Karen Chupka, the NAB’s incoming managing director and executive V.P. of global connections and events looks toward her first show.
RedTech: You’re new to the NAB. Tell us a bit more about yourself and what you’ll be doing.
Karen Chupka: I’m Karen Chupka, incoming managing director and executive vice president of global connections and events at the National Association of Broadcasters, the force behind NAB Show in Las Vegas, NAB Show New York and our digital hub, NAB Amplify. Our department name speaks to our focus on uniting the global broadcast, media and entertainment community through cutting-edge technology and trends.
At its core, the NAB Show transcends being a mere event; it’s a thriving global hub where pioneers, visionaries and industry leaders convene to steer the industry’s trajectory on a global scale.
RedTech: Why or how is the NAB Show relevant to the international audience, and why should they come to Las Vegas? What events/features are aimed at international visitors?
Chupka: We’re thrilled about the growing international interest in NAB Show. Over the past year, we’ve observed a significant uptick in our international attendance as global regions gradually recover from the pandemic. Last year, we welcomed a record number of official delegations, reaching nearly 27% of total attendance, a level near our historic peak. This year, we’re seeing even greater interest, with commitments from various delegation groups, including South Korea and South Africa, alongside 35–40 more global buying groups planning to attend.
The NAB Show is the place to engage with over 1,200 exhibiting companies and over 65,000 industry attendees from more than 160 countries. Our education and show floor is segmented into three pillars: Create, Connect and Capitalize. Create is where content finds form with the latest tools and advanced workflows, elevating the art of storytelling. Connect is where content moves next through distribution and delivery. Capitalize is where content meets commerce to develop go-to-market and monetization strategies.
NAB formed an automotive initiative committee to tackle issues like the connected car, which is still important to our members and will once again be discussed at NAB Show.
Karen Chupka
RedTech: Artificial Intelligence seems to have finally moved from “something to think about” in the industry to “something happening.” How is the 2024 NAB Show addressing that?
Chupka: Artificial Intelligence will be one of the most pervasive conversations throughout the NAB Show because it touches every aspect of the broadcast, media and entertainment landscape, and impacts the development and use of just about every kind of technology we will see on the show floor. Almost 100 exhibitors have AI-related technologies at the show. The timing could not be better — so much is “real” and “urgent” about AI right now. So this year’s NAB Show not only offers a comprehensive learning experience, but we will see attendees shopping for these products and planning their integration over the next 12 months.
RedTech: Radio in the car is important to radio broadcasters no matter where they are based. Will radio in the dash be examined by the 2024 NAB Show?
Chupka: NAB formed an automotive initiative committee to tackle issues like the connected car, which is still important to our members and will once again be discussed at NAB Show. In the Small and Medium Market Radio Forum, there will be a roundtable called “How to Stay Relevant in the Connected Car of Today and Tomorrow,” featuring a discussion around how connected cars are providing radio with amazing, timely data into how, when and where listeners are engaging with their station’s programming. This roundtable will also discuss how stations can use that data to inform their programming and advertising discussions.
Also, in our Core Education Collection: Capitalize Series, we have an exciting panel called “DTS AutoStage — Your Station, Your Content, Your Analytics. Together We Define the Future of Radio in the Car,” featuring Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer of Westwood One/Cumulus Media; Joe D’Angelo, senior vice president of broadcast radio and digital audio of Xperi; Mike Hulvey, chief executive officer of Neuhoff Communications; and Greg Strassell, executive vice president/programming of Hubbard Radio. This panel will discuss how connected car data can be used to improve advertising sales and create more targeted content and programming based on listener behaviors.
Attendees can also explore Xperi’s DTS AutoStage technology touted as providing access to unique insights and listener behavior that complements and enhances AM, FM, DAB and HD Radio via rich, consistent metadata, advanced services and broadcast content protection.
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