According to the results of a survey released by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) on April 16, 80 percent of pre-registered respondents said they plan on buying products or services at next week’s conference.
    The survey is good news for satellite broadcasting companies looking to take advantage of the aggressive sales environment. Manufacturers and providers such as Tandberg, ATCi, Comtech and several other companies in the sector are banking on DVB-S2, encoders, antenna technology and mobile TV solutions to provide a solid boost to carry them through the year.
    NAB, the administrator of the NAB 2009 conference, scheduled April 18-23 in Las Vegas, said its survey’s statistics predict an aggressive sales environment centered around new technology developments and mobile solutions. According to Chris Brown, NAB executive vice president of conventions and business operations, the show could generate more than $50 billion in sales. “We’re extremely encouraged by the results of this survey. Even in challenging economic times, this survey suggests that the NAB Show matters when it matters most,” said Brown.
    One of the most talked about new developments being revealed at the show is 3D HD video technology, which has been debuted in industry circles going back to NAB 2008 and IBC 2008. NAB 2009 is shaping up to be 3D HD’s coming-out party, with much larger debut productions from Panasonic, Sony, StereoMedia, and International Datacasting Corp. among others. “Each year we see new exhibitors from a variety of media platforms, and we look forward to learning about the unique opportunities that these new companies will bring to this year’s show,” said Brown.
    NAB’s statistics also point to a promising environment for the broadcast sector. Eighty-eight percent of respondents say that the show is “very or somewhat important” to their purchasing plans this year. Forty-two percent rated seeing “new products and developments,” as their top reason for attending NAB 2009. However, these buyers will be frugal as the same amount of respondents also cited “comparing products for future purchase” as their main reasons for coming to NAB, adding that it was more important to do so this year, given the current economic climate.
    Nearly 30 percent of pre-registered attendees will be coming from outside of the United States with 500 international exhibitors on the show floor. Twenty-three percent are coming to the NAB Show for the first time according to the survey.
    Attendance for the NAB conference peaked in 2001 with 115,000 attendees and reached a low of 88,000 in 2003. Attendance for NAB 2008 was about 104,000.