A switch up of halls, brand-new Creator Lab and AI workshops are just some of the elements of this year’s event to look out for
Words by Verity Butler
One of the biggest events in the media tech calendar is back for its 101st year and, as ever, the FEED team has all the insider knowledge of what to expect.
New for 2024, NAB Show will take place in the West, Central and South Upper and Lower Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Each year, thousands of content professionals from all corners of the broadcast, media and entertainment ecosystem go to NAB Show.
It’s designed for those striving to drive listeners and engage viewers in ever-larger numbers for even greater reach – and it’s formulated for those seeking to create uncommon audio and visual experiences for audiences.
NAB Show is a tech extravaganza produced each year by the National Association of Broadcasters at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age.
Likely a standout moment from this year’s edition will be its opening, as we have been promised the ‘world’s first AI-Human presentation’.
The robot giving the talk, known as Ameca, will be joined on stage by Futuri Media CEO Daniel Anstandig to discuss the findings of a survey into how audiences perceive AI in the media.
As always, there is so much to do and see at the show. Check out our guide, where we uncover the speakers and conferences you won’t want to miss – as well as must-visit booths and halls.
Donnie Simpson, Broadcasting Hall of Fame
Monday 15 April, 1pm to 2pm, Main Stage
Donnie Simpson has been called a trailblazer and a true media legend.
He was given his own radio show at the age of 15, and after eight years he became the morning show host and program director for WKYS-FM in Washington DC, leading the station to unprecedented ratings success.
This followed with an extensive career in broadcast and film, paving his way in TV history when joining America’s first Black television network, BET.
In 2020, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, and in 2024 the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Always humble, Donnie said: “Being in any Hall of Fame never crossed my mind. I was just doing what I do. But I’m thrilled and forever grateful people felt that way about me. I’m so blessed.”
While adored by millions, perhaps his biggest fan is President Barack Obama. On the presidential campaign trail in 2008, Obama stopped to record and send a congratulatory video to Simpson
Casey Neistat, Do what you can’t
Wednesday 17 April, 10.30am to 11.30am, Main Stage
YouTube star, digital creator, filmmaker sensation and multimedia leader Casey Neistat empowers creators to think outside the box and redefine their creative potential.
Heralded for his motto, ‘do what you can’t’, Neistat will discuss the career choices that powered his success, thoughts on breaking through in today’s creator economy and actionable lessons on innovation and creativity.
This conversation is perfect for any creator looking for ways to take that next step in their careers.
Gary Levitt, Audio for podcasting: make your podcast stand out
Saturday 13 April, 9am to 10am, Post Production World, S228
In this must-see session for wannabe podcasters, join in with audio engineer, podcaster and musician Gary Levitt to create the most professional-sounding podcast possible.
Cybersecurity for broadcasters
Saturday 13 April, 3pm to 4pm, W222-W223
The cybersecurity for broadcasters presentations explore strategies for protecting media assets and maintaining secure connectivity in live distributed production.
Speakers will also discuss the convergence of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and broadcasting as technological milestones.
Additionally, the papers discuss the content delivery network’s fight against piracy to prevent further theft of content.
TV production and music licensing: legal needs to know
Sunday 13 April, W231-W232: TV and Radio HQ
This round table will offer you a basic understanding of the common legal issues programmers may encounter as they develop content and licence music.
From contracts and copyrights and fair use to First Amendment considerations, you’ll get a great understanding of what legal concerns you need to be prepared for and wary of as you develop your programming and licence music.
Generative AI for media
Sunday 14 April, W222-W223
These generative AI for media presentations are set to explore the recent advancements in transcription, translation and re-voicing – and their ethical implications for media editing.
Presenters discuss the application of generative AI to leagues and media organisations, as they likely have on-air personalities, legacy data and deep archives enriched with metadata.
Also covered will be implementing AI to manage title versions and achieve global distribution requirements, such as localisation and compliance, more efficiently while reducing operational costs at the same time.
How broadcasters can win over Gen Alpha/other generations
W231-W232: TV and Radio HQ
Discuss with your peers how they are creating engaging content and promotions tailored to generations. Learn what’s worked and how they identified those strategies.
Monetisation: what’s your plan?
Monday 15 April, 3pm to 3.30pm, W2149, Capitalise Zone Theatre
For companies at the centre of video streaming, broadcasting and advertising, 2024 is a year of disruption to the status quo.
Across the media and entertainment landscape, many are seeking new ways to answer a central question: how can we better monetise our content in the most operationally efficient and cost-effective way?
A new element at this year’s show is the Creator Lab.
With a spotlight on the fast-paced creator economy, this show floor experience features hands-on interaction and workshops, expert panels and networking events on creators, equipment, distribution channels and monetisation techniques.
Designed for both creators and organisations looking to partner with them, this initiative encompasses the creative, tech and business of today’s creator economy.
Here are some of the standout sessions lined up for the inaugural Creator’s Lab.
Investing in and with creators
Tuesday 16 April, 2pm to 2.35pm, Creator Lab Theatre, SU4154
How should creators think about modelling their return in today’s creator economy? What are the best scenarios for today and the future? Should they seek out investment capital, sell to the highest bidder? Invest in themselves and diversify their portfolio? Bring on strategic partners?
