So you didn�t get a chance to go to the spring NAB Show in 2016; various circumstances just didn�t allow for it. Of course, you should make every attempt to go next year, but in the meantime, have you considered the fall Radio Show?
It�s happening between Sept. 20�23, in Nashville, Tenn, at the Omni Nashville Hotel.
Music City�s night life provides plenty of options, from honky tonks to jazz clubs, toney restaurants and barbecue joints.
Credit: Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. Nashville is a great location for an event such as the Radio Show because it�s quite centrally located within in the U.S. If you were to draw a 1000-mile radius circle around Nashville, most major cities in the U.S. fall within it: To the northeast, Boston; to the west, Denver; to the southeast, Miami. In short, it�s not a long plane ride.
EXHIBITORS
Many of the companies you missed in Vegas will be at the fall Radio Show, including Broadcast Electronics, BSI, ENCO, ERI, Nautel, Netia, RCS, WideOrbit, Wheatstone, Worldcast Systems and SAS. Some new names are also popping up on the list.
We�ve given you an exhibitor map in this issue, so you can make a beeline for your priorities. Find it in the digital edition.
If you want to see gear up close and first hand prior to making 2017 cap-ex decisions, this is a good opportunity.
SESSIONS
Credit: Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. The Technology session track will be of particular interest to broadcast engineers.
�When It Hits the Fan: Prepare, Respond and Recover from Cyberattacks and other Operational Catastrophes� will be presented on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10:45 a.m. Howard Price, director of business continuity planning for the Disney/ABC Television Group, will share several case studies. According to the Radio Show website, he will take attendees on �an edge-of-your seat tour of the present and future threats facing radio operators large and small � and the risks you can minimize now with planning that will protect your people, your plant, your programming and perhaps even your job.� Attendees will explore the emerging threats to cybersecurity, facilities, your brand and most importantly, your personnel. Attendees will learn steps they can take to prevent or mitigate threats, enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency.
On Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m., �The Digital Dash � Improving the Consumer Experience� will be presented. The moderater, National Association of Broadcasters EVP and Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny, will host panelists Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs and Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation President and CEO Steve Newberry. �Radio broadcasters need to know what automakers are planning for the future of the center console. With all the media options available for drivers and passengers, broadcasters need to make sure that listeners can find their favorite stations on the radio. This panel will discuss why broadcasters need to keep lines of communication open with �Detroit.�
Later on Thursday, at 3:30 p.m., Ray Sokola, Vice President, Technology Solutions, DTS will present �Enhancing the Listener Experience: New Developments in Audio.� New technologies and applications that promise to improve the way consumers connect with audio programs are on the way: Whether at home, in the car or jogging on the beach, in the very near future we can expect to become ever more immersed in the sound field. This session will offer a glimpse of things to come.
A few other sessions worth checking out: �Get Ticked Off! An Essential Checklist for Digital Success in 2017� (Sept. 21,1:30 p.m.), �10 � 9� 8� 7 Days Until the Next National EAS Test! Are You Ready?� (Sept. 21, 2:30 p.m.), �Embracing Podcasts: How to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Content� (Sept. 21, 3 p.m.),� �The FCC�s New Online Public File System � What�s Going on and What�s Next� (Sept. 22, 10 a.m.) and �Keeping Up with the Changing Radio Regulatory Landscape� (Sept. 22, 2:15 p.m.).
SOCIALIZATION
Nashville is also home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Credit: Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. Never forget that conventions are great places to network with colleagues�past, present and maybe even future.
And consider some of the other events scheduled for the show that are intended to help you do just that. For example, DTS, Inc. Chairman and CEO Jon Kirchner will appear in conversation with NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith at the Radio Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 11:45 a.m. The National Radio Award will also be presented to Don Benson, former president and CEO of Lincoln Financial Media Company, at this event.
This year�s NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show will be hosted by well-known on-air personality Scott Shannon. The event will take place Sept. 22 at the Radio Show. Tickets are required in order to attend, so plan ahead.
And if you�re arriving in town early or heading out Friday afternoon, be sure to attend the Kick-Off Party (Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. in the Omni Nashville Hotel Legends Ballroom) and Music and Mimosas, which is scheduled for Sept. 23 at 9 a.m. and will also be held in the Omni Nashville Hotel Legends Ballroom.
WHILE YOUR�RE THERE
The Grand Ole Opry is nearly synonymous with Nashville�s contriubutions to the world of music, but it�s far from the only source of its well-deserved reputation.
Credit: Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. The Omni Nashville Hotel is connected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, with easy access to the city�s best entertainment.
Nashville�s Downtown Circulator offers attendees a free and convenient way to get around downtown or to The Gulch (which is another hot spot for dining and live music, from bluegrass to jazz). The Green Circuit takes you between The Gulch and Riverfront Station; the Blue Circuit runs south to north serving key destinations between the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and Bicentennial Mall. The Purple Circuit runs primarily south of Broadway along Hermitage and Second Avenues and serves key destinations between Riverfront Station and the Richard H. Fulton� Complex.
Nashville is also home to Andrew Jackson�s Hermitage, the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and is a foodie�s delight.
Music City will never disappoint audio-centric tourist. In addition to the Country Music Hall of Fame, you can also visit Music Row, the Grand Ole Opry and the Honky Tonk Highway.
The 2016 Radio Show may not be as big as the spring show, as you likely know, but still affords you many chances to get your hands on equipment to help with budgeting decisions for next year. If you want to talk to a dealer or manufacturer, this show provides a great opportunity for in-depth conversations.
Of course, the fact that the Radio Show is in Nashville this year is a plus, since the town has more than enough reasons to visit, convention or no convention. We hope to see you there!
