As Las Vegas recedes into the rear-view mirror (or behind the tail of the plane), the overviews and analyses begin.
Though not back to the legendary six-figure attendee numbers of a decade ago, the National Association of Broadcasters announced that the preliminary registration number for the 2023 NAB Show was 65,013 with the international attendees at 17,446. If you were trying to get food, the number definitely felt larger.
That would be a solid increase over the first post-pandemic show in 2022, which listed visitation at just over 52,000.
The international numbers feel low. It seemed that Spanish, Russian, German, French, et al, along with various empire accents, were consistently heard on the floors and in the halls.
The number of countries represented was listed at 166 by the NAB. Packing the three show floors were 1,208 exhibitors, according to the U.S. broadcasters’ association. It would be interesting to know the number of Vegas Loop trips and number of riders between the Central and West halls.
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said, “We are thrilled to have so many exhibitors, attendees and partners from around the world join us in Las Vegas to help celebrate 100 years of innovation.”
If you are the organized type, plan for next year, April 13–17.