Next week in Las Vegas, the National Association of Broadcasters holds their annual trade show in Las Vegas.  The NAB Show doesn’t seem to generate the same amount of buzz in the integration circles as shows like CEDIA and InfoComm and I’m not quite sure why.  There’s a tremendous amount of value in going to NAB, so in case it’s not on your radar, I thought I’d give you 5 reasons you should be at NAB.

 

End User Attendance

In 2016 InfoComm drew nearly 39,000 visitors and the International show, ISE, drew over 73,000 visitors earlier this year in 2017 both setting records based on prior attendance at each location.  In comparison, over 102,000 attended the NAB Show last year, with over 69,000 of them identifying themselves as buyers of the products and services on the floor.  Of that 69,000, only about 10% were resellers and integrators.  That means there is a large end-user contingent on the floor at NAB.  If part of your strategy is getting closer to the end customer, NAB seems like a great place to be networking or exhibiting.  To see the full demographic report from 2016, go here.

End to End Workflow Solutions

One thing I’ve always found to be amazing about NAB is that the exhibitors represent every part of the AV workflow.  From content creation software and image capture, to post production, to distribution and broadcast, to display and audio, every part of the chain seems to be covered on the show floor.  In fact, NAB organizes the exhibitors on the floor by their roles.  There are 8 major categories of exhibitors.

• Acquisition and Production
• Display Systems
• Distribution/Delivery/Online Video
• Management Systems
• Outdoor/Mobile Media
• Post Production
• Pro Audio
• Radio

World Class Speakers

If you’re following  the chatter around the upcoming InfoComm 2017 show, you may be aware of their TIDE Conference that focuses on the storytelling side of AV and includes some amazing speakers.  Likewise, NAB has assembled a noteworthy collection of speakers, featuring everyone from news personalities and actors and actresses, to astronauts, to publishers, to comedians, to educators and more.

If you attend tradeshows for the thought leadership as much as you do for the exhibits, NAB will not leave you wanting in that regard.

Less HDMI

So those of you that know me are either giggling or rolling your eyes right now, but I had to throw it in!  NAB, being a broadcast show, showcases some very innovative technologies, and many of those are a little outside our normal AV wheelhouse.  Of course there are numerous flavors of SDI on the floor, ranging from HD to 12G, but there are also broadcast-quality, wireless video solutions and innovative IP streaming solutions on the floor as well.  If you want to explore new and interesting ways to distribute signals, or you want to better understand the real challenges in creating true lossless and zero latency networks, or you want some perspective on what impact UHD has on the everyday workflow of a content creator or a broadcaster, then NAB is a great place to start.

I’ll be there!

I saved the best for last.  I’m going to be on the NAB floor from the 24th to the 27th.  It’s a great reason to come to the show, track me down, and ask me to buy you a drink or dinner.  So, if I have convinced you to come to the show, or even if you were coming already, stop by, say hi, and let’s connect!  I’ll be in the Central Hall in booth C8012!