NAB Show cancels in-person event due to pandemic

The 2021 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show has been cancelled.

The announcement comes after a number of its largest exhibitors, including Sony, Canon, Panasonic and Ross all announced that they were pulling out of the show, citing concerns over Covid-19. The association said it plans to offer select virtual sessions through its Amplify portal.

Gordon Smith, the former Republican Senator from Oregon, has led the NAB since 2009. In a statement, he expressed regret about the cancellation. He said: “It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that we will not hold the NAB Show in person this year as originally planned. It has become apparent that we will not be able to deliver the kind of 2021 NAB Show experience that our industry has come to expect or that meets the high standards we set for ourselves.”

In announcing the 2021 cancellation, the NAB noted that next year’s show is scheduled for April 23 to 27, 2022.

Chris Brown, EVP and Managing Director of Global Connections and Events at the NAB, said the organisation had prepared for more than a year.

He added: “Unfortunately, the pandemic and surge of the Delta variant has presented unexpected and insurmountable challenges for our global community. As we have always kept the best interest and safety of the industry as our priority, it has become apparent in the face of these challenges that we can no longer effectively host NAB Show or our co-located events, the Radio Show and Sales and Management Television Exchange, in person.”

Smith stated: “We will not move forward with a show that delivers anything less than the excellence our community has come to expect and deserves from us. While we are disappointed that we will not be together again in person next month, we look forward to converging at the 2022 NAB Show, April 23-27, 2022, to reignite our passion for our business and focus on a bright future ahead.”