The National Association of Broadcasters believes NAB2007 will generate even more money than NAB2006 did for its exhibitors.
"Thirty billion dollars in sales were generated during the week of that show," said NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton. "Another $20 billion [was generated] within the next two to three months."
More important to the industry itself, Wharton believes the show will offer new opportunities to enhance broadcasters' payback.
He said carrier execs would be on hand at Telecom@NAB2007 to connect local TV stations to the cell phone market. A National Basketball Association honcho will show the upside of going HD. And CEOs from TiVo's Tom Rogers to Sling Media's Blake Krikorian will show how key peripherals factor into the mix, while Harris, Sony, Panasonic, Microsoft and other heavyweights deliver news about technologies affecting traditional TV operations.
Other highlights include super sessions keynoted by Google CEO Eric Schmidt, HP Chief Strategy and Technology Officer Shane Robison, and NHK Managing Director Hirokazu Nishiyama. And, according to Wharton, "Apple is claiming [it 's] going to have some big announcement."
In addition, NAB and the Advanced Television Systems Committee have teamed up once again to host the DTV Hot Spot.
"Our main goal is to provide the industry with a glimpse at the capabilities of existing ATSC standards and those under development," said ATSC president Mark Richer. "We also want to encourage participation in our standards development activity."
Demonstrations will include two potential mobile DTV applications for broadcasters: Samsung's A-VSB for indoor and mobile reception and Harris' MPH platform for mobile reception. Other demonstrations will include an advanced DTV multicasting service, and D-ENG return channel capabilities. The Hot Spot will also feature a special demonstration of the ACAP Field Trial Project and an NAB/MSTV demonstration of DTV converter boxes for consumers.
These events will hopefully provide comfort to stations destined to spend up to $12 billion on digital technology between now and the 2009 deadline, according to NAB estimates.
"The NAB show truly is the global communications marketplace," Wharton said. "You come back with money making ideas."
More than 105,000 people are expected to attend this year's convention, which will feature more than 1,500 exhibitors.
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