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Questions About NAB

Matt Bowden

Matt Bowden

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Im thinking about going to NAB this year. I'm particularly interested in the "career day" portion for networking. I've neer been and I have a few questions for those who have gone before.

-I've never been before and I'm not sure what level tickets to purchase. What do I get with the general admission tickets that are like $200? I know the tickets can up to like $1400 for non-members. I'd like to be able to see all of the exhibits...the cameras....software hands on.

-Is NAB something that I would have enough to do to actually go and stay for the whole convention (5days) or should I just plan for like 3.

-Anyone been to the "career day"...whats it like? wear a suit...business casual?

And any other information I might find helpful would be awesome. I've never been to vegas before.
 
Hi Matt,

If it were me, I wouldn't buy any ticket. There are a lot of vendors who will provide you a free exhibit pass and that pass will get you into all of the halls to see the equipment and software. There are presentations for example in the "post pit" that can be attended for free as well. Five days is a LONG time to be there, I go for three days which gets me about two full days on the show floor and enough extra time to see friends, and go to some events and parties.

I can't speak to career day I've never attended. In general I find even the paid presentations / training at these events to be marginal, I think you can likely gain a lot of insight just by meeting and talking to people. That plus the fact that our business varies so much by market makes career specific guidance tough.

It's Vegas baby :-) so formal attire during the day is not the norm. The key thing is to dress comfortably particularly your shoes, you are going to be on your feet a great deal. People dress up at night, think "cocktail party" for the high end restaurants and shows, but our RED crowd is all about the casual.

Hope that helped,

Steve
 
Oh man the free exhibit pass would be awesome considering I do freelance work and am pretty short on cash. Would I just cotact a vendor....lets say RED...and ask for a pass or just show up the day of? I'd be scared to fly to vegas not having a pass hoping to get a free one only to determine no one will give me one :)

To be honest....I'm only going to NAB for two reasons....(1) drool over neat equipment (2) actually TOUCH a RED camera (If I cant afford to buy one...Id at least like to touch one once hahahaha)
 
Matt,

to go to the main floors etc. you can easily get a free pass from any number of vendors, just start perusing sites for the "Exhibitions only" free pass. The Career day has always been free, usually on wednesday, but you need to sign up before hand. Students usually get to go in the first part of career day at 9-10 am then around noon all others can come in.

Its really a hit or miss, and it's really aimed at broadcast and radio, your chances of landing a production jobs are basically nill, cause those are on web sites, and most production, documentary, film, graphics etc, don't get a booth their in the career hall.

But if you are all about tv and have done consecutive jobs as engineer, newscaster etc. go for it, the rest are no pay internships for college kids that will be dumb grunt jobs then learning a little bit about the industry and more importantly making contacts and networking.
 
Matt, I would guesstimate that free is how 99% of people attend NAB, so don't even think of paying. You'll find many vendors more than willing to give you a free pass. Agree with the previous comments. Three days is gracious plenty for the show, you can even do it in a day if you like. I personally go for two, max three days whenever I attend. Two days gives me time to see everything and then go back and talk with folks/vendors I'm interested in learning a bit more about.
 
Awesome, thanks so much for the info. I'll start hammering around to see if I can find a free pass. I think I'll probably go for three days. I've never been to Vegas before so I'd like to have time to relax and walk the strip as well.

I understand about the career fair. My B.S. is in Media Broadcasting and after a VERY short stint with ESPN I decided it wasn't for me. Might still go just in case...not sure.
 
The career day thing is a waste of time. I went to it this past year and it was really disappointing. Everyone basically tells you to see if there are any openings online and you can inquire that way. The NAB conference itself is a much better landscape to network and make contacts in. I would recommend simply doing that if you go. And by all means do not spend any money on an exhibits-only pass you can get them free
 
Hey Matt,

The general free exhibit pass code is AL01

I go almost every year. My parents live there, so it's a pretty inexpensive trip for me, and I get to see them which is great.

Every time I look over the list of exhibitors and make grandiose plans to see everything. Without fail, after one day I am exhausted and over it. You can see 75% of the show in one day, and you can definitely see all of the main stuff. If I go back a second day it's to see a couple of very specific things I missed or want to see again or if I want to buy something.

My advice is to plan a three day trip, then you'll have a good amount of time to see Vegas and plenty of time for NAB. Check out the NAB schedule and check out the schedule of a show you might want to see in Vegas, and plan your trip around those things. I Highly recommend cirque du soleil KA, and O. Really great stuff.

Enjoy.
 
Great thanks, Adam. That's been my experience at most "Job Fairs."

Pete, sounds good to me. Do I go to the NAP website and type in the code somewhere to get a free pass? <<<EDIT>>> Found it on the NAB website...went ahead and registered. Thanks
 
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Yeah, when you register for the show they'll ask you for the code somewhere along the line.

Also, if you have an iPad or a smart phone, there is a sweet NAB app that is a huge help finding your way around the show. I don't think they've updated it for 2012 yet, but they will.
 
1) Go to NAB
2) Try to hook up with other redusers and friends you might have there. Meeting new people is the whole key to NAB. Networking.
3) Three days is enough.
 
As an attendee, I'd spend the day at the show itself, getting an overview on the 1st show day, and going back to booths in detail for subsequent days. The main "learning" events would be those put on by user groups etc. in the evening.

Meeting with the actual people you deal with at various companies is something I find worth it to this day.

Graeme
 
I know money is tight, but if you can swing it rent a car and spend two days and one night at Zion National Park. I used to say Washington DC is the best place in the world to be durning spring time. After I visited Zion I stood corrected, totally awesome, not too crowded that early and they have clean fuel buses that take you to any where in park. Great day hikes.
 
If it's your first time then three days for sure. The scope of NAB is quite large so it's kind of fun to walk around and absorb it all. I agree with a general tour and then zoning in on the things you are interested in. You may find that many more things interest you and you get bogged down and lose track of time. Many vendors offer demonstrations that you can sit down and watch. They schedule those throughout the show so as you wander around make note of those times and perhaps schedule them for the next days.

If you're looking to network then don't be shy! Make a point of saying "Hi" to, not only Vendors, but also fellow attendees. You can make some great contacts that way. Have some cards ready. Follow up. You'll get out of it what you put into it.

Also, there are many hotels that offer special rates to attendees. There is likely one that will fit your budget. The convention provides bus service to the site from these hotels so don't waste your time on cabs or rental cars.


Good luck
Have fun and good luck.
 
Coincidentally I'll be in Cali right before for a convention. Will rent a car, drive up to Vegas, spend the day checking out gear, learning and meeting folks (hopefully some redheads) and then spend a few days camping in the desert. :)
 
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