This session brings together seasoned investors and builders to explore the options for unlocking collaborative growth – or how to think about packaging and selling.
The fight for YouTube’s soul
Monday 15 April, 2pm to 2.40pm, Creator Lab Theatre, SU4154
There’s a new movement afoot among creators on YouTube and beyond. Eschewing the frenetic pace of challenge and reality videos, these creators are leaning into longer and more visually lush storytelling.
This conversation with one of the leaders of the YouTube New Wave movement and the immersive Creator Camp explains why stories and relaxed pacing are the future of YouTube.
The secrets of on-the-go creators: TravelingJules
Tuesday 16 April, 12pm to 12.25pm, Creator Lab Theatre, SU4154
Beyond the adventure of travel filmmaking, storytellers who operate outside of the studio have unique needs.
This session explores how TravelingJules roams the world with her camera, shooting and creating content in the field and then carrying the momentum back into the edit.
Tailored to anyone eager to create exciting content on location, this session uncovers the secrets, techniques and gear stack used by solo creators.
Not to mention, how to pack light but look great to boot!
Legal landmines on social media, what every creator needs to know!
Monday 15 April, 11.40am, Creator Lab Theatre, SU4154
Are you unwittingly breaking the law with your online content? Top creator economy lawyers explore the legal traps that many TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and other platforms’ creators have been falling into.
This explosive session will cover hot-button issues like copyright infringement, fair use controversies, the ever-changing FTC disclosure requirements and the hidden dangers in brand deals.
Learn about protecting intellectual property, understanding contracts and navigating the legal landscape of digital content creation.
Discover the shocking legal truths behind viral content and avoid potentially costly lawsuits.
And learn about how you can protect yourself, your creative output and your company from any unscrupulous brands, agents, platforms and ‘partners’.
AJA SL3065
Since 1993, AJA Video Systems has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras. At NAB Show 2024, AJA will showcase its Colorbox, a compact, high-performance converter for colour-managed workflows that meet the specific conversion needs of broadcast, live events and on-set applications.
Birddog C2626
Founded in Melbourne, Birddog is dedicated to making live television production easier, more cost-effective and achievable in more places by more people. By enabling live video to travel over standard computer networks present in all modern building – with no compromise on quality – Birddog believes it is time to move live video production to the internet age.
Brainstorm SL4097
Brainstorm’s advanced, yet user-friendly products meet today’s rapidly evolving broadcast and AV market requirements by providing state-of-the-art real-time 3D graphics, VP/XR, AR and virtual studio solutions.
For-A C4507
For-A is a manufacturer offering a wide range of broadcast and production products with a focus on cutting-edge technologies, including: HD, 4K and IP products. At this year’s show, it will showcase its new FA1616 IP/SDI signal processor, amongst an array of other products.
Lawo C4110
Lawo designs and manufacturers pioneering network, video, audio, control and monitoring technology for television and radio broadcast, performing arts, houses of worship, stadiums and corporate applications. Its products include IP-based media infrastructure solutions, control and monitoring systems, audio mixing consoles and video processing tools.
Marshall C5912
A leading manufacturer of cameras, monitors, converters and audio-visual production kit for the broadcast and professional AV markets. Marshall’s industry-leading compact cameras excel at delivering crisp 4K, UHD and HD video in a compact footprint for application in professional sports, reality TV, news and live events.
Newsbridge SL2113
Newsbridge is the leading AI company solving video searchability. Powered by MXT-1 multimodal and generative AI indexing, Newsbridge provides unprecedented access to AV content by generating natural language descriptions of scenes, including the automatic detection of faces, objects, logos, landmarks, written texts, audio transcripts and semantic content.
Norsk Video (by id3as) W3417
The low-code Norsk SDK lets you build any livestreaming workflow – from single input, single output to complex multicamera productions with source switching, browser overlays and in-play highlights – in tens, or at most hundreds, of lines of simple-to-maintain code.
Norsk is the culmination of 14 years of work by id3as, which has specialised in building customised, highly scalable and incredibly reliable livestreaming workflows for Tier 1 broadcasters and enterprise clients.
Qvest W2821
Qvest provides holistic support to companies worldwide in their digital transformation. With a focus on success, more than 1300 employees help clients achieve future-orientated change with innovation and consulting services, system deployments and ICT integration for both technology and infrastructure projects – not to mention the development of various software and digital products.
It was announced back in February that the National Association of Broadcasters will present the Television Chairman’s award to the widely acclaimed talk show host, actor, producer and recording artist Jennifer Hudson.
The ceremony is due to take place on the Main Stage at NAB Show during the We Are Broadcasters session on Tuesday 16 April at 9.30am.
The NAB Television Chairman’s award recognises individuals for groundbreaking work in one or more specific art disciplines within television.
“Jennifer Hudson’s distinguished career spans multiple facets of the entertainment industry – from television to music to the big screen and beyond – and makes her well deserving of this award,” says NAB Television Board chair Pat LaPlatney. “I am honoured to present her with the NAB TV Chairman’s award during NAB Show in recognition of her outstanding work.”
NAB takes place 13 – 17 April 2024.
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