Avid, the developer of the industry-leading Media Composer editing and ProTools audio postproduction systems, has canceled its participation in the upcoming National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show and "all trade conferences and other large face-to-face events globally" for at least the next 60 days due to the coronavirus outbreak, the company announced Tuesday.
On Monday, coronavirus concerns prompted software developer Adobe to withdrew from the confab, which is slated to open April 18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Others that recently announced that they was cancelling their attendance at NAB Show — which in 2019 reported attendance of roughly 90,000 — included AJA Video Systems and Nikon.
For Avid, withdrawal from NAB includes the cancellation of its two-day "Avid Connect" customer conference, which is held annually as a co-located event.
“While these were difficult decisions for Avid, and for me personally, we feel strongly that helping stop the spread and severity of the COVID-19 virus is not just the job of governments and healthcare providers, but the responsibility of every individual, organization and corporation around the globe,” Avid president-CEO Jeff Rosica said in a statement. “We will take this opportunity to try new methods and experiment with different approaches to better engage with our clients, users and the community around the globe. Avid remains supportive of the NAB Show and looks forward to next year’s event.”
The company also reported that in April it will invite its customers to participate in an online broadcast to introduce the new products that had been scheduled to be unveiled at NAB Show. Avid also stated that later in the year, "when public safety can be assured," it will hold regional, Connect-type events in various cities around the world.
