LIFE REALLY IS ONE LONG TRADESHOW (at the moment anyway)

NAB – the show

It was the first major show for nearly two years and it was great to be back! The level of expectation was exceeded with everyone genuinely excited and happy to be meeting each other again.

The number of exhibitors, attendees and therefore, leads, was down about 40%, but what wasn’t down was the quality. This was a year when fewer people attended, but those who did came with a purpose.

Most exhibitors had smaller stands, taking advantage of previous years funding. Although some went bigger, and some didn’t even have a stand but they came as people, so took advantage of being there. One had the best tea!

It was the year technology was there, but took a back-seat. It was all about presentations, talking about projects and future roadmaps. How business and business models have changed, and how the technology needs to address those shifts.

We had award-winning clients and those who celebrated sales successes. We had editorial and video interviews, speakers and extraordinary coverage. We were trending on social media and enjoyed every single second of every single day!

NAB – what else?

It rained! And it was cold. Las Vegas is certainly more expensive than in previous years, and you could easily get a table at a good restaurant without booking way in advance.

There was plenty of transport options this year too: monorail, taxi, uber and the Vegas Loop! An underground tunnel serviced by chauffeured Tesla’s going from Central to West Halls. Kara and I also did the SlotZilla Zipline if that counts? 😉

Where next?

Next week sees ISE in Barcelona and MPTS in London, followed closely by CABSAT in Dubai, and then in June, we have BroadcastAsia in Singapore, InfoComm in Las Vegas, CineGear in LA and KitPlus Shows in Glasgow and Manchester (UK). Oh and don’t forget the local and niche events with client partners and representatives.

And breathe!

It’s an unprecedented time in the event calendar and it’s as a direct result of Covid. But we have the enthusiasm, determination, stamina, clients (technology and products) to really capitalise on all the opportunities ahead of us, and them!

See you on the road – somewhere!