As the title probably gave away, this year was my first time attending NAB Show. You know as well as I do that my trade show shoes have seen more InfoComms, ISEs and CEDIA Expos than I can count. But as someone with a background in theater and broadcast journalism, this show almost felt like the perfect intersection of those interests with AV technology.

You might’ve already heard me gush about how kind the people were at this show. There was a clear, friendly vibe. Don’t get me wrong — the #AVtweeps are, for the most part, very kind! But sometimes, as a journalist, you feel very aware that you’re getting on people’s nerves or in their way. I didn’t feel that at NAB. In fact, out of the 50-60 booths we visited, only a couple declined to shoot product videos. I thought that was wild — in a good way.

The attendees were also incredibly varied: tons of end users, some integrators and even a good number of entry-level creators interested in streaming.

I think it was an important year for me to attend, as the line dividing broadcast and AV tech gets thinner every year. Look, I get it — not every AV install is going to start using IPMX or SMPTE ST 2110 to send information. But I do believe in a world where we’ll eventually see HDCP support in either IPMX or ST 2110. (This is a big reason many AV folks aren’t fully sold on these standards. To support HDCP, you need end-to-end encryption, handshake protocols and strict path control — things that are hard to guarantee across IP-based infrastructure. But that’s a rant for another day.) Still, the sheer number of AV-first companies exhibiting at NAB seems like a pretty strong sign that this convergence is coming.

Of course, one of the biggest trends at the show was AI. It showed up everywhere — from transcription services and audio tools to production software and PTZ cameras. I saw this same trend at ISE and Enterprise Connect earlier this year, and it’s clearly not going anywhere. AI will definitely be a major theme again at InfoComm in June as the industry continues trying to figure out how to best harness it.

As I mentioned earlier, I was surprised by the number of creator attendees. I’ve never been to a show with that kind of consumer-adjacent crowd before. But they weren’t just wandering — they were engaged. Many of the products at the show were clearly for that community (an example below, even): on-the-go tech for quick shooting and editing, simple production software and accessible gear for influencers, tech enthusiasts and DIY producers. Maybe there’s something to be said for the creator economy after all.

I left the show totally inspired by the intersection of storytelling and technology — two of my favorite things. NAB gave me a fresh perspective, and honestly, a lot of hope and excitement for the future of AV. Because in my opinion? Broadcast is going to be a big part of that.

Alright. Next stop? InfoComm. See you in two months.