Avid Pauses Trade Shows including NAB, IBC and NAMM 2022 – What’s Next?

Industry News

by Jeff LochFebruary 28^th, 2022

Avid has recently announced that they’re continuing their pause on exhibiting at large trade shows throughout 2022. This pause includes all important trade shows such as IBC, NAMM and NAB 2022, which starts in two months. However, the main question behind Avid’s break remains the same: are physical trade shows still a thing?

Since the pandemic started, physical trade shows are having a tough time. Some trade shows like Cine Gear in Los Angeles made it happen in September 2021, but it’s still a hard thing with loads of restrictions. Other trade shows, like Euro Cine Expo, a new industry trade show in Europe, were directly postponed to July this year.

One of the most emblematic trade shows in our industry – NAB – did not open its doors in Las Vegas for two years. This famous trade show is supposed to take place from April 23rd to April 27th this year, while some questions are still floating in the air two months before the event.

Avid pauses 2022 trade shows

Avid, the famous company behind Media Composer and Pro Tools, has recently announced that they would not attend any large trade shows in 2022. Here is their complete statement:

Avid Technology announced it is continuing its pause on exhibiting at large trade shows throughout 2022. Due to the ongoing ebb and flow of COVID-19 conditions, the company’s leadership maintains it is not yet feasible to reliably predict the pandemic’s path, nor to ensure that large groups of its employees can be expected to convene at events that typically draw thousands of attendees. Therefore, consistent with its strategy since 2020, Avid will not host exhibits at the annual NAB, NAMM and IBC shows this year.

Avid CEO & President Jeff Rosica said: “In the two years since we’ve exhibited at large trade shows, Avid has been successfully reinventing how we engage and interact with colleagues around the world. The community’s resilience amid the pandemic, and our collective progress in spite of it, is extremely encouraging. That’s why across Avid we’re confident we can continue the momentum through our mix of small, focused events and digital programs. We also remain true believers in the reach and connectivity that the industry’s professional organizations can deliver and we look forward to collaborating with them in new and exciting ways.”

Avid Technology

Trade shows are a big part of companies’ marketing budgets, and it feels like Avid does not see any significant advantage of attending these events in person.

Are physical trade shows still relevant?

That’s a multi-million dollar question. Since two years now, all companies have had to adapt their strategy and launch all their products digitally. Filmmakers and customers had very little chance to touch, test, and talk about a new product in person. Did all these digital product launches make an actual drop or difference in sales for said companies? I’m not so sure.

For me, giant trade shows are a way to connect with some actors of our industry and discover new products/companies. However, I think we can live without them, as they took on a new form: small workshops, local launch events with way less attendants, offering you a different user experience, digital launches, digital trade shows, and so on.

Do you understand why Avid pauses exhibiting at trade shows this year? Will you attend NAB 2022, or any other big show? Do you miss testing new products, and does it help you with your buying decision? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!