NAB Show 2021 canceled as Delta variant disrupts industry planning

The back-to-back cancellation of the industry's largest technology showcase forces streaming firms to rely on fragmented, digital-first product launches instead of centralized physical demonstrations. This disruption stymies the capital expenditure cycles that typically follow the show, as buyers lack the hands-on evaluation time for hardware and cloud infrastructure crucial to 2022 deployments. For the broader ecosystem, the absence of a consolidated forum accelerates the shift toward private, regional events and direct-to-customer virtual briefings. Watch for the NAB Show's scheduled return in April 2022 to serve as a bellwether for the recovery of large-scale, international trade events.

The 2021 cancellation left a significant void in the media technology sales cycle, as the NAB Show typically attracts roughly 90,000 attendees and generates an estimated $153 million in economic impact for Las Vegas, per the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. By the time the event returned in person in April 2022, participation reached 52,468 registered attendees, representing a nearly 44% decline compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Despite the lower volume, industry activity shifted toward niche professional summits and the 'creator economy,' which became a central pillar of the event's programming strategy.

Subsequent years showed a stabilized but structurally altered trade show landscape. Reported attendance for the 2024 NAB Show was 61,000, while the 2025 event recorded approximately 55,000 attendees, according to Radio World and TM Broadcast reports. This downward trend in physical attendance reflects a broader industry pivot toward remote collaboration and virtual vendor access. Per Streaming Summit chair Dan Rayburn in April 2025, the industry faces 'hard times' with significant layoffs, causing many companies to reduce travel budgets. Consequently, while the NAB Show remains an influential destination, it has evolved into a more targeted gathering focusing on face-to-face deal-making rather than the mass-market product spectacles seen before the 2021 disruption.