Both
Apple and Avid bailed on NAB this year, leaving a bitter taste in some people’s mouths, and leaving others wondering if the film and video expo has finally outlived its usefulness. With over 105,000 attendees at the expo it seems there are still plenty of people interested in what goes on at the Vegas event, but it certainly changes the vibe when the two big names aren’t around.
After chatting with people in the Central and Lower South halls on Monday and Tuesday, I came away with the impression that there were more people feeling positive than negative about the event, and I said so in one of my articles about the expo. Later on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, however, I ran into more people that exuded less, um “positive energy” about the event.
One comment to my article asked “Upbeat??? Where are you reporting from?” That would be the Central hall, Lower South hall, and around the areas where classes and other sessions were happening. My later ventures to get a feel for attendee attitudes left me with a feeling that more people were disappointed than happy. Since I didn’t talk with people that were clearly attending sessions, I can only speculate that people attending sessions tended to be more pleased with the event than people that were sticking to the expo floor.
Scientific? Not in the slightest, but interesting none the less.
Without Apple on site to steal everyone else’s thunder it was clear to me that Red had the must-see booth this year. Good cameras, great prices, and native Final Cut Pro support. What more could the budding film maker want?
Red had to limit how may people were in their booth.