Etere Pulls the Plug on Trade Show Theatre

Etere isn’t stepping back from trade shows, we’re stepping ahead of them. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to drive innovation and set the pace for the broadcast industry. For a personalised consultation tailored to your business, contact us today.

For decades, mega trade shows like NAB Show and IBC were the epicentre of the broadcast industry. They made sense when the only way to connect with peers, partners, and customers was by walking crowded halls. But that era is over. Today, these once-essential gatherings have devolved into expensive theatre—bloated, distorted, and disconnected from their original purpose.

Etere is breaking free. Starting in 2025, we will no longer participate in these large-scale exhibitions on an annual basis. Instead, we will appear biennially—making each appearance sharper, more impactful, and more relevant.

The Problem with Mega Trade Shows
From our experience as a long-time exhibitor, the problems are impossible to ignore:

■Overpriced illusions of scale – Costs of exhibiting are not going down, yet value is. Organisers disguise declining relevance by widening corridors, closing parts of halls, and padding categories with non-broadcast industries.

■Too long, too thin – The shows are still stretched across four days, but reality tells a different story. The first two days bring traffic, the third day slows dramatically, and the fourth day has become little more than exhibitors visiting each other. It’s an open secret in the industry that by then, the halls are nearly empty of real prospects.

■Harder to connect – Amid inflated size and spectacle, finding the right partners or customers has become more difficult than ever.

The result is clear: exhibitors pay more, get less, and spend precious time in an environment that feels more staged than substantive.

A Smarter, Leaner Strategy
Instead of playing along, Etere is redirecting its energy where it matters. We are prioritising regional trade shows that deliver greater cost-efficiency, stronger engagement, and higher ROI. Smaller, focused events enable us to have meaningful conversations, provide tailored demonstrations of the Etere Ecosystem, and foster connections that drive actual business.

This approach is grounded in our mission: empowering broadcasters with innovative, reliable, and competitively priced solutions.
Digital-First Engagement
The future of connection isn’t about inflated halls, it’s about impact. In today’s digital-first landscape, meaningful engagement happens with a click, a conversation, or a tailored consultation. That’s why Etere is doubling down on digital outreach, personalised consultations, and immersive online experiences, ensuring our customers get more value and less noise.

Stepping Ahead, Not Back
This is not a retreat, it’s a recalibration. By cutting out the waste of inflated exhibitions, we’re freeing resources to invest where they matter most: research, development, and innovation. That means more cutting-edge technologies, more reliable solutions, and more value delivered directly to our customers.

Etere isn’t stepping back from trade shows, we’re stepping ahead of them
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to drive innovation and set the pace for the broadcast industry. For a personalised consultation tailored to your business, contact us today.