NAB Show 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak

from Screen Africa March 2020

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Every April, Las Vegas sees an influx of media, entertainment and technology specialists who flock to Sin City for the muchanticipated NAB Show. A calendar highlight and premier event for the broadcast and media technology industries, NAB provides a platform for industry people to learn about and interact with the new and disruptive trends set to define the broadcast market for the year ahead. But this year, it’s not to be.

With key brands pulling out of the now-cancelled 2020 NAB Show due to concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak, on 12 March the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced the cancellation of the annual broadcast extravaganza, which was scheduled to run from 18 to 22 April at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Last year, in its 96th edition, the NAB Show attracted 91,460 people.

“In the interest of addressing the health and safety concerns of our stakeholders and in consultation with partners throughout the media and entertainment industry, we have decided not to move forward with NAB Show in April,” said president and CEO of NAB, Gordon Smith, in a letter to the NAB community. “We are currently considering a number of potential alternatives to create the best possible experience for our community.

“For nearly 100 years, NAB Show has provided superior value and the best-possible experience for exhibitors and attendees. We knew that if we could not deliver on those expectations, we would not move forward. More importantly, keeping the community safe

and healthy is NAB’s highest priority; therefore, we are deferring to the developing consensus from public health authorities on the challenges posed by coronavirus.

“I want to stress that despite our disappointment at how this year’s show has been impacted by global public health concerns, we are more excited than ever about the future of the NAB Show and our relationship with you,” Smith concluded.