10-15% DROP EXPECTED AT NAB CONVENTION, DESPITE LATE ‘POP’
“We've had a good last-minute pop” in preregistrations for April 7-11 NAB convention in Las Vegas, Exec. Vp Jack Knebel said, but overall attendance still is expected to be down 10-15% this year, according to most estimates. Predictions are that attendance won’t top 100,000 this year, compared with 112,776 last year -- which had Assn.’s first decrease (down some 2,500 from 2000) in convention registration since 1950s. Convention accounts for 2/3 (dues only 16%) of NAB’s projected revenue of $54.4 million (CD Jan 15 p2) for fiscal year beginning today (Mon.).
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Said one NAB official: “We don’t know what attendance is going to be… We're not talking about it, but things are looking much better than in December.” Late registration boost is attributed to general improvement in broadcasting economy, NAB’s extension of lower preregistration fees and simultaneous BCFM and RTNDA conventions for first time. RTNDA had only 2 months to promote Las Vegas after canceling Sept. 12 convention in Nashville because of terrorist attacks. “Our expectations were modest and we've already surpassed our goal,” RTNDA Pres. Barbara Cochran told us.
Highlights of NAB convention -- which Assn. promises will create “an industrywide buzz” -- are many, both on exhibit floor encompassing 900,000 sq. ft. and in formal sessions of NAB and related groups. Two senators and 8 members of House are to participate in Mon. breakfast (formerly by invitation only, but open to all registrants this year for first time), while opening session immediately following will feature keynoter Richard Parsons, CEO- designate of AOL Time Warner, and annual state of industry address by NAB Pres. Edward Fritts. New media keynoter Mark Andreeson, chmn. of Loudcloud Inc. and co-founder of Netscape, is Mon. afternoon.
FCC Chmn. Powell will be interviewed at Tues. breakfast by ABC commentator Sam Donaldson, while Comrs. Copps and Martin and NTIA Dir. Nancy Victory are scheduled to be questioned by trade press same afternoon. Technology keynote by author Robert Cringely will be at Wed. lunch. NAB is renewing practice dropped several years ago) of offering big- name entertainer -- this year Tonight host Jay Leno Sun. night at Bellagio Hotel.
Among related meetings will be Bcst. Education Assn., to be keynoted Sun. by former NBC TV Pres. Don Ohlmeyer, who stepped down in Jan. as exec. producer of ABC’s Mon. Night Football, and Sun. day-long legal seminar co-sponsored by American Bar Assn. and FCBA. Scheduled session titled “Network/Affiliate Relations -- Can the Marriage Be Saved?” has been canceled after 3 network officials who had agreed to participate (CD Feb 12 p8) pulled out. That session was replaced by “Over-the-Air Program Distribution -- an Uncertain Future.” Participants will include analyst Thomas Bernstein of Sanford Bernstein, Dan O'Brien of Forrester Research and attorneys Jonathan Blake and Wade Hargrove, co- counsel for ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates in filing petition at FCC seeking investigation of network practices.