Broadcasters heading to the NAB Show this weekend will find their programming consolidated into a single footprint for the first time, and NAB EVP of Industry Affairs April Carty-Sipp broke down what radio attendees can expect with the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations.
In the latest episode of NASBA’s Broadcast Advocate, Carty-Sipp joined Georgia Association of Broadcasters President Randy Gravely to address the changes to this year’s layout, following the recent completion of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s multi-year, $600 million renovation of the Central and North halls.
Previously, radio hangouts and sessions were largely in West Hall, but now the TV and Radio HQ and the Broadcast Monetization and Management Track are being relocated to Central and North halls, respectively. Adjacent to the HQ is Futures Park, a dedicated innovation space on the show floor where emerging technology is on display, in some cases making its US debut. Carty-Sipp said the consolidated layout makes the show “much more manageable” for broadcaster attendees specifically, as they no longer have to “walk outside to get to a space or through construction or wear a hard hat.”
Carty-Sipp offered several logistics tips for navigating the show. For cutting transit time between halls, she pointed to the Vegas Loop, an underground tunnel system that runs electric vehicles throughout the convention center campus and to nearby hotels. “What might take you a 25-minute walk, you can do in a two-minute Loop ride,” she said. “It’s free if you’re in the Convention Center.”
NAB Show’s new app supports personalized agendas and show floor mapping, though Carty-Sipp said leaving room for unplanned floor time is equally important.
The Small Media Market Radio Forum, which is designed for operators in markets 51 and up, moves this year from Saturday in West Hall to Sunday at 2p in North Hall. The forum, built in direct collaboration with small market broadcasters, will break into roundtables spanning sales growth, podcast strategy, digital audience engagement, and promotions. A networking happy hour follows the roundtables, and the forum is free with an exhibits pass.
The Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology conference, the show’s longest-running program dating to 1947, will address ATSC 3.0, connected cars, and the future of broadcast engineering. Carty-Sipp positioned it as the technical counterpart to the strategy-focused tracks, covering where engineering is headed rather than where it has been.
The Sports Summit, expanded from two days to four this year and free with an exhibits pass, carries its own theater on the show floor and includes sessions on sports betting, AI, distribution, and fan experience alongside a keynote from NBC Sports President of Acquisitions and Partnerships Jon Miller.
Carty-Sipp said the ROI case for attending is straightforward: “Whether you’re looking for equipment or a product just to like improve your day-to-day workflow or any best practices, we’ve got hundreds of educational sessions, revenue-generating ideas, literally there’s something for everyone.”
