More and more trade shows are taking place in Las Vegas, but NAB got there first; this year's edition takes place April 5-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Hilton, and Sands Expo Center, all along the famous Las Vegas Strip. Conferences begin April 5, with exhibitions starting April 7.
The official show title is NAB 97 and NAB MultiMedia World. Sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, it is the world's largest trade event for the radio, television, multimedia, post-production video, and electronic communications industries. Both the Sands and Las Vegas Convention Centers will feature over 600 exhibits dealing with entertainment technology.
Other events include a demonstration of digital television using the Advanced Television Systems Committee digital TV standard (April 7); an NAB/Broadcast Education Association Career Fair (April 6); a luncheon featuring a speech by Jack Valenti, CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (April 7); and a luncheon with Joel Brinkley, author of Defining Vision: The Battle for the Future of Television (April 9). Also on hand will be ABC news correspondents Barbara Walters and Jeff Greenfield, television producer Dick Wolf (Law and Order), Federal Communications Commission chairman Reed Hundt, and Westinghouse chairman and CEO Michael Jordan.
Last year 92,333 attendees checked out 1,110 exhibitors. This year promises to be even bigger. For more information, call 800/392-2460. For fax-on-demand information, call 301/216-1847 from your fax handset and follow instructions. On the internet, go to www.nab.org/conventions/ and search the database.