Springtime is upon us and that can mean only two things. Allergies are raging across the United States and it’s time for the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention. Before you head off to Las Vegas, here’s some tips from this seasoned attendee to make the most of your time.
“Mirage” is a great analogy for what the Las Vegas Skyline is……
Getting to and from the show.
NAB does a great job providing free shuttle transportation to and from the show to many of the hotels along and near The Strip. Whether you stay in one of these hotels or not, as an attendee, you have access to these busses. So look at the NAB Bus Schedule and pick a hotel nearby to pick up the shuttle, be sure to have your convention badge on you as you generally have to show it to the bus driver to get on.
I tend to take the shuttle busses to the show and then the Las Vegas Monorail from the show depending on what time I’m leaving. Busses can get swamped at the end of the day and while the Monorail costs money, it tends to move more people faster out of the event. I just hop off at the hotel the closest to mine on the way back.
Hangin’ with AJA President Nick Rashby, one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
Dress for comfort, especially your feet!
NAB is a big show, as in thousands upon thousands of square feet of exhibition space. Let me say that again. NAB IS A BIG SHOW! You may have been to big shows before, but imagine walking through 4 football stadiums (US or European) to see everything and that kind of gives you a sense of how large this thing is.
It cannot be said enough that comfortable shoes are a MUST at this show. I wear running shoes that have fabric that breathes. I have no idea why any women wear heels to this show nor why men wear wingtip business shoes. They are simply not comfortable to walk around 4 football fields or to even stand still for hours at a time. While you might want to make a fashion statement to impress those you might meet along the way, your feet will thank you. Remember your feet will swell up standing and walking all day long, keep the shoes comfortable!
For dress, I tend to go with comfortable jeans and t-shirts or short sleeved button down shirts. South Lower, where most of Post Production is housed, can get a little warm on Monday / Tuesday just because of the thousands of bodies in the hall. Check the weather forecasts before you come for nighttime temps, as oftentimes a light sweater or jacket is good at night when the temps drop. While 60 degrees might sound nice and warm with just a T-Shirt, with no sun and a 10-15 mph wind, that light jacket you brought along will feel much better.
Joseph Owens, Shane Ross and myself dress for success at NAB. Yes, my bowling shirt was a huge hit and it will make a return appearance in 2012. Note that Coffee is the official drink of NAB.
Plan Ahead, Use Reference Points.
A big key is to plan ahead and then prioritize your plan. There is so much to see that it’s easy to get overwhelmed at the show, it’s literally the biggest toy box for all of to play in with everything we’d ever need to make great shows. All the stuff you read about on the internet and in magazines is on display. It’s easy to get caught up spending way too much time on some really super cool toy that you don’t need, can’t afford, would never use, but it’s just so freakin’ cool and before you know it, two hours are gone.
So pick the toys you want to see, then prioritize them in order of what’s the most important thing you need all the way down to those that would be fun to see, but it wouldn’t matter if you missed them. You will accomplish much more and see those things that will make a difference for you in the next 12 months.
The show floor oftentimes makes no logical sense. Booth numbers that go smoothly from number to number suddenly veer off into nonsense and you stand around saying “Well it should be right here, it’s the next number in sequence.” Fortunately “there’s an app for that.”
If you have a smartphone or tablet download the fabulous NAB Show 2012 app. I used this last year and have already made my plans with it for this year. My favorite feature is that you can highlight all the folks you want to visit ahead of time. During the show, the app will show me where I am and where my target destinations are, makes for easy navigation around the show. Well, easier navigation, you’re still going to have those “WTF?” moments when the booth numbers make no logical sense….
Another great way to help with navigation on the show floor and to find your way back to location is to use reference points. Pick a banner, a booth, whatever that has a high sign that you can clearly see to use as a reference point to find your way around. I often use the AJA Video Systems booth and one of the music libraries in South Lower as my reference points for example. I can visually see that point and if I know a booth I’m looking for is in the general area, I can use that to find it.
In particular, use these reference points to find the bathrooms. Small thing I know, but at least in South Hall, they are along the far left and right walls and finding these easily is a good thing. :)
A 360 rig like this makes a memorable reference point. If I recall correctly, there was a great coffee stand nearby so that would make this a VERY important reference point.
Stay tuned for the Sunday announcements.
