The National Association of Broadcasters abruptly canceled its October conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, a decision that disappointed southern Nevada’s tourism guides but is unlikely to result in further cancellations, analysts say.
One of the three largest annual trade shows in Las Vegas, the event has historically drew 90,000 to 100,000 broadcast professionals to the city for several days to celebrate radio, television, and streaming content and to offer educational seminars for engineers and other manufacturing facilities. Staff.
Chris Brown, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Global Connections and Events at the National Association of Broadcasters, announced on Twitter early Wednesday that the show had been canceled. Brown said the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in the Delta variant “presented our global community with unexpected and insurmountable challenges.”
pic.twitter.com/fBcml83lzy
– NAB Show (@NABShow) September 15, 2021
A spokesman for the association said pre-registration for the NAB has been strong and meets their expectations. Most of the organizations that meet in Las Vegas have said they were excited about half the attendance they typically get.
Wednesday’s announcement marked the third time an NAB show had been scratched. The 2020 show was one of the first major conventions to be canceled when resorts and casinos closed for 78 days.
The April 2021 NAB Show was held on April 9-13. October postponed. Now the show is slated to return from April 23-27, 2022, and the association said it would soon announce a scaled-down virtual version of the show.
Jennifer Sizemore, chief communications officer for the Southern Nevada Health District, said the agency was not involved in the NAB’s decision to cancel the show.
“It was probably a decision made by the organizer on their own terms,” she said. “We currently support all voluntary steps that organizations are taking to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
No further cancellations
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority issued a brief statement of cancellation.
“We really appreciate our three decades of partnership with NAB and will very much miss seeing their exhibitors and visitors this fall,” said Steve Hill, President and CEO of LVCVA. “We are eagerly awaiting the return of the show in April.”
An LVCVA spokeswoman added that no other conventions or trade shows have been canceled.
Nevada’s Governor Steve Sisolak said through a spokeswoman that he understood the NAB’s decision.
“The governor continues to use all available resources to encourage more Nevada residents and visitors to get their COVID-19 vaccine, and continues to work with public health officials to make major events safer for workers and attendees,” it said a statement from the governor called. “The governor looks forward to welcoming NAB back to Silver State in April 2022.”
Analysts said Wednesday that while the cancellation bodes ill for the convention industry, there are no signs that NAB’s actions will result in further congress cancellations.
‘New territory’
“We’re back on new territory,” said Amanda Belarmino, assistant professor at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. “With the choice of vaccine or mask mandates for Nevada conventions, the risk of the Delta variant should be reduced, but here too we have to control the perception of our potential guests. This is not a good sign of recovery, but the continued influx of vacationers suggests that this may not be a predominant concern for all travelers. “
Belarmino said vaccines are widespread and effective, unlike 2020, and that higher vaccination rates across the country would alleviate anxiety and promote recovery.
Analyst Brendan Bussmann, Director of Government Affairs at Global Market Advisors from Las Vegas, was not surprised by the NAB’s decision to cancel.
“This will only prolong our recovery as this is one of many conferences faced with difficult decisions as attendees choose their trip carefully,” said Bussmann. “Meetings and conventions are one of the key components to our long-term recovery and return to normal.”
Bussmann said the decisions made by the management of other trade fairs were helpful.
“Many of the upcoming shows are making the decision to prescribe vaccines, including G2E and CES,” he said. “While this has helped with the current mask mandate under the governor’s latest policy, it will be some time before the business in Las Vegas is back to full. Once that latest curveball is resolved, I have no doubt that the pent-up demand for face-to-face business will come back. “
Companies say goodbye
Josh Swissman, founding partner of the Las Vegas-based Strategy Organization, said the NAB likely pulled back when major exhibiting companies hesitated to participate.
“The NAB show organizers saw the writing on the wall for themselves when they dropped out of the conference for companies like Sony, Canon, Adobe and others,” he said. “Obviously, when the big attendees move out like that, it takes away a fair amount of the base of voters who would often attend a show like this.”
Swissman also said the NAB is a show that relies heavily on international participation – and the Overseas Airlift has been slow to return to Las Vegas.
