The National Association of Broadcasters Show, which is the world's largest electronic media show covering the creating, management and delivery of content across all platforms, gets underway today at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
More than 103,000 people from 166 countries (it is not open to the general public) are expected to attend the event that runs through April 27. The show is one of the largest conventions in Las Vegas and will feature nearly 1,900 exhibitors (including 200 new exhibitors) and cover 1 million square feet of space. It also offers more than 750 educational sessions for those who attend.
Various sports, media and technology personalities are scheduled to speak this year, including tech consultant Shelly Palmer, "The Man in the High Castle" Executive Producer Daniel Percival, Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Rob Legato ("The Jungle Book"), "CBS Sunday Morning" host Jane Pauley, Larry King, Nerdist chief executive officer Chris Hardwick, NBC Chairman Robert Grenblatt, Joan Lunden, actors Hank Azaria and Amanda Peet, TV personality Rick Harrison, TMZ's Harvey levin, actress America Ferrera and Al Roker.
A big focus of this year's show is The M.E.T. Effect, which emphasizes the intersection of media, entertainment and technology. Some of the topics that will be covered include ATSC 3.0, big data and analytics, broadcast facilities, connected media, cybersecurity, drones, FCC technical regulatory issues, internet of things, leveraging social platforms, live streaming, music licensing, podcasting, radio technology and more.
Highlights of this year's show include a live 4K stream from the International Space Station, the NextGen TV Hub (billed as the epicenter of next-generation television at the show), the Facebook Live Video Solutions Pavilion, IP Showcase, Cybersecurity Pavilion, presentation of the Distinguished Service Award to former co-hosts of ABC's "Good Morning America" David Hartman and Joan Lunden, behind-the-scenes looks at "Game of Thrones" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," and much more.
A career fair will also take place during this year's show. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 25 at the Westgate. The career fair will feature panel discussions, one-on-one career coaching, resume workshops, and hiring opportunities for various careers within the broadcasting industry.