Many companies presenting at NAB will either have press events or issue press releases on Sunday announcing their latest toys that will be on display in the exhibition halls. Websites such as CreativeCow.net have great news feeds that help you follow along with the almost dizzying array of releases.
Make notes of the releases that are of special interest to you so you’ll know what that company is debuting, locate their booth number, and you can prepare some questions for the folks you’ll meet. EVERYTHING sounds incredible in the press release, seeing it on the show floor and asking the right questions can get you a better picture of what the toy can and cannot do.
With Grant Petty of BlackMagic Design. What will they announce this year? Stay tuned to the press releases….
Limited time to visit? Come later in the week.
If you’ve already made your plans, it might be too late for this, but if you really want to get hands on with equipment and software in the booths and ask questions, Wednesday and Thursday are the best days. Monday and Tuesday the crowds are the largest. Especially Thursday the crowds are always much smaller giving you much better access to the booths.
If you are going to be there all week, my advice is to avoid the “big booths” Monday and make discoveries in the outlying smaller booths in all the halls. Especially lighting and audio always seem to have the smaller crowds and they make great areas to visit, especially Monday all day.
Also take in the outdoor exhibits between South and Central Hall where there are remote production trucks, satellite uplinks and other very cool displays. While you may never have the need for a remote production truck, just walking through one and seeing how they have managed to configure an entire production facility in a very small footprint can certainly give you some ideas for designing your own production space.
In Central Hall I always go in to check out what’s the latest in microphones and field recording because when a show idea comes up, for whatever reason I start thinking about the microphones I saw and how we can use them. Last year it was microphone that they were dipping in water yet I could still use them with perfect clarity. I.e. mics perfectly situated for rainy or wet location without compromising the sound.
I’ve also found some really cool widgets, software and tools for my work that I never would have found without just strolling “off the beaten path” as it were, such as my incredibly awesome Anthro edit consoles.
Avid booth in South Hall Upper Floor during a Kevin Smith presentation. Do you see him? He’s that blurry lit head sticking out in the middle left. Booths can be swamped on Monday and Tuesdays, especially during major presentations like this.
Pace Yourself, stay hydrated.
Unless you are only in Vegas for one day (because your cheap boss wouldn’t spring for at least two days) pace yourself, nothing is going anywhere for four days. It’s not like those stupid 4am day after Thanksgiving sales, there’s nothing that’s going to disappear except maybe some of the free swag that you’ll probably throw away when you get home anyway. There’s no need to be the first one at every booth, let everyone else run ahead, have a good laugh at their expense (honestly it’s funny to watch the cattle call of the folks who go bolting down the hallways to be first at whatever booth) and get your day started.
Many of the booths have chairs, small theaters with presentations throughout the day which are great to just sit and take a break for a few minutes. Sit in on some of the presentations that are about the toys you are considering. Sure these are well planned 15 - 30 minute presentations, but watching them can give you a good sense of whether the toy is what you expected it to be. In addition, the presentations allow you to form questions to pose to the folks working these toys in the booth. And there’s that sitting down for 15 - 30 minutes part that’s a good thing for your feet.
And above all stay hydrated, drink lots of water. The air is very dry in Las Vegas and it’s easy to get dehydrated with all the walking around you’re going to be doing. Not just at the convention, walking around the streets of Vegas will wear you out if you don’t stay hydrated. One of my first stops every year is to CVS pharmacy or small shop on the street to pick up a 6 pack of bottled water that I can refill as the week goes on.
Remember that Vegas also uses a lot of forced perspective, so things that appear to be right down the block are actually 1/2 mile or more away. For example what looks like a short walk from New York, New York Casino to Treasure Island is more like a 30 to 45 minute walk up the street.
Alexis Van Hurkman, Robbie Carmen and myself stay good and hydrated in Vegas.
Evening Events.
Many manufacturers and groups have evening and after hours events. These are as simple as meet and greets to the world-renowed AJA VIP party. Some are free and some cost to attend. For the most part they’re fun and these are generally the best place to simply hang and meet up with your peers. You’ll find many of the bloggers, the writers, and folks who post on the various forums and tweet away all year long.
