Following the cancellation of Mobile World Congress, the National Association of Broadcasters has said it is closely monitoring the outbreak of coronavirus.
Organisers are considering the potential impact on attendance and exhibitors at the 2020 NAB Show, April 18-22, in Las Vegas.
So far, no exhibitors have pulled out due to the virus; however, NAB is currently reaching out to companies from China to assess their status, said Ann Marie Cummings, senior vice president of Communications for the broadcaster trade association.
According to NAB’s demographic breakdown of its 2019 show, 30 per cent of non-US attendees were from Asia.
Las Vegas’s convention bureau said it has seen no cancellation of trade shows since the outbreak of coronavirus. There are 16 trade shows with more than 5,000 expected attendees scheduled for Las Vegas between now and the beginning of April.
NAB is following the advice of the World Health Organisation and the Center for Disease Control as it plans its 2020 gathering, said Cummings.
“The health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors is our first priority,” and to that end, the association is developing policies and procedures “to combat potential threats and ensure a safe and productive environment for all,” said Cummings.
Possible steps include “enforcing best practices to prevent the spread of flu viruses,” ramped up sanitation efforts and making sure medical personnel are present at the event, said Cummings.
While it is still too early to determine what, if any, effect the virus will have on the show, the trade association is “confident the NAB Show will convene as the world’s largest and most comprehensive media and technology convention,” she said.
