Eighty international groups, organized by 50 different delegation leaders, will attend the NAB Show, April 11-17 in Las Vegas.

Nine delegations are coming to the show for the first time representing Jordan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, Russia, Columbia and Uruguay.

International attendance at the 2008 NAB Show is expected to surpass last year's show where more than 27,000 electronic media professionals representing 163 countries traveled from outside the U.S. to network and establish business partnerships with global players.

"An increasing number of countries around the world are recognizing the NAB Show, not just as a radio and TV broadcasting show, but as the global business to business event for the entire electronic media industry," said NAB Executive Vice President of Conventions and Business Operations Chris Brown. "In fact, nearly a third of our overall attendance will likely be made up of international participants."

Among the more than 1,600 companies exhibiting at the NAB Show, 550 are headquartered outside the United States, up from 470 last year. Some of these companies will be showcased in international pavilions including the Bavarian Pavilion, Belgian Pavilion, China Pavilion, Italian Pavilion and the UK@NAB Pavilion. Brazil and India will also have a presence on the exhibit floor for the first time with dedicated pavilions.

The NAB Show conference program will feature several informative sessions with an international focus including Global Initiative: An International Update on Rollout, April 13, Globalizing Bollywood: Indian Animation and VFX Films Eye the  Global Stage, April 15, India's Entertainment Economy: From Emerging to Surging, April 16, The Beijing Olympics: 2008 and Beyond, April 16.

NAB has also collaborated with two organizations to release market research studies at the NAB Show. Highlighting the emphasis on India this year, Ernst & Young in Mumbai is releasing their new market research on the Indian entertainment economy. The Middle East Broadcast Association will release "Venturing into New Markets - What is Your Next Move?