WASHINGTON—The 2021 NAB Show may be one of the first chances people in the broadcast industry have to gather in-person since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last March, and according to a recent survey there is enthusiasm to end the run of entirely virtual conferences.
Citing a survey conducted by Freeman Event Research in November 2020 as part of a trade show industry research project, NAB says that nearly seven in 10 previous NAB Show attendees surveyed said they expect to attend the 2021 NAB Show in person when it takes place in Las Vegas from Oct. 9-13. A key factor in this is the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, which about 60% of respondents said would be the main factor into whether they would attend an in-person event.
Nearly 60% of respondents expect that virtual components will remain and have an increased role in live events and trade shows—NAB, for its part, has already announced NAB Amplify, an online platform to provide year-round connections for the NAB Show community. However, 88% said they will likely return to in-person events once they feel the threat of the virus is mitigated.
According to NAB, exhibitors are already expecting to have a more normal NAB Show, with NAB reporting “strong early exhibit sales.”
“The ability to meet with a large number of our current and potential customers is the reason that we return to NAB Show year after year, and that opportunity was sorely missed in 2020,” said Ken Frommert, president, Enco. “We look forward to once again meeting with our customers face-to-face. There is truly no better way to learn about their goals and deliver solutions that meet their needs.”
For more information on the 2021 NAB Show, visit www.nabshow.com.
