NAB Says 12,000 Attended The NAB Show New York

The 2024 NAB Show New York concluded, solidifying its place as the must-attend East Coast event for not only broadcast, media and entertainment professionals but for anyone creating content across various industries. With more than 12,000 attendees, some 250 Exhibitors, 50 of which are first-timers, and 20 new product launches, the Show offered a comprehensive look at the latest trends and innovations shaping the industry. Held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the Show’s Q4 timing provided a pivotal opportunity for professionals to explore end-of-year purchases and prepare strategic decisions for 2025.

NAB Show New York continues to attract growing enterprise audiences, including government agencies, higher education, finance and more. Attendees from Bank of America, Best Buy, Capital One, Dell, Ford Motor Company, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, LIV Golf, MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NFL, NHL, NYU, Pepsico, Pfizer, QVC, Samsung Ads, United Nations, U.S. Air Force, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Military Academy and other notable brands attended, reinforcing the event's expanding reach. Attending brands from the core audience include ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, HBO, Audacy, Urban One and Univision. This diverse mix of attendees makes NAB Show New York a critical event for anyone involved in content creation, distribution and monetization.

NAB Show New York’s unique positioning in the media capital of the world attracted a high-quality audience of decision-makers, with 79% of attendees actively involved in buying decisions, which is up roughly 6% from last year, and 34% serving as final decision-makers. Notably, three-quarters of attendees do not attend NAB Show in Las Vegas, offering Exhibitors the chance to connect with a fresh regional audience. Additionally, preliminary data shows roughly 64% of attendees were first-timers, reinforcing the event’s ability to reach new professionals and drive meaningful business connections.

“NAB Show New York is where professionals across all industries come to connect, explore new technologies and make key business decisions,” said Karen Chupka, executive vice president and managing director of NAB Global Connections and Events. “With Q4 being such a critical buying season, this event allows attendees to finalize their budgets and set the stage for 2025. Our Exhibitors provided the tools and solutions that will shape content creation, distribution and monetization in the coming year.”

Key Trends & Highlights

With more than 75 educational sessions, NAB Show New York explored the latest industry trends, along with product launches and Exhibitor showcases across pivotal areas including artificial intelligence, the creator economy, live and virtual production, sports media and streaming. Here are highlights of the key trends and topics:

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning – AI is transforming media workflows, from enhancing audience engagement to automating content creation and delivery. The role of AI in sports broadcasting, disinformation management and campaign planning was front and center.

Radio, Podcasting & Audio – As the audio industry continues to grow, discussions focused on how radio and podcasting are evolving with new technology, data-driven audience engagement and innovative sound design.

Sessions:

• How Marketing and Technology Work Together to Grow Audiences: Examined how data insights and marketing strategies are driving audience growth.
• Innovative Sound Design for Radio and Podcasts: Focused on how audio design can enhance listener engagement. Both highlighted sessions were part of the Radio + Podcast Interactive Forum.

Speakers:

• Bobby Bones, radio personality and host of the Marconi Radio Awards, captivated attendees as host, celebrating excellence in radio and was honored with the prestigious NAB Distinguished Service Award.
• Leah Reis-Dennis, VP of Podcast Content Strategy, Audacy, shared insights on the intersection of technology and podcasting.