LAS VEGAS—The National Association of Broadcasters is reporting that more than 61,000 people attended the 2024 NAB Show, where artificial intelligence and the creator economy took center stage.
During the show, nearly 200 exhibitors displayed AI/Machine learning tools and tech, while more than 150 sessions featured AI. Meanwhile, there were hundreds of exhibitors in the create space, including a new show floor area dedicated to the creator economy, as well as nearly 100 sessions about the creator economy, the organizers reported.
In a sign of the broadcast, media and entertainment industry’s booming appeal, a staggering 54 percent of the more than 61,000 projected registered attendees experienced the event for the first time, the organizers said.
“We’re blown away to see over half of our attendees this year experiencing NAB Show for the first time,” said Karen Chupka, incoming executive vice president and managing director, NAB Global Connections and Events. “This, and the strong international attendance proves that NAB Show is where global storytellers come to find the tools and technologies needed to create, distribute and monetize content.”
The organizers said that planning is already underway for NAB Show New York, October 9-10, 2024, and next year’s NAB Show, April 5-9, 2025 (Exhibits April 6-9), in Las Vegas.
More than a quarter of attendees (27 percent, up 2 percent from last year) were international, representing 163 countries and included 34 delegation buying groups from all across the world. Ten first-time delegations attended from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Oceana and Central Asia. Additionally, NAB Show presented its first-ever all-Spanish language session, A Case Study of Caliente TV’s Studio Build and the Latin America Broadcast Market. The Show also hosted five international pavilions, with exhibitors from Germany, France, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Korea and Belgium.
The show floor featured nearly 1,300 exhibitors from 41 countries who showcased and unveiled groundbreaking products and technologies, including such brands as Adobe, ARRI, AWS, Blackmagic Design, Canon, Fujifilm, JVC Professional Video, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Sony and Verizon Business.
From AI-powered production tools to immersive virtual reality experiences to the latest tech for broadcast and delivery and everything in between, the ever-evolving landscape of media creation and consumption was showcased by companies from early-stage startups to powerhouse brands. More than 200 first-time exhibitors engaged with attendees, the organizers reported.
Beyond the cutting-edge tools and tech, the conference programs offered insightful discussions and presentations from industry veterans and rising stars. More than 1,050 thought leaders from across the content ecosystem spoke at more than 750 sessions that explored the future of storytelling, the rise of streaming platforms, generative AI and its impact on the industry and the evolving media landscape. Speakers included Frances Berwick, chairman, NBCUniversal entertainment, Terry Crews, America’s Got Talent host, Jennifer Hudson, EGOT winner, entertainment icon and host of The Jennifer Hudson Show and Phil Wiser, EVP, CTO and head of multiplatform operations at Paramount Global, the show reported.
In response to the booming creator economy, NAB Show launched the Creator Lab, sponsored by Blackmagic Design, and expanded show programming to include more pioneering creators to share their insights with the next generation. These digital disrupters included Sean Evans, host and co-creator of Hot Ones, Mark Hustvedt, president of MrBeast YouTube, Casey Neistat, YouTube personality, filmmaker, digital creator and co-founder at Beme and Sean Sotaridona, creator of SeanDoesMagic.
International attendance figures are included in the overall registration number. All numbers are based on pre-show and onsite registration and subject to an ongoing audit. First-time attendees classified as not having attended since 2017, if ever.
