, and others as published | International origin-and-destination and partner flows. Gate-hold digital on A, C, and D reaches D. |
| Terminal E | United international | United international; Polaris and Club presence as published | Long-haul United departures and arrivals. Funnel LEDs in the kit include E. Confirm claim versus the inspection path. |
Houston Airports reported a 62 million system total for 2025: IAH about 48 million and HOU about 14 million. International passengers at Bush were 12.4 million. Public reclaim and the curb after inspection are the arrival read. Gate holds are the departure read.
Energy Corridor and downtown energy employers, Texas Medical Center systems, port and industrial logistics, professional services, and the university base. They fly weekly on United and return through the same terminals. This is the audience for recruiting, healthcare, financial, and business-to-business presence. Departure-side and Club-adjacent weight in Terminal C reaches them with dwell. Full United coverage adds B and E.
Record international volume at Bush in 2025. Useful for inbound destination, telecom, banking, and energy-partner brands. Public reclaim and the curb after inspection are the arrival read. Gate holds are the departure read.
A material share of United traffic is connecting. Gate-hold charging screens and concourse digital reach people who may never enter Houston. Use airside for airline, network, and always-on brand frequency. Do not mistake that delivery for local reach.
Rice, University of Houston, Texas Southern, and the Medical Center training pipeline. Education brands EAM has placed in airports include Wharton, BYU, the University of Michigan, the University of Pittsburgh, and UT Dallas. Weight August, January, and commencement on departure-side inventory.
Who advertises
Energy and industrial employers recruiting the corridor; healthcare brands against the Medical Center; financial and wealth brands on the United departure side; universities; destination and hospitality greeting visitors who actually enter the city; arrival-moment services at claim; business-to-business brands against the corporate flyer; and short overlays for CERAWeek and OTC. Always-on rows lead. Energy-week rows follow.
| Objective | Who buys it | Who it reaches | What the buy usually looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiting and employer brand | Energy operators and suppliers, Medical Center systems, industrials, professional services | Houston residents departing and returning on United | Departure-side and Club-adjacent Terminal C; four-week periods year-round, thickened in spring |
| Healthcare and specialty care | Texas Medical Center systems, specialty clinics, medical travel | Residents and inbound patients and families | Claim path for arrivals; departure path for residents; always-on |
| Financial and wealth | Banks, wealth managers, fintech, energy finance | Affluent United flyers with Club and retail dwell | Terminal C Club-adjacent static plus gate-hold digital; multi-period flights |
| Universities and executive education | Local and out-of-state programs; executive certificates | Students, parents, alumni, working professionals | Departure-side weight in August, January, and commencement |
| Account-based and business-to-business | Enterprise software, cybersecurity, industrial suppliers selling into energy | Business travelers on United through B, C, and E | Always-on United digital plus a CERAWeek or OTC period overlay |
| Energy-week inbound | Exhibitors, operators, technology suppliers, economic-development brands | Industry arriving for CERAWeek or OTC, and the energy workforce year-round | The four-week period covering the show dates; Terminal C plus United digital |
| Destination, hospitality, and arrival services | Visit Houston, hotels, attractions, rideshare, rental cars, connectivity | Origin-and-destination visitors entering the metro | Terminal C claim and the public reclaim path; winter and energy-season weight |
The corridor and the Medical Center make IAH a recruiting and business-to-business market every week. Departure-side and Club-adjacent inventory is not a leftover. For these buyers it is the point. People actually in Houston: overweight Terminal C claim, public reclaim, and the curb. United’s connecting network: B, C, and E gate-hold frequency is fine, knowing a share of impressions never enter the city.
CERAWeek and OTC turn Houston’s industry into calendar peaks inside the airport those employees already use. Cover show week with a four-week period, and keep a lighter always-on flight for the workforce that stays. For Texas-region reach, Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth add state-capital and American-hub traffic, and EAM buys them as one plan when a brief needs it. That is a scoping conversation, not a reason to send a Houston buyer somewhere else.
How EAM works
One call, one plan, one contract. We follow up to learn who you need to reach and the objective, then come back with current availability and a recommended mix.
Step 01
Always-on versus an energy-week or holiday period; Terminal C only versus United B, C, and E versus the full airport; arrivals, departures, or both; Bush only, or part of a Houston plan that also looks at Hobby because the brief needs both doors.
You getThe period, the terminal, and the direction
Step 02
Which networks and static faces are open, how crowded the digital loops are, whether Terminal B or E construction affects a unit, and whether category separation is possible. Competitive separation may be possible, but it isn't guaranteed; ask when booking and write it into the contract.
You getAvailability and loop crowding
Step 03
Formats, share of voice, and a range, not a scraped rate card. After we know who you need to reach, we come back with current availability and a plan you can take inside.
You getA range and a mix you can take inside
Step 04
Specs across every screen shape and banner size in the buy, airport authority approval, and files in on the materials date in the contract. Digital creative is due 14–18 business days before start; static creative is due 21–28 days before start.
You getSpecs, approval, and a materials date
Step 05
Confirm posting before the first arrival wave. Deliver proof of posting and play logs after the flight.
You getProof of posting and play logs
EAM Advertising is an independent airport and in-flight media agency, founded in 2015. We specialize in airport and in-flight media and nothing else, and we do not own media assets at IAH or any airport. That independence is why the recommendations hold up. We plan and buy across 125+ airports and 45+ airlines worldwide, which is the leverage and the current-availability knowledge a one-time IAH buyer does not have. Clients include Fortinet, Dynatrace, Rubrik, McGraw-Hill, and Wharton. When the strategy extends beyond Houston — a Texas roadshow with Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth, a multi-city employer-brand launch, a Latin America gateway push with Miami or Mexico City — the same relationship covers the other markets.
