NAB Show Update: Adobe, Ross Video, Image Video, Imagine Products, Western Digital, and Zaxcom Withdraw From Show

Adobe, Ross Video, Western Digital, and Zaxcom announced that they will be withdrawing from the NAB Show 2020, citing concerns about the coronavirus. The quartet of companies join AJA Video Systems, Nikon, and TVU Networks, and AV Design as companies that have pulled out to NAB. As of Tuesday, NAB said that the show will proceed as planned for April 18-22 in Las Vegas and that the “overwhelming majority” of exhibitors were still booked and attendee registrations were on pace with normal patterns.

UPDATE 3/10/20: Image Video and Imagine Products have both announced that they will not attend the 2020 NAB Show amid growing concerns over the Coronavirus. TV Technology is also reporting that Vizrt is committed to being in Las Vegas next month, while Avid will announce whether it will participate at NAB later this week.

Adobe 
Adobe said in a statement: “Each year, we look forward to seeing our video community at NAB to talk about the latest trends and our product innovations. Over the past few weeks, we have been closely monitoring and evaluating the situation around COVID-19 and have made the difficult but important decision to cancel our presence at the show this year. While we are disappointed, the health and safety of our employees, customers and partners are always our priority. We look forward to engaging with our NAB community through a digital experience in the near future.”

In a statement, Ross Video, which has been at every NAB since 1974, said in a statement that “this has not been an easy decision to take, but we have a clear duty to our employees, our customers and families. Ross is not alone in this. Many of our customers and partners have implemented travel restrictions over concerns about the increasing number of Covid-19 cases around the world.”

Ross Video
Ross Video CEO David Ross added: “I’m disappointed for both our customers and our staff. We always enjoy spending time with friends old and new in Las Vegas, and of course it’s always a great opportunity to launch our newest products. However, the Coronavirus is obviously the dominant issue and we have to do the right thing. I’ll miss seeing so many familiar faces in the audience during our annual NAB keynote event this year. We are developing contingency plans and will be virtualizing many elements of the show to ensure that our customers still learn about everything new from Ross.”

Zaxcom
Zaxcom has also withdrawn NAB 2020 show in Las Vegas due to the risks from the Coronavirus, more formally known as Covid-19. This decision was made as a precaution to keep everyone involved as safe and healthy as possible. The company has participated in NAB for over 30 consecutive years.

“We greatly look forward to seeing our colleagues and friends from all over the world and will greatly miss that without a physical presence at this year’s show,” said Colleen Goodsir, Director of Sales & Marketing, Zaxcom.

Western Digital
In a post on its website, Western Digital said “The health and safety of our employees is a top priority for Western Digital. Due to concerns regarding the coronavirus, we have taken the precautionary measure to withdraw from participating in NAB 2020.”

Image Video
Image Video President Zach Wilkie posted on Linkedin that the company will also be skipping the NAB Show this year.

“As some may already suspect, Image Video will not be attending NAB 2020,” he wrote. “We echo the comments and concerns other exhibitors have made. It becomes a health and safety issue for our employees. Many of whom would go if asked but we are mindful of the anxiety and pressure that may put on them and their families. Not an easy decision with the importance of this event to our industry and our participation over four decades. We’ll shift to a new approach to provide updates on product and software launches that were readied for NAB 2020 and we’ll hope and plan for a 2021 bounce back.”

Imagine Products
Imagine Products will also be skipping the 2020 NAB Show, announcing Tuesday that it is withdrawing fom the show.

“The health and safety of our employees, product evangelists, customers and partners must be the number one priority for us. We will truly miss the opportunity to share our new products and meet new customers and close friends. However, we can not in good faith attend the NAB Show this year,” said Marketing Director, Michelle Maddox, Imagine Products. “We look forward to sharing many exciting announcements in the next few weeks. In this ever-changing digital world, workflow is monumentally important. Our workflow experts and developers are working hard to bring the M&E Industry new products and apps that will increase productivity and security for media assets.”

CLICK HERE for NAB’s Coronavirus Updates and Resources page and stay tuned to sportsvideo.org for continuing coverage of the coronavirus’s potential impact on the sports-production industry. Stay tuned to sportsvideo.org for more updates on this evolving story.