Ten Years Walking the Floor
A practical guide to getting real value out of NAB, from someone who has been there every year since 2016.
In one week, my feet will be wrecked.
Every April, I trade comfort for concrete. Miles of it. The Las Vegas Convention Center kind, where you walk from hall to hall, meeting to meeting, until your shoes feel like a punishment for every appointment you booked.
This is my tenth time at NAB. Ten years of sore feet, back-to-back conversations, and handshakes that turned into projects, partnerships, and friendships that shaped my career.
NAB is the largest conference and trade show for broadcasting professionals in the world. It happens every April in Las Vegas. If you work in this industry, you have either been there, want to go, or are trying to figure out if it is worth it.
I want to help you answer that question. And if you are already going, I want to help you get the most out of it.
The Show Has Changed
When I walked in for the first time in 2016, the parking lot outside the convention center was full of satellite uplink trucks and massive production vehicles. The halls were dominated by antennas, transmission gear, and hardware that weighed more than most of us could carry.
That world is disappearing.
Many of those companies are gone. Others have evolved. Companies that were purely transmission-based are now deep into IP, cloud infrastructure, and software-defined workflows. The physical footprint of the show reflects where the industry is headed, and it is not going backward.
But here is the data point that matters most.
Out of the 55,000 registered attendees last year, more than 53% were first-time registrants. They came from 160 countries. 25% were international. And the profiles are shifting. We are seeing more content creators, more people from platforms like YouTube and TikTok, more influencers alongside the engineers, producers, and executives who have always been the backbone of this event.
That is not a threat to our industry. That is proof that it is expanding. The people are changing, the technology is changing, and if you are paying attention, that is a good thing.
Do You Actually Need to Go?
Before I give you my guide, I want to be honest about something.
Not everyone needs to go to NAB every year.
It is easy to fall into the shiny object syndrome. It is Vegas, it is big, it is where everybody is. But attending a conference like this costs money, time, and energy. If you are in broadcast sales, you probably need to be there annually. If you are in production, engineering, or management, you need to evaluate it honestly. Ask yourself: what do I need this year that I can only get by being in that room?
Some years the answer is clear. Other years, it is not. And that is fine. The goal is value, not attendance for the sake of it.
Where the Real Value Is
If you are going, here is how I break down the layers of value after ten years of doing this.
1. Networking
This is where the highest return is. Period.
You could argue that you can meet these people at other events throughout the year. And you would be right. But NAB gives you something no other event does: concentration. The top executives, the decision makers, the innovators, all in one place, all with open calendars, all eager to show you what they are working on.
Most deals are not signed at NAB. That is not the point. The value is in sitting across from someone who is building the future of our industry and having a real conversation about what is coming. Even if you are not a decision maker yourself, those conversations compound over time.
I wrote about the power of reaching out in TMB #147, "Would You Help Me Find a Job?" The people who land opportunities are the ones who build relationships before they need them. NAB is where many of those relationships start.
2. Conferences and Sessions
People do not pay enough attention to this part.
NAB has the big keynotes where you will hear from Academy winners, famous directors and editors, and top executives from the largest networks in the world. Those are worth attending if the topic is relevant to you.
But there are also smaller sessions, like the Innovation Hub, where you will find people and companies that are closer to your reality. Some of these are free with your general access badge. You can walk in, learn what others are doing in your specific niche, and walk out with ideas you can apply immediately.
Do not skip the sessions because you think the floor is where the action is. Some of the best insights I have picked up at NAB came from a 30-minute talk, not a booth.
3. Live Lessons on the Floor
Companies like Blackmagic, Avid, and Vizrt run live demonstrations and mini-workshops right on the show floor. These are gold.
You can learn editing techniques, post-production workflows, and audio tricks that would normally cost hundreds of dollars in a specialized workshop. The operators running these demos are highly skilled, and they are happy to answer questions.
I have gone to the vMix booth every year since I started attending. Every single time I had a question, they showed me the solution, pointed me to documentation, or connected me with one of their experts on the spot. That kind of access is hard to find anywhere else.
4. The Small Booths
This one is personal.
The big companies are easy to find and impossible to miss. But you can get most of what they are showing from a press release or their website. The real surprises are in the small booths.
These are companies from countries that are not your traditional broadcasting hubs. Products that are still in early development. Solutions that are not mass-produced yet but could solve a very specific problem you have been dealing with.
I remember a booth in 2017. A group of mathematicians from Japan had built a transmission encoding and decoding product that was ahead of its time. We tested it, it worked, and their technology was eventually acquired. But we saw it early enough to understand what was possible and how we could deploy systems like that.
Do not overlook the small booths. Walk those aisles. The future of our industry is never announced from the main stage. It is hiding in a small booth, built by people you have never heard of.
5. Everything Outside the Convention Center
The show floor runs from roughly 8:30 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon (when beers and wine are served in many booths). But some of the most valuable interactions happen after hours.
Dinners. Parties. Gatherings. Private sessions. If you can get access to any of these, you will have direct contact with people who are difficult to reach during the day. The conversations are more relaxed, more honest, and often more productive.
It is not easy to get invited. You have to build your network over time to earn those invitations. But if you get the chance, choose carefully. Pick the ones that bring real value to your career, your employer, or your business. Not every after-hours event is worth your energy.
Practical Tips for Your Trip
A subscriber recently asked me for tips before their first NAB. Here is what I told them.
Wear comfortable shoes. The dress code has evolved. You can get away with jeans and a blazer. But the walking is brutal. Plan for it.
Group your meetings by location. The convention center is enormous. If you have a meeting at 9:00 in the West Hall and the next one is in the North Hall, you need 20 minutes just to walk there. Look at the maps, use the NAB app, and block your schedule by hall. It will save you hours over the course of the week.
Book everything early. Hotels, flights, restaurants. Las Vegas during NAB week is a different city. If you need to host a client dinner or a vendor meeting, you might need reservations weeks in advance. Planning ahead saves money and stress.
One More Thing (For Paid Subscribers)
For the paid subscribers of The Ministry of Broadcasting, remember that in our Notion Hub you have the curated list of conferences and events that are worth your time and investment this year. Use it as a planning tool. Check it regularly. The industry moves fast, and knowing where to be is half the battle.
55,000 people will walk the same floor next week. Most will see the same booths, grab the same brochures, and fly home with a bag of swag and a dead phone.
The ones who come back sharper are the ones who planned for value, not for attendance.
If you know someone who is headed to NAB this year, or someone still on the fence about going, send them this edition. It might change how they approach the whole week.
See you next week.
Oscar S.
Excellent resource and post per usual. Thank you, Oscar!
Quick question. What is the best conference for play by play commentators in your opinion? I have met folks at NEP and Mediapro. I was able to contact them directly and, by the grace of God, was hired for work.
Do you think these conferences are valuable for commentators?