NAB, NAMM, IBC Can Be Skipped Due to COVID (Exclusive) – The Hollywood Reporter
Due to the current climatic conditions surrounding COVID-19, Avid – the maker of entertainment technology including the widely used Media Composer editing system and ProTools audio posting technology – continues to pause exhibits at major trade shows throughout 2022, which means it will not be hosting the annual NAB, NAMM and IBC events.
“We’ve been looking very carefully at what needs to be done in 2022, and as I look to 2022, it’s clear that in certain parts of the world things are starting to settle down and the omicrons are starting to start. head down, but on a global scale it’s not quite there,” said Avid CEO Jeff Rosica. The Hollywood Reporter. “Personally, I am still nervous and I think we are a team [asked], ‘Do we really know if this is the end of it? And do we really know if this is where we’re all going? ‘ Especially when we think about these big global trade shows where we’re attracting people, you know, 50 or 100 countries.”
Last spring, Avid decided not to participate in major trade shows in 2021 due to COVID uncertainty and this is a continuation of that plan.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show, which in 2019 reported an attendance of around 91,000, is scheduled to take place April 23-27 in Las Vegas. The 2020 version of the show has gone virtual due to the pandemic. A 2021 event was scheduled to be held October 9-13 in Las Vegas but was canceled just weeks before it was set to begin due to an increase in delta variation.
The annual International Broadcasting Conference (iBC) is usually held in September in Amsterdam. After canceling the 2020 edition, IBC had scheduled a 2021 live event from December 3-5, which was canceled just over a week before it was scheduled to begin later. as host country the Netherlands announced a one-third week shutdown due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Performances by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) are usually held in January. Its 2021 edition has been canceled and the 2022 show is scheduled for June 3-5 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Rosica said that although Avid will not have an exhibition booth at the event, the company intends to have representatives at the show to participate in other ways. He also noted that Avid intends to participate in smaller, local live events in 2022, as well as host a road show that will travel to cities like Los Angeles and London to buy time Direct contact with customers.
On Avid’s decision for major trade shows in 2022, says Roscia CHEAP, “We’re really looking at it, on the one hand: Are we sure right now, if we make the commitments in these programs, that we can safely do it? But we’re also making the judgment, will things really go back to completely normal? ”
“We are talking about big shows. These big shows are all aimed at bringing together tens of thousands of people from dozens, dozens of countries around the world,” he continued. “Are we really nearing a stage where we can bring those people together [in a safe way] so it worked out, too, because we spent a lot of money on these shows. These are multi-million dollar events [for exhibitors such as Avid]. We don’t feel really confident yet that these shows will be able to track attendance in 2022, because we still think it’s going to be a transition year with the launch of COVID. “
Rosica said Avid remains “big followers” at NAB, NAMM and IBC. “I think organizations [behind] these major trade shows will have to review their strategies,” he added. “Customers have told us very clearly, they want more content in our marketing. They want more digital, they want more virtual [and] they want face to face. I think these organizations will need – and I know they’ve looked at their strategy – you know, more localized events, more regional events, more digital, more content. more tolerance. I think like all uses they will have to look at their strategy a bit because for us our strategy will forever be based on what we have learned over the years. via. ”
