The NAB Show has always had a strong international component, but for 2009 show organizers expect international attendance to reach new heights.
For the 2008 NAB Show, 28,310 of the 105,259 attendees, a little over 26 percent, came from overseas. The National Association of Broadcasters again expects about a quarter of 2009 attendees are expected to come from outside the United States.
Among these are more than 70 international groups, organized by 51 different delegation leaders. Bulgaria, Greece, Morocco and Norway are sending organized delegations to the NAB Show for the first time.
Of the 1,500 exhibiting companies, about a third are headquartered outside the United States. While many are exhibiting on their own, some of these international exhibitors are participating in international pavilions on the exhibit floor. Bavaria, Wallonia, France, India, Italy, South Korea and the United Kingdom all have organized international pavilions this year.
“We put global content professionals around the world in touch with solutions providers from every stage of the content lifecycle,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Conventions and Business Operations Chris Brown. “The participation of international visitors is a key component and we are committed to growing the global scope of the show by delivering an international audience and remaining the global business-to-business event for the entire industry.”
International leaders are also participating in the show. The Ministries of Communications from Brazil, Cambodia, Columbia, India, Kenya, New Zealand, the Philippines, Russia and Taiwan are sending representatives to the show.
Sessions and events that focus on broadcasting and telecommunications in the non-U.S. context include the “U.S.–China Broadcasting Forum,” “India: Transitioning to a Digital Future,” “Orange–France Télécom: A Case Study” and “Telecom 2009: NexTV Latin America Workshop.”
