NAB Show Starts This Weekend; War’s Impact Unclear

The impact of world events on NAB convention attendance will be known in a few days.
Some attendees and exhibitors have expressed concern privately that the war might depress attendance, particularly from abroad. One exhibitor has cancelled a press conference “due to the current world climate with travel uncertainties and a low attendance response” from reporters.
But NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton said, “We’ve had a few cancellations, but so far we’re tracking at about last year’s pre-registration attendance level.” Attendance in 2002 was 92,356 registered attendees, down from 113,363 the year before. The NAB anticipates about 1,200 exhibitors.