NAB 2024 Draws 61,000+ Attendees With More Than Half Attending the Show for the First Time
Attendance was down slightly from 2023, but up significantly from 2022
NAB has announced a projected registered attendance of 61,000+ people for the 2024 NAB Show, down from 65,000+ in 2023 but up significantly from 52,468 attendees 2022 when the industry was still recovering from the pandemic. According to NAB, a whopping 54% of registered attendees were at the show for the first time. In addition, nearly 1,300 exhibitors from 41 countries were on the showfloor.
“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 2024 NAB Show exhibitors debuted and showcased thousands of new products and next-gen technologies from brands that include Adobe, ARRI, AWS, Blackmagic Design, Canon, Fujifilm, JVC Professional Video, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Sony and Verizon Business. 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. More than 200 first-time exhibitors also engaged with attendees.
More than a quarter of attendees (27%, up 2% 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.