For agencies and consultants
Agencies and consultants bring EAM Advertising in as the airport specialist behind a client’s plan. The client relationship stays with you. We plan, buy, and report under NDA, and can work white-label.
Get our media kitMeasurement
Proof of posting and digital play logs are factual. Delivered impressions are modeled. A brand-lift study is the only method that speaks to effect, and it has to be fielded before the flight. Direct pipeline attribution is not reliably available. Perception is the return a resident market can actually defend.
| Measure | What it actually tells you | When to set it up | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proof of posting | Photographic confirmation that every unit ran, in the right place, for the full period. | Written into the contract before signing | High — factual |
| Delivered impressions | Modeled audience delivery from airport traffic and unit position. An estimate, not a count of people who looked. Concourse units overweight connectors. | Requested at proposal stage | Moderate — modeled |
| Digital play logs | Actual spot counts and share of voice on digital networks. The check on whether the loop crowding you planned against actually happened. | Requested at contracting | High — logged |
| Brand lift study | Survey-based awareness or perception change against a control. The only method that measures effect rather than exposure. | Fielded before the flight, for a baseline | Moderate — needs budget and lead time |
| Direct attribution to pipeline | Not reliably available. Airport media has no click, and the same brands run other touchpoints at the same time. | Do not plan the buy around it | Low — treat claims here with skepticism |
Because so much of the useful IAH branding audience lives in the Houston metro and returns through United terminals, a geo-fenced brand-lift panel is more meaningful here than in a pure convention market. Energy-week flights are messier to panel and lean harder on proof of posting, play logs, and modeled delivery. Decide which audience you are buying — connector or origin-and-destination — before you decide what to measure.
The honest framing: proof of posting and play logs prove the campaign ran as bought, delivered impressions size the audience, and a lift study is the only line that speaks to effect. A vendor promising attributed pipeline from airport media is overselling. EAM contracts proof of posting and delivery reporting on every campaign as standard.
Questions
A single unit or network runs $25,000–$120,000 per four-week period, depending on format and location. A two- or three-unit package runs $75,000–$200,000 per period. Full-airport digital domination (88 screens on the current kit) runs north of $240,000 per period. Production and installation on static units are priced separately at quote. Those are planning ranges; specific units and periods are quoted against current availability.
In four-week periods on the current proposal face. Digital networks are shown as ten-second spots in a sixty-second loop, about one of six if the loop is full. Static Terminal C claim and Club-adjacent banners are full-face for the period. Digital creative is due 14–18 business days before start; static creative is due 21–28 days before start. Competitive separation may be possible, but it isn't guaranteed; ask when booking and write it into the contract.
Terminal C for most United domestic and affluent Club dwell. It is the static heart of the current kit. Add Terminals B and E for full United coverage, Terminal A for American, Delta, Spirit, and the mixed domestics, and Terminal D for foreign-flag international. A full-airport digital plan spans A, B, C, and D, and funnel LEDs into E. Confirm airline assignments against the current airport map at contract.
Yes, on United concourse and gate-hold units in Terminals B, C, and E, and on multi-terminal digital networks. Those passengers may never claim a bag in Houston. For people actually entering the metro, weight Terminal C claim, public reclaim after international inspection, and the curb.
Bush is the United hub and international gateway: about 48 million passengers, Energy Corridor and Medical Center traffic, Latin America and long-haul. Hobby is the close-in Southwest-heavy domestic airport: about 14 million. Branding buyers who need energy, corporate, or United weight IAH. Southwest-leisure briefs often land at HOU. EAM can scope both when a brief needs Houston’s two doors.
CERAWeek, OTC, and holiday periods: hold three to five months out. Standard always-on starts are often workable inside six to ten weeks. Confirm windows at quote against a real IAH buy. Scope multi-period flights that cover the spring energy cluster before Terminal C statics sell.
Yes, as an always-on market against Houston’s energy, industrial, and Medical Center employer base, with CERAWeek and OTC as the peaks that concentrate the industry. It is not a long events calendar. Show-only briefs buy the four-week period that contains the show. Workforce briefs buy periods through the year.
Yes. Out-of-state recruiting, executive programs, and alumni campaigns. Houston’s universities and the Medical Center training pipeline make the metro a recruiting market every semester. Education brands EAM has placed in airports include Wharton, BYU, the University of Michigan, the University of Pittsburgh, and UT Dallas. Weight late August, mid-January, and May.
Digital creative is due 14–18 business days before start; static creative is due 21–28 days before start. Expect multiple specs in a mixed buy: wide claim banners, Club-adjacent statics, portrait gate-hold screens, and large funnel LEDs.
Everything after the objective. We check what's open for the week, which loops are crowded and which units will sell out, and where on the arrival path your audience actually walks. We recommend the mix, secure the units, traffic the creative through airport approval, confirm posting on day one, and deliver proof of posting and play logs after. If IAH is one market in a larger plan, the same relationship covers the others.
Competitive separation may be possible, but it isn't guaranteed; ask when booking and write it into the contract. Separation is written into the contract where it is granted.
About 48 million passengers in 2025, inside a Houston Airports system of about 62 million with Hobby, and a record 12.4 million international at Bush. United carries the majority of them.
Independent airport advertising media agency. Est. 2015.
Send your work email for the media kit: formats, planning ranges, and how EAM works. We’ll follow up to learn who you need to reach and when, then come back with current availability and a recommended mix.
Independent since 2015 · 125+ airports · 40+ media vendors
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