Official NAB2008 attendance figures going into last week’s event showed a slight decrease from 2007.
According to the broadcast trade association, 105,250 people registered to attend NAB2008. A total of 111,028 people attended last year’s convention.
The 28,310 international attendees at NAB2008 provided a silver lining, setting an all-time record for the convention. A total of 1296 members of the media also attended this year’s event.
On the show floor, the dip in attendance was noticeable; however, many vendors reported strong interest in the latest technologies among booth visitors, and one, Tektronix, said the first two days of NAB2008 were record-setting.
Noticeably absent from the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center were Avid Technology and Apple, as were the massive crowds, which during the past couple of conventions spilled out of the Apple booth causing serious congestion in the main aisle.
NAB2008 attendance figures are based on preshow and on-site registration, the association said.