NAB Show 2022

Doug Jensen said:
Companies can do that 367 24/7 without NAB.
As I said, NAB is about networking, asking questions in person, and test driving new toys. I would venture to say that very few people at the show care about or are even aware of new announcements. Some people, yes, but not most.

Also, it's not hypothetical strangers that you'll never meet again. You'd be surprised at how connections I've made at NAB have resulted in additional work over the decades I've been attending. I've been coming to NAB since 1984 and have only missed a few shows during those years, so please don't try to tell me you know more about it than I do if you have never been here once.
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Yes, well, duh, of course that's exactly what I tried to do with my comment. I tried to tell you I know more about it than you do because I have never been there once.
 
Both Doug and NorBro are right, if you have enough historical perspective. I've been to +20 NAB's dating back to '89, the vast majority were self-funded, tech inspired curiosity driven trips. My first year I was shocked that everyone (but me) was wearing suits.

It was Heavy Iron times; huge switchers from Grass Valley, Rank Cintel telecine, Ampex, big tube cameras from Sony and Panasonic. I've seen all the "new things". The year of "almost BetaSP quality" compression, the strange year of the "Dot Coms", the confusion over going M2 or BetaSP, or which HD standard will survive, the year of the Video Toaster followed by Play and suddenly everyone is wearing shorts and tee-shirts and backwards ball caps. Messing around with the Sony F900, excited about the DVX and EX1 and HVX... The year of drones, then second year of drones. :) The buzz of the first RED booth, the disappointment in learning it was a rolling shutter camera... And on and on.

I see more local people at NAB than I do around town. I see people I WANT to see, I see people I DON'T want to see. :) I catch up with international friends, and renew personal connections with folks who have been in various companies for decades. Sometimes five minutes at the right booth pays off with new business, or the opportunity to beta test.

You go to NAB to see people, and you go to TOUCH THINGS like lights, grip and rigging gear, tripods and cameras.

I've helped in booths to support products I believed in like Eyeon/DPS/Leitch/Harris with the PAR, PVR, Velocity and Reality NLE's, I've even built booths for Convergent Design and designed absolutely all the logos and artwork/media/advertising layout in the years they introduced the Gemini and followed up with the Odyssey.

I've got a plane ticket for a one day out and back to NAB 2022 for Tuesday. Though I'm not sure I'm going to go after watching some live streams of the first day. I've got no desire to see the "Streaming" hall (remember that "Dot Com" year I mentioned? I bet there isn't 20 out of the 160 new streaming companies back to NAB next year...), and the rest of the show has that half-deserted feel like that first trip back to the Barnes and Noble after Covid restrictions lifted...

Jim Arthurs
 
Jim Arthurs said:
Both Doug and NorBro are right, if you have enough historical perspective. I've been to +20 NAB's dating back to '89, the vast majority were self-funded, tech inspired curiosity driven trips. My first year I was shocked that everyone (but me) was wearing suits.

It was Heavy Iron times; huge switchers from Grass Valley, Rank Cintel telecine, Ampex, big tube cameras from Sony and Panasonic. I've seen all the "new things". The year of "almost BetaSP quality" compression, the strange year of the "Dot Coms", the confusion over going M2 or BetaSP, or which HD standard will survive, the year of the Video Toaster followed by Play and suddenly everyone is wearing shorts and tee-shirts and backwards ball caps. Messing around with the Sony F900, excited about the DVX and EX1 and HVX... The year of drones, then second year of drones. :) The buzz of the first RED booth, the disappointment in learning it was a rolling shutter camera... And on and on.

I see more local people at NAB than I do around town. I see people I WANT to see, I see people I DON'T want to see. :) I catch up with international friends, and renew personal connections with folks who have been in various companies for decades. Sometimes five minutes at the right booth pays off with new business, or the opportunity to beta test.

You go to NAB to see people, and you go to TOUCH THINGS like lights, grip and rigging gear, tripods and cameras.

I've helped in booths to support products I believed in like Eyeon/DPS/Leitch/Harris with the PAR, PVR, Velocity and Reality NLE's, I've even built booths for Convergent Design and designed absolutely all the logos and artwork/media/advertising layout in the years they introduced the Gemini and followed up with the Odyssey.

I've got a plane ticket for a one day out and back to NAB 2022 for Tuesday. Though I'm not sure I'm going to go after watching some live streams of the first day. I've got no desire to see the "Streaming" hall (remember that "Dot Com" year I mentioned? I bet there isn't 20 out of the 160 new streaming companies back to NAB next year...), and the rest of the show has that half-deserted feel like that first trip back to the Barnes and Noble after Covid restrictions lifted...

Jim Arthurs
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Great post! Yeah, that really sums up the ebbs and flows of NAB over the years. That was like walk down memory lane. So many memories. The only thing I will add is there used to some pretty amazing swag. Cool stuff like tool kits, flashlights, hats, shirts, and one year I even picked up huge inflatable headphones and microphone. These days you're lucky to find a bowl of unwrapped mints that a hundred people already stuck their hand into.
 
