The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has made the difficult decision to cancel their trade show that was set to take place in Las Vegas. The NAB show was scheduled to take place from April 18-22, but it will now be canceled until next year.
NAB leaders were hoping to postpone the show to a later date, but there is just too much uncertainty that remains about the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The National Association of Broadcasters trade show is one of the biggest events that take place in Las Vegas each year. The NAB trade show also brings in a ton of money, and the canceling of this year’s event will have a devastating impact on an already struggling economy.
Last year’s 2020 NAB trade show brought in over $153 million to the city, and this year’s show was expected to be much of the same, if not even larger. There were supposed to be over 100,000 attendees at the 2020 NAB trade show during the five days that it was scheduled to take place.
NAB leaders and decision-makers announced just last week that trade show would go on as scheduled, but things have changed in the last few days. Las Vegas city officials were trying to convince the National Association of Broadcasters to postpone the event rather than cancel it, but they did not get their way.
The Las Vegas Convention Center was set to host the NAB trade show, just as it has in the past. The Las Vegas Convention Center was estimating that there would be over 1,600 exhibits on display at the 2020 event.
The city of Las Vegas hosts several conventions each year, with experts estimating that some 6.5 million people visited the city to attend one of the various conferences and conventions.
Even though this is a major blow for the city of Las Vegas, the National Association of Broadcasters is set to lose some money as well. The NAB announced that they would host an online event next month that they are calling, “NAB Show Express.”
The NAB also has a show scheduled to take place in New York later this fall, and the hope is that the show will go on as scheduled.
Non-Essential Business Remains Closed in Nevada
This announcement comes on the heels of all essential business in the state of Nevada being shut down for at least 30 days. The Las Vegas strip is completely shut down to stop the spread of the coronavirus, and there could be a devastating impact on those businesses and the overall economy of that part of the state.
The mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, has asked Governor Steve Sisolak to lift the ban after a period of eight to 12 days, as she feels that is all the city can afford. Las Vegas is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the United States, and the shutdown of all local businesses will keep travelers from visiting the city.
Even though businesses are currently able to open back up in mid-April, there is the possibility that Governor Sisolak can extend the shutdown for a longer period. The National Football League was set to host their annual draft in Vegas in April, but they also decided to cancel the event earlier this month.
Most organizations that are forced to cancel conventions or events in Las Vegas have promised to plan for another event in the coming years. The NFL is hoping to host a Super Bowl in the city of Las Vegas as early as 2025, and the NFL Draft could return before that time.
