This year’s NAB Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center is celebrating 100 years of innovation in the broadcast industry. In the weeks leading up to April 15-19, Radio Ink is talking with some of radio’s biggest innovators about what has them excited about NAB Show 2023. Today, we sit down with vCreative CEO Mary DelGrande.
Radio Ink: You stepped into the CEO role earlier this year – what really has you excited about NAB Show now that you’re in that position?
Mary DelGrande: I feel that innovation stems from discussion. I’m really looking forward to face-to-face meetings with our current and potential clients to figure out the pain points they might be facing and explore where we can help. In terms of the different tracks, I was looking through them this morning. I do think my time will be spent between the Show’s Creative (for Content Creators) and Capitalize (for Executives) tracks.
We’ll be talking to users as much as we will companies to figure out new technologies. I’m also bringing my executive team this year – that’s Wendy Pershing and David Singleton, Product and Development – so they can walk the floor as we look for possible integration partners. It’s a mindset of what new technologies are we seeing, and what should we be thinking about as we continue to evolve our products.
Radio Ink: You mention evolution. vCreative works in so many spheres, radio and digital – what’s a topic or an area that you’re especially looking forward to exploring more of at the Show?
Mary DelGrande: We now have our next-generation product, vPro, that works with any media ad type. So now we can pitch to TV, as well as digital and radio. So I want to meet with the vendors, learn more about their processes, and identify potential integrations to help streamline those sectors the way we did with radio.
Radio Ink: What’s a can’t-miss session this year? What are you looking forward to on the panel side as opposed to the Show floor?
Mary DelGrande: I’m co-running a panel with Tim [Bronsil] from Point To Point [Marketing] on sales and promotions. It’s a roundtable discussion, which I like because they tend to be less formal. I feel like, at a roundtable, guards are down and everybody shares a little bit more.
Radio Ink: So it’s admittedly a long way out, but in honor of the NAB Show Centennial Spectacular, what do you think Radio Show 2123 will look like?
Mary DelGrande: Outside of every company being digitally focused? Radio is all about creating and delivering compelling content to engage your listeners and keep everybody informed on what’s happening in their community. I don’t imagine that general concept is going to change. I would guess in 2123, it will have that same feel but the technology is going to look significantly different. The focus is always going to be, “how do we work smarter, not harder? How do we become more efficient?” So it will be interesting to see the technologies that are in place. Also, if we have the ability of teleport by then – it would make travel much easier.
Radio Ink: Oh, I’m down for the teleportation. Yeah, bring on 2123 if that’s the case. Okay, one last light question – favorite Vegas movie?
Mary DelGrande: I’m going with Ocean’s Eleven.
