The National Association of Broadcasters has decided to cancel their annual Las Vegas convention. It sites the rise of Covid-19 infections as the reason. The Washington, D.C.-based organization is the broadcast industry's trade group and lobbying organization.
"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," said Gordon Smith, the former Republican Senator from Oregon, "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."
Tens of thousands of visitors attend the event annually from all over the globe, which poses a risk with the Delta variant on the rise.
"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," said Chris Brown, EVP and Managing Director of Global Connections and Events at the NAB.
He added, "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."