I went to NAB once. It's ok. It's more of a socializing event. You can also get a glimpse at different areas on the industry you don't work in...
 
Peter C. said:
IYou can also get a glimpse at different areas on the industry you don't work in...
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Oh man, I remember back when I was still in college and started to come to NAB I'd feign interest in just about anything (TV transmitters, microwave dishes, 24-track mixing boards) in order to casually pick up their swag. Seems almost embrassing now to think back on it. Good thing there is no more swag to tempt me.
 
Yes, there was definitely better swag back in the day. Always came back with a big bag filled with LEE and Rosco filter swatches, tons of printed stuff. I still have a plastic "Micropolis" (you young folks can look up what Micropolis made) bag hanging on my office door. The pro-tip was to avoid the heavy B&H catalog.

I don't gamble, so it's ironic I've spent more cumulative days/nights in Vegas than any other travel city. But I've hiked the Grand Canyon to the river and back a number of times either directly before or after NAB, and I loved the days when Luxor was new with the rides and Showscan theatre by Doug Trumbull.

As I've mentioned before, the bathrooms at NAB were some of the most filthy mess holes in the world... Doug, are they any cleaner this year? Literally might make the difference between me going out tomorrow or not!

Jim Arthurs
 
Peter C. said:
I went to NAB once. It's ok. It's more of a socializing event. You can also get a glimpse at different areas on the industry you don't work in...
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I remember dropping into some Microwave tower booth and telling the sales guy, "I don't know what this is, but I bet it's the absolute best of whatever field it's in."

Jim A
 
Other industry tradeshows like NRF and Shoptalk still have good swag, but many of the companies there have/make more money than most of the people at NAB (besides some of the obvious giants, Canon, Sony, etc).
 
Jim Arthurs;n5689656 Doug said:
Just getting back to my hotel room now. This might come too late to help you, but I do have secret restrooms that are clean, posh, and virutally unused. Go to the central hall where Sony is located. Then go past B&H, through the pipe and drape, across the mostly empty hall to the south wall. You'll see restroom signs. They were open yesterday but closed today "for cleaning". If they are closed, don't fret. Walk west along the wall about 50 yards until you come to another sign that says restrooms. Enter . . . and enjoy. Well worth the extra walking.

This is not a joke, totally serious directions. As Jim knows, the main restrooms are a wreck. Have not used those ones in years.
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I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but an Irix 30mm T1.5 lens and EF adapter were stolen from the Kondor Blue booth yesterday. Would you guys mind keeping an eye out if the thief tries to flip them? There was a security camera at the booth but there were ~20 people there so it was quite crowded.

SB
 
Doug Jensen said:
Just getting back to my hotel room now. This might come too late to help you, but I do have secret restrooms that are clean, posh, and virutally unused. Go to the central hall where Sony is located. Then go past B&H, through the pipe and drape, across the mostly empty hall to the south wall. You'll see restroom signs. They were open yesterday but closed today "for cleaning". If they are closed, don't fret. Walk west along the wall about 50 yards until you come to another sign that says restrooms. Enter . . . and enjoy. Well worth the extra walking.

This is not a joke, totally serious directions. As Jim knows, the main restrooms are a wreck. Have not used those ones in years.
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How are the restrooms at the new West Hall?
 
I'm an NAB newbie compared to some in this thread, only been going since '99 :thumbsup:, but I decided to sit this one out. Tough decision as I now have skin in the game with the ZeeGee, but I wasn't really ready for the crowds and bustle just yet. Overall, NAB had been declining in interest for me over the past decade anyway as Cinegear became the more predominant show for film-style production, and it helped that I could ride my bike there vs travel to a city I've never been a fan of anyway. Cinegear has changed hands and moved venues and I think lost some luster (the last one in November was a shadow of its former self) so I think it will be another year or two before the dust settles again, but generally speaking there aren't any vendors I'm interested in at NAB that don't make it to Cinegear, and often not the case in reverse. Again that has to do more with my particular focus which is much less broadcasting than film-style production.
 
I also go back to '89 when I was there to show off the Editdroid if any of you know what that was. The next year this thing called Avid showed up and we knew it was over.

Speaking of swag, the best show was the cable industry show. I don't know how it is now, but back in the olden days, they had piles of really good swag (jackets, quality travel bags) and plenty of food and coffee right in the booths along with lots of celebrities that would take their picture with you and shake your hand.
 
Bandido said:
How are the restrooms at the new West Hall?
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Never made it that far. I don't really have time to get more than about 100 yards from the Sony booth before i need to get back.
All done now, Flying out a 4:00am.
It was an excellent show for many reasons. Yes, fewer people, but that was a good thing. I'd characterize it as a "higher caliber" average attendee. Also few booths, but I don't really care about all the endless knock-off tripods, cheap LED lights, and me-too products who's only claim to fame is that they cost less than the innovators they copied. Good riddance and I hope they continue to stay absent.
 
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