Panasonic Follows Sony in Withdrawing From NAB Show

NAB Show 2021 lost another anchor exhibitor when Panasonic announced Friday that “the current conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic” forced its decision “not to attend the event in Las Vegas” scheduled for Oct. 9-13. “In place of participating in-person, we’re planning to meet and connect with our valued customers via our digital platforms where we look forward to sharing our exciting announcements,” said Carter Hoskins, director-professional imaging, in a statement emailed to Panasonic accounts. “We are confident a digital experience will be effective, similar to events we’ve hosted over the last 18 months.” The NAB Show "is an economic engine for our industry, and we look forward to delivering a productive in-person experience," emailed an association spokesperson. "We have taken important steps to prioritize the safety of our community and are excited to host the many exhibiting companies ready to meet with buyers and get back to business in Las Vegas." The show's website early Friday still showed Panasonic holding an Oct. 10 in-person exhibitor news conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center before the listing was removed later in the day.