Now the same suggestions for the main show, also apply to the evening events. Primarily, pace yourself. There are a LOT of evening events, pick and choose a few, if you don’t make them all, so what? It’s ok. And manage your intake of alcohol. Yes everyone likes to party and have a beer or two, but I’m amazed at the number of folks revert back to frat college days and get completely wasted to the point where you really don’t even want to be around them. As many of the beer companies remind us, “Drink Responsibly.” And at most of these you’re going to do a lot of standing, so again, wear comfortable shoes!
My absolute favorite event now, which I finally got to the for the first time last year, is the Media Motion Ball. It’s a smaller gathering, costs a bit more money because they serve a very nice buffet sit down dinner and is more low key than some of the other larger gatherings. It’s quieter so we can all chat and it’s a very friendly atmosphere. Not much in the way of product demos, more in the way of artist demos and a really good raffle to end the event.
The biggest event for the Post Production industry is always the SuperMeet. Part carnival, part demonstration, always entertaining. Home of the one of the largest raffles in all of NAB and the place were Apple so famously (infamously?) launched Final Cut Pro X by kicking all other presenters out of the event. It’s also a great place to find out if there are any Post Production User Groups in your area as they do a parade of user groups as part of the event.
Maxx Digital always has a fun Cocktail Party where anyone that wants to show up, simply shows up at the Hard Rock Casino bar at the appointed time. You can meet the famous Bob Zelin who is one of the most amusing and smart characters I’ve ever met.
Most manufacturers and groups will have events posted on their websites or at the booths so check them out and decide if anything works for you. And if you don’t want to go out and party, then don’t, there are so many great restaurants and food joints all over town, go enjoy yourself at one of those.
A motley crew at last year’s Media Motion Ball.
I forgot my hard drive, power cord, etc…
The Fashion Show Mall (weird name) located near Treasure Island and the Wynn hotel has an Apple Store and other electronics stores that should have whatever you left behind or lost on your way to Las Vegas. Other good stores and a great food court in there as well.
By the way, bring a small power tap or power strip so you can recharge all that electronic gear you need at night.
Beyond the Show, my suggestions for food and fun.
You’re in Las Vegas, there are literally tons of things to do besides gambling. Quite honestly gambling bores me, I used to work in the largest casino in the world and slot machines and such never interested me. I do place one bet each year on the weekend NASCAR race, but beyond that, not much else. So here’s some thoughts beyond the obvious gambling and drinking.
I can’t over emphasize how good the restaurants are both on and off the Strip. Buca de Beppo is wonderful off the strip. Without a doubt, the best buffet for me is the Spice Market Buffett in Planet Hollywood. If you like Indian cuisine as much as I do, the Gaylord at Rio is quite good.
The best grouping of restaurants in one hotel is the Venetian with Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio being the standout, but there are a lot of great choices in that one hotel including the Grand Lux and an awesome Mexican Cantina. If you go downstairs in the Shoppes at Palazzos you’ll find an absolutely killer Espressamente Illy coffee house / gelato shop. My favorite coffee in Vegas.
One fun thing that presents tons of photo opportunities is the Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum in the Venetian Hotel. What makes it so fun is that nothing is behind glass, it’s all out so you can stand and pose with the wax people. It’s silly fun with something like 54 celebrities or so to get your picture with in a walk at your own pace style.
Cameron Diaz and I discuss the ramification of Final Cut Pro X and how it might impact the Post Production industry. She seemed to be partial to Adobe.
Ready to recreate the famous Ceasar’s Palace Fountain jump. The motorcycle revs up when you sit on it.
Of the “big shows” in I’ve seen in Vegas, “O” at the Bellagio simply takes the cake for spectacle. I spent as much time enjoying the show as I did marveling at the staging and just trying to figure out what sort of a warped mind can actually create some of this. Simply stunning both creatively and technically.
A very intriguing show that we found out about too late last year is Absinthe outside Caeser’s Palace. A small venue magic / variety / vaudville type of show that has rated quite well. We have not seen it, but might make it this year or next.
Most of all have fun!
There you go, some tips and tricks from a veteran of the Las Vegas NAB Scene. Most importantly have fun. Bring lots and lots of business cards, shake a lot hands and make yourself some new friends you can call upon when need advice. We’ll see you there!
One thing I will miss dearly this year. Dinner & Gelato with my dear friend Dan Desmet (2nd from left). The Desmet Family carries on his legacy with the incredible Flanders Scientific product line. We will lift a gelato in your honor this year Dan!