“Historically, shows like NAB have had a very large international share of visitors and show goers. All you have to do is look at the current McCarran Airlift in and out of the city to know that international air travel is indeed virtually non-existent, and that is even more so for destinations or countries like China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.
“If you add up these factors, large companies withdrawing from the show and the already very small, almost non-existent international trips, I get it. I understand why they did what they did, ”he said.
The organizers of some of the biggest events on the calendar said Wednesday their plans for Las Vegas were not discouraged by the NAB’s decision to cancel.
The Global Gaming Expo, which takes place from October 4th to 7th at the Venetian Expo, is a success according to the organizers.
“We know safety is paramount, which is why we introduced vaccine requirements and masking protocols for all show attendees,” said Meredith Pallante, vice president of global events for the sponsoring American Gaming Association.
“We strive to provide a safe event where everyone can feel safe doing business, learning about the latest industry trends, and getting back in touch with friends and colleagues.”
SEMA on board
Chris Kersting, president and CEO of SEMA – the Specialty Equipment Market Association, an aftermarket auto parts show – said his organization continues to plan its November 2-5 event and the NAB’s cancellation didn’t put them off.
The National Finals Rodeo, which is scheduled for December 2nd to 1st at the Thomas & Mack Center, is also in full swing.
Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, a rodeo sponsor, said NFR has the advantage of being late on the calendar so that representatives can follow and learn from other events and organizations.
“There will be an NFR in Las Vegas,” Christenson said. “If there are Raiders games and Golden Knights games, there will be an NFR.”
Christenson said he expects sponsors to announce attendee and fan requirements for attending the Super Bowl of rodeos over the next few weeks.
The CES, which in January heralds the convention season in Las Vegas with the largest trade fair of the year, is also on the calendar for the beginning of 2022 and is to be pushed further.
“The CES is still four months away,” said a spokesman for the Sponsoring Consumer Technology Association. “We are optimistic and recently announced that proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required to attend CES 2022 in person. To date, over 1,100 companies have committed to exhibiting in Las Vegas, including the world’s best-known brands and startups from around the world. “
The news of the cancellation of the NAB didn’t bother Nikhil Bhatt and Ajay Kumar, exhibitors at MINExpo 2021 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The two are executives at competing companies, but chatted in the hallway outside the central hall’s exhibition area on Wednesday afternoon, catching up behind their blue medical masks.
It is encouraging to see many attendees wearing their masks indoors, said Kumar, 61, of Epiroc Drilling Solutions based in Garland, Texas. He found that Nevada’s internal mask requirements are different from those of his home state.
“I’m from Texas, he from Florida,” said Kumar, looking at Bhatt, “So these are the two states where there is great controversy.”
Bhatt is a 40-year-old resident of Alachua, Florida. He said his company, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, required employees to get vaccinated if they wanted to attend MINExpo.
Data shows that vaccinated people are at lower risk than unvaccinated people, he said, adding that he was vaccinated.
“A lot of people didn’t show up for this show either,” said Bhatt.
Gonazalo Grajeda, 22, said he was comfortable at the convention because he wore his mask, practiced social distancing, and regularly disinfected his hands. He said his Las Vegas monorail car was “super crowded” when he left the convention on Monday afternoon, even though the convention itself had plenty of room for people to avoid crowds.
Most people wore masks, said Grajeda, who received one of two doses of vaccine.
Grajeda, who works for Hydrotech Mining Inc. based in Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada, said he noticed crowds gather in Las Vegas at night, but he was taking proper precautions.
“I can understand why it was canceled,” Grajeda said of the broadcasting fair. “But I still don’t mind.”
Swissman said Las Vegas’ well-known resilience will play a role in helping the city weather the NAB’s cancellation.
“Vegas is a pretty resilient city and a pretty resilient travel destination, so I’m still confident we can make it, but we still have some work to do,” said Swissman. “We are a city of fighters and we will keep fighting.”
The review journal is owned by the family of Dr. Miriam Adelson, the majority shareholder in Las Vegas Sands Corp., which operates The Venetian.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter. The review journal’s author, Mike Shoreo, contributed to this report.
