NAB and IBC have long served as milestones in the media tech calendar, bringing the industry together to connect, launch products, and generate momentum. But their role is changing. Faced with tighter budgets, evolving buyer behaviour, and the growing need for digital engagement, exhibitors are rethinking not only what they say, but how, where, and when they say it.
This shift is being driven by a combination of business pressure, buyer behaviour, and digital acceleration and as one leader at NAB told us candidly, “Marketing spend has been pressured even more as we prioritised engineering and product development.”
A Show in Decline?
Trade shows still dominate marketing media technology vendor budgets, yet attendance at major events has been falling. At NAB Show, attendance has dropped from a peak of over 103,000 in 2016 to a claimed 55,000 registrations in 2025 leading marketers to ask hard questions about ROI. It’s not just whether to attend, but how to show up. What are we really achieving? Who are we reaching? And what happens beyond the booth?
The result is visible. Booth sizes are shrinking. Big brand spends are being reallocated toward more targeted experiences. Increasingly, marketers are looking beyond the stand and toward curated, insight-led events. These formats allow for deeper engagement and are better suited to today’s buyer behaviour.
Today’s Buyer is Different
It’s not just the events that have changed; it’s the people attending them. Media organisations are undergoing structural shifts, with new leadership bringing different expectations. Buyers are now more digitally native, more data-driven, and more values-led. Many arrive at shows with decisions already made. They’re using the event to validate choices, not explore them - changing how time is spent on-site.
While, anecdotally, meeting “no-shows” appear to have decreased this year, competition for buyer attention is still high. Some vendors noted shorter, more focused meetings, with less time available for exploratory conversations or unplanned discussions. As one attendee put it, “You can’t afford to wing it anymore.”
This is where the transition from “moments” to “movements” becomes real. Marketers know that spontaneous booth traffic and post-show emails have never been reliable ways to drive engagement at events like NAB or IBC. But today, buyer attention is limited and carefully managed, which means meaningful conversations must be earned in advance. The most effective strategies are those that build momentum long before the show and continue delivering value afterwards.
NAB is no longer the destination in itself, but a key touchpoint within a broader, integrated campaign.
Quality Over Quantity
In parallel, we’re seeing a dramatic shift in content strategy. The rise of AI has flooded the market with lookalike messaging. What was once a differentiator -being fast, being visible - is now just noise. To stand out, Media Tech marketers are turning back to original, high-quality insight.
The Hive Group facilitated three topical, closed-door events at NAB Show 2025. These weren’t promotion-led. They focused on key issues facing the industry, using curated panels and tailored conversations. Crucially, we supported them with pre-event communications and a follow-up insight report. The event became a chapter in a broader narrative, not the whole story.
It’s not about adding to the noise. It’s about saying something worth listening to.
ROI
Vanity metrics like booth footfall or social media likes are no longer enough. As one marketing leader put it, “Where’s the ROI?”
Measurement is becoming more granular and more outcome focused. Businesses want to know who’s engaging with them and what behaviour those engagements are driving – with CMS and CRM systems being used track intent and influence over time.
This is also driving a closer integration of marketing and sales teams. Traditional boundaries are dissolving. Revenue is now a shared responsibility!
Building Communities, Not Just Campaigns
One final transition is gaining momentum. More vendors are investing in community strategies. These aren’t just mailing lists or user groups. Done well, they are platforms for feedback, advocacy, and long-term loyalty.
At NAB, multiple marketers told us they see community building as a core priority - it’s resource-intensive, but it is also a powerful way to move beyond transactional marketing toward sustained engagement.
Looking Ahead
The future of marketing in media technology won’t be defined by bigger booths or louder campaigns. It will be shaped by those who create continuity, not just attention. The strongest brands will understand that today’s buyer is on a journey, and that vendors, and specifically marketers, needs to walk alongside them every step of the way.