With autumn upon us, a broadcaster has something else to consider beyond prepping their infrastructure for cold weather.
This is the season of trade shows. And there are many to choose from — NAB New York, AES, SMPTE, the recently concluded IBC, not to mention many regional events.
These shows offer benefits like exhibit halls, demo rooms, technical papers, workshops and networking opportunities. A broadcaster must weigh which show(s) can be justified to management, given the cost of travel, lodging and registration.
During the pandemic, some people speculated that in-person trade shows might die out or become dramatically smaller, giving way to online meetings and presentations.
But you can count me as a fan of in-person events.
Some people attend just for the exhibits. Everyone likes to see shiny new equipment; also, you get to talk to company reps. Buyers can discuss deals. The chance to see new technologies is fun and educational. And at some shows, an exhibits-only pass is free or can be obtained from your favorite vendor. There is no true online equivalent to this approach.
From the exhibit hall, attendees may be invited to demo rooms or suites. Here you may get to try out new equipment and actually use it. These are great opportunities to window-shop, which can help you plan your equipment budget for next year. And you get quality time with the manufacturer or service supplier.
Many people come to shows and just wander the aisles, which is fine, but they may not realize that they’re missing great technical papers and sessions. New concepts and techniques are discussed, innovations are introduced. The people who produce these conventions often put great effort into finding super speakers and topics. Yes, some of the material feels like a sales pitch, but the best events are able to manage that issue. I find the program sessions to be of great value.
Workshops and roundtables are great. You can hear presentations, ask questions and learn from the questions that others ask. It’s not unusual for me to learn more from those discussions than from the formal presentations.
The best way to best serve your employer as well as your own career is to stay current with trends and innovations. Trade shows are invaluable in meeting this goal. Unfortunately, managers often do not realize the importance of trade shows, or surrender them in the name of cost-cutting.
Talk with your manager about the value of attending. Once you have approval, I suggest you meet with your manager to prioritize your time and agenda. Make a list. Agree on areas that will be of the most help to your company. This will prevent your days being filled up with idle time. It also will show your manager that you’re serious about using the opportunity wisely.
Remember too that your new contacts have value. Whether you collect business cards or save contact info on your phone, save those names. I’ve preached this before and will continue to do so: Engineers do not need to know everything, but they should know where or how to get those answers.
