Lamar Advertising announces acquisition of Alliance Airport Advertising, Las Vegas

The company that manages advertising at McCarran International Airport has been acquired by one of North America’s largest outdoor advertising companies.

Baton Rouge, La.-based Lamar Advertising on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Alliance Airport Advertising, Las Vegas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Shauna Forsythe, who founded Alliance 16 years ago and served as its president and chief executive, will lead Lamar’s airport division, to be known as Lamar Alliance Airport Advertising.

Under the new arrangement, Lamar Alliance will be directed from Las Vegas and all Alliance employees will be retained.

In addition to operating the advertising concession at McCarran, Alliance has overseen the concessions at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix; Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif.; Portland International Airport in Oregon; and Salt Lake City International Airport.

With the transaction, Lamar now has advertising concessions at a dozen airports serving more than 125 million passengers a year. McCarran is the largest of Lamar’s holdings by gross billings with $14 million billed last year.

“Bringing our two companies together creates a powerhouse for our airport partners,” Forsythe said in a statement issued Tuesday. “Our expanded footprint will offer airports nationwide the opportunity to experience our personal attention and service, with strengthened sales. We are the alternative. And we’re a good one.”

Forsythe said Alliance was on the cutting edge of technology before the acquisition and will have even stronger displays in the future.

“We’ve added digital signage, parking garage banners, experiential displays and sponsorships through the years,” she said. “With Lamar behind us, we will continue to maintain the vibrant ‘Times Square West Coast’ that we’ve created through the years and add exciting new technology that keeps Las Vegas in the spotlight of airport advertising programs.”

Alliance was McCarran’s advertising contractor since 1999 and is under contract through 2022.

Clark County receives a guarantee of $6.8 million or 85 percent of gross advertising revenues, whichever is greater, each year.

“We are thrilled to bring the Alliance team on board,” Lamar chief executive Sean Reilly said in a statement. “As we’ve gotten to know the airport advertising business over the last several years, we have recognized that it’s a terrific fit within Lamar. Alliance has established powerful relationships with some of the nation’s leading airports and we look forward to extending their proven operating model to additional airports.”

Lamar has more than 315,000 displays across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and has the largest network of digital billboards in the United States with more than 2,000 displays.

Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find @RickVelotta on Twitter.