Happy 100th Birthday NAB! We are running a competition to celebrate 100 years of NAB. Enter for your chance to win one of four amazing prizes. Competition closes on the 20th March.
This year is looking to be the most significant and busiest NAB since the pandemic. As seasoned NAB veterans and experts, we have put together a guide with tips and tricks on how to have a successful show.
Top Tips For Exhibitors
- Visit us at NAB! It’s important to communicate your attendance to your audience in every way possible. Visitors have so much to see but so little time, so the chances of them wandering by your booth are very slim, you need those pre-booked meetings.. Use social media (especially LinkedIn), email marketing, PR and advertising to highlight your presence. Don’t send boring emails, everyone is going to be flooded with them from now till the show or if you can send something by traditional mail to your key contacts.
- The early bird catches the worm. You can submit your news for the NAB Show Daily anytime up until Monday, April 17, but don’t be tempted to leave it to the last minute. The earlier you submit your news, the higher the chances of it being included. And don’t forget to include an eye-catching image to go with it.
- Go for gold. If you’re launching an innovative new product at NAB, make sure it gets the recognition it deserves by entering it for one of the many award programs. The deadline for Future Publishing’s Best of Show Awards is March 31, while the deadline for NAB’s Product of the Year Awards and inaugural Excellence in Sustainability Awards is April 3.
- Win a prize! It’s important to draw the crowds in, but what makes your booth different from your competitors’? A competition with a must-have prize will help draw the crowds.
- The two-weeks-to-go countdown checklist – Make sure all your meetings )day and night) are booked, all attending staff have pre-registered for their exhibitor passes and downloaded the event app, and all merchandise is with you or on track to arrive on time.
- Body language is key. Brief your team before the show on how to appear more welcoming on the booth—no crossed arms, chewing gum, or checking their phones. The days will be busy and tiring, but a smile goes a long way.
- Not every lead is important. Don’t be tempted to become zap happy and scan every badge you see in sight , as only some leads are relevant. Think quality, not quantity. Leads should only be people you want to speak to afterwards. Put one person in charge of following up, and make sure they do it after the show and quickly, not three months later. Connect with them on LinkedIn and remove them from your database if they are not relevant to your business. You can also go old school and take business cards and have a traffic scheme dot system on it so you know who is hot or cold or in the middle.
- Get social. #NABShow is the main hashtag of the show, and it will be trending. Make sure you use it across all your social media platforms to promote your presence and what is going on at your booth during the show.
- Take a break. Trade shows are tiring as they last all day and night, and you never know when you will next get a chance to eat, so don’t skip breakfast, and pack some snack bars to fuel you throughout the day.
- More on food. The lines can be long for food so pre-order food to your booth but make sure the team eat away from the booth and hopefully get some refreshing daylight. The cafeteria in the West Hall always looks busy but seats can be found, the food places in the North Hall have no seats so don’t arrange lunch there if you want to sit. The Central Hall has some food booths dotted around so find those – eat early or late to avoid the queues. Now a short walk away is the Renaissance which was quieter last year due to the South Hall being closed – this might be the same this year, though it is a small restaurant area. Lastly for dinners at night, eat off the strip where you can to save money – there are some great places in the Arts District for example.
Top Tips For Visitors
- Plan, Plan, Plan. NAB has over 1,000 exhibitors spread over three large halls. It can be overwhelming if you don’t plan ahead. Check out the NAB floorplan to plan your time at the show and don’t forget to add in breaks (see above for food tips)
- Don’t get caught off by the time difference. When booking meetings in your calendar, be sure to select the correct time zone if you’re not already on Pacific Time so that your calendar is in order when you arrive. Our Chief Bubble Sadie will also print out her schedule because as she says a piece of paper doesn’t run out of battery!
- New shoes are a no go. The Vegas Loop is a godsend for getting between the West Hall and the North and Central Halls in a hurry, but you will still do a ton of walking. So, whatever you do, wear a comfortable pair of worn-in shoes (and bring some band-aids just in case!). Pack a few pairs of shoes so you can switch off every other day.
- Get some fresh air. Trade shows can either be full of dark halls or blindingly bright if you’re in the lighting hall, and there is never any natural light. The LVCC have areas out front to sit and get some fresh air and natural light.
- Stay hydrated. The dry desert air and air conditioning can be tough on your eyes, throat, sinuses and skin if you’re not used to them. Drink plenty of water, and don’t forget to pack your lip balm, moisturizer, eye drops, and even a mini humidifier to plug in at night. Also to reduce those puffy feet and ankles overnight put pillows under your knees or calves before you go to sleep.
- Bring a portable charger. Also, many booths will also have phone charging ports, so make sure you plug in while having a meeting.
- Show daily magazines. The NAB Show Daily is a great resource to find out what’s going on at the show and who has launched something new.
- Opening hours. Don’t get caught out by getting the opening times wrong. Sunday starts at 10am, but then it’s a 9am start for the rest of the show, and a 2pm close on Wednesday.
- Be prepared to stand in line. With over 1,000 exhibitors and tens of thousands of visitors (on top of tourists and wedding parties), you can expect long lines for taxis and limos. The monorail is your best bet if you are staying near one of the stations.
- Safety first. Remember that some people may be more Covid conscious than others, so before you go in for a hug or a handshake, check to make sure it’s ok with them.
To find out how Bubble Agency can help support you with your PR, marketing or trade show needs, schedule a meeting with Sadie Groom by emailing us at hello@bubbleagency.com. And if you see us at the show in our orange striped shirts, be sure to come and say hi!
