NAB Europe cancelled
Posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 12:43am. #
The NAB European Radio Conference in Athens is in ruins. An email to me, as a speaker, says:
There is no doubt that current economic conditions are affecting all businesses globally, and the broadcast industry is not immune from these effects.
Unfortunately, with broadcasters and exhibitors feeling the pinch of reduced travel budgets and operating in turbulent times, I regret to inform you that NAB has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2009 NAB European Radio Conference scheduled for 25-27 October in Athens, Greece.
Irritatingly, I now have a non-refundable return flight to Athens. Sigh.
NAB have kindly offered me an exhibition pass to NAB Las Vegas (12-15 April 2010) as recompense – according to a quick Google search, these tickets have a street value of $0 – and a free pass to the NAB Broadcast Management Conference, which has a rather better street value of about £425. That presumably shouldn’t be sniffed at, though there is the small issue of a flight to Las Vegas.
It’s a shame, but I won’t be speaking there. The good news is that Nik Goodman and I have failed to meet up, until today, and therefore we’ve not done any further work on our rather excellent presentation; and that there’s still plenty of time to see me speaking in other places.
I never liked Athens anyway. Nasty, concrete, city. (Grin…)
Incidentally, one of the places I’m speaking is Stockholm. I’m here now, after having met up with a nice man from SBS Radio earlier. I bought a round of three beers, which cost 200Kr, or £17.96. I wonder whether Wetherspoons might be convinced to open a bar up here?
The tax on beer means that even if Weatherspoons opened up in Stockholm they’d have to charge £5 for a pint (rest of Sweden is still £4+). I spent more money in 5 days in Stockholm on beer than I usually manage in a month in th UK.
Regarding the cancellation it’s disappointing but not too surprising – obviously we lost SBES for 2009 after it was initially reduced to a single day – I just hope we don’t see any more cancellations.