Exhibits, technical sessions and recognizing excellence are in store for attendees
BY Elle Kehres, RADIO WORLD
NAB Show returned in 2022, drawing an energetic 53,458 attendees to the Las Vegas Convention Center. This year NAB Show officials are expecting an even stronger event.
“By and large, trade shows are coming back strong as pandemic concerns subside and people get back to doing business in person. We are encouraged about what’s to come,” said Chris Brown, executive vice president and managing director of NAB Global Connections and Events. “We are expecting the total attendance number to jump to 70,000 or more this year.”
Radio broadcasters will find relevant industry exhibitors, educational sessions and networking events all in one, centralized location. The Broadcast District, a new home for the TV and radio community, is located in the West Hall.
Educational Sessions
The Broadcast District is also home to the Broadcast Engineering and IT Conference (BEITC), produced in partnership with the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers and the North American Broadcasters Association.
BEITC is featuring technical presentations on the evolution of next-generation content delivery systems. Sessions of note for radio broadcasters include hybrid radio and the connected car, Xperi’s HD Radio services and ongoing advocacy efforts for an increase in FM digital power.
The session “‘Generative AI:’ Supercharging Humans, Transforming Creativity” dives into the artificial intelligence technology. Another session focuses on live video streaming and how radio broadcasters can improve their programming using a particular tool for less than $1,000.
Other session topics include cybersecurity for broadcast IT systems, remote work and virtualization, and how AI can drive sustainability in FM broadcasting.
More radio-related sessions will be held in NAB Show’s Capitalize Experimental Zone. Today, sessions such as “Positioning Radio in 2023” and “Maximizing Radio Revenues” will take the stage. On Monday, attendees can join a roundtable discussion on AI solutions for broadcasters or attend another session to hear more about the “Next Generation of Radio Superstars.”
Relevant sessions for radio broadcasters continue into Tuesday’s programming with information on podcasting’s continued growth and “Community Building Strategies for Broadcasters,” a topic that is especially relevant for hyperlocal, community radio stations that are helping to keep the medium strongly rooted in an ever-changing media landscape.
Honors
On Monday, during the “NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame,” Adrian “Stretch Armstrong” Bartos and Bobbito García will be inducted for radio.
On Tuesday, during the “We Are Broadcasters Awards,” the presentation of the NAB Crystal Radio Awards, NAB Crystal Heritage Award and Engineering Achievement Awards will take place. Finalists for the NAB Crystal Radio Awards have been announced, but which stations will be the winners? Receiving the 2023 NAB Engineering Achievement Award for Radio is Beasley Media Group’s Michael Cooney.
Live Podcast
Today, for NAB Show Conference badge holders, Bob Pittman, iHeartMedia co-founder, chairman and CEO, will sit down with Premiere Networks personality Angela Yee for “Math & Magic: Stories From the Frontiers of Marketing With Bob Pittman.”
“Bob and Angela are powerhouses in the world of audio because they are both dynamic, forward-looking thinkers who know how to connect with audiences,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “This is a great opportunity to hear these industry leaders in conversation, sharing valuable marketing insights and professional wisdom — and undoubtedly some fantastic stories from their remarkable careers.”
Pittman heads iHeartMedia by reach, delivering audio content, programming and personalities to a quarter of a billion listeners every month across broadcast radio, streaming digital radio and podcasting. Yee is an influencer and award-winning host of the nationally syndicated “Way Up With Angela Yee” broadcast radio show and the “Lip Service” podcast.
Bringing their diverse experiences to the table, Pittman and Yee will discuss ways that the smartest marketers in radio can cut through the noise, time after time.
Networking
Roundtable discussions will be held in the NAB Discussion Den, with more in-depth conversations and solutions to day-to-day challenges. Presentations also will take place in the NAB Sip-and-Speak Corner and offer direct solutions to specific needs radio stations have. The Discussion Den and NAB Sip-and-Speak Corner are both located in the TV and Radio HQ, which is the premier networking destination for television and radio broadcasters and is presented by Comscore.
