Top 10 Reasons Why Streaming Media West is Better Than Big Expos
In late June, Mobile World Congress officially kicked off the return to in-person conferences for our industry and, with apologies to T.S. Eliot, did so not with a bang but a whimper. The event usually brings more than 100,000 to Barcelona, but this year, a paltry 10,000 attended—half of them from Spain. That doesn’t bode well for NAB, and rumors are swirling that IBC won’t happen in person. We can speculate on the reasons, but they all share one thing in common: They’re mostly pertinent to massive shows with many international attendees.
But Streaming Media West is another kind of event entirely, and from what I hear, I’m not the only one who can’t wait to get back to Huntington Beach in November. Here are 10 reasons why Streaming Media West is better than the big shows (with photos below!):
- It’s more intimate. More time for real learning and networking.
- Less time spent running from one hall to another. Sure, you won’t rack up the steps on your fitness app, but there’s a great running and biking path along the beach.
- Yes, there’s a beach. A real one, not like that one in Amsterdam.
- It’s close to Los Angeles. Some of the big-name companies in our space still have travel restrictions, but they’ve got local employees and executives.
- If you’re a sponsor, you don’t need to blow half your marketing budget to exhibit, and you don’t need to spend $10K for a barista at your booth. (No long lines at the Hyatt Starbuck’s either!)
- The fish tacos at Pete’s Sunset Grille.
- Does Apple speak at NAB, IBC, or much of anywhere else besides Apple events? No, but Apple’s Roger Pantos has been a mainstay at Streaming Media West.
- The cream of the crop of video engineering talent will be there. That’s why Netflix, Hulu, Facebook, and Google have recruited at our shows.
- This is our 24th Streaming Media West, and people come back every year. You’re sure to run into old friends and make new ones.
- Did I mention there’s a beach?
The full program will be online soon. Visit the conference website for information on attending, sponsoring, and exhibiting.
Apple's Roger Pantos at Streaming Media West 2019
Networking under the stars
You don't get this view in Vegas ...
Or this one ...
Old friends Chris Knowlton and Jeff Tapper on the beach
The infamous Grotto
Come on in ... the water's fine!
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