The NAB 2018 NewBlueFX Survival Guide

As many of you know, the NAB Show brings the video production community together each year for one of the biggest events in the industry, with over 1700+ companies showcasing the latest and greatest products.

With so many things to see and do at NAB, it helps to plan ahead. As veteran NAB attendees, the NewBlueFX team put together our favorite NAB tips, tricks and secrets to share with you.

Here’s our 2018 survival guide for NAB:

Book your flight and hotel ahead of time.

Now this may be obvious, but if you don’t already have your tickets and hotel booked, do it now. NAB arranges for lower prices with hotels in the area to offer you great deals. Here’s the full list below:

https://attendeemx.expobook.com/Home/Index/366

Remember, rooms fill up fast! And if you’re too late for NAB deals, don’t despair, here are some other great ways snag a good room at a good price:

Airbnb Las Vegas: Why stay at a smoke-filled hotel when you can experience Las Vegas like a local?

Las Vegas.com: This tourism site pulls together great deals from top hotels in Las Vegas. Definitely worth a look!

Get a Room: Despite its rather fitting Las Vegas name, Get a Room provides block booking rates for individual rooms. A newcomer, this site offers otherwise unavailable deals to the Las Vegas tourist and business traveler.

Don’t wait to register.

Did you know that 103,000 people attended NAB last year? And with approximately 2 million square feet of exhibit space, there’s a lot to cover. On the NAB site, you’ll find a number of registration packages to choose from, starting at $235 for the Exhibits Pass + Session 3-Pack to the $1,340 Post|Production World Pass, a pass that includes access to exhibits, show opening, All-Badge Access sessions and the Post|Production World Program.

Quick Tip: Once you’re registered, skip the line and pick up your show badge at one of the official satellite registration locations, including the LVCC Monorail Station and Aria, Bellagio, Circus Circus, Cosmopolitan, Encore, Flamingo, Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York New York, Paris, Treasure Island, Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn hotels. Additionally, this year you’ll also have the option of registering directly at McCarran International Airport’s terminal 1 baggage claim area.

You can also register at the various locations at the Las Vegas Convention Center:

Make your lunch & dinner reservations early.

With so many industry professionals converging on one place, you can imagine you’ll encounter a line or two. That’s why it’s best to make important lunch or dinner reservations in advance.

Quick Tip: We like to use Open Table for this, but of course, you can call the restaurant directly as well. As a head start, here are a couple of our favorite places:

• Kumi Japanese Restuarant in Mandalay Bay, a great sushi place that includes rolls with pop rocks! It’s a nice place for a little pick-me-up.
• Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar, a quick cab ride off the strip. Some of the more delicious meals include their tapas, bacon-wrapped Stuffed Dates, and Chicago Beef Bocadillos. Other features include multiple private dining rooms, built-in projectors with laptop and Wi-Fi connectivity.

To add to that, here’s a list of a few more mouth-watering restaurants located right by the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Beware of transportation pitfalls.

Uber: As of September 2015, Uber is back in Las Vegas! Download the app on your smartphone and in just a few clicks you will be on your way to your next destination.

Lyft: Like Uber, Lyft is also now available in Vegas. Use the app on your smartphone to request a ride and quickly get connected to a local driver. As the official NAB Show rideshare partner, Lyft is offering a $2 discount off your ride with code NABShow18, note that limited quantities are available.

Bonus: For a fast and affordable airport transfer service, check out LASxpress Airport Transporation Service’s $13 one-way offer exclusively for 2018 NAB Show attendees.

Taxis: As you can imagine, the traffic during NAB is horrendous. So if you need a cab, plan carefully both in terms of finding that cab and traveling to your next destination. (If you were at NAB 2013, you no doubt remember the taxi strike. As far as we know, nothing like this is in the planning this year.)

Quick tip: Some Las Vegas cab drivers have been known to take advantage of visiting passengers by “longhauling” them, in other words taking them to their destination via a longer than needed route. As such, know where you’re going before you set foot in a cab. Use the Las Vegas Taxi Fare Finder to verify what’s reasonable. And if you cannot find a taxi at the convention center, try the nearest hotel. Uber and Lyft give you the option of viewing a fare estimate before connecting to a driver and will notify you if surge pricing is in effect.

Car Rental: You can also rent a car to get around, but allow time for parking in the general area. Best Parking provides update maps and parking facilities. Besides the traditional rental options like Avis, Budget, or Hertz be sure to check out Turo.com. Turo connects you with locally-owned cars to book your car directly from car owners around Las Vegas.

Monorail: The Las Vegas Monorail is a cost-effective way to get to and from the convention center. If you plan to visit the event for more than 2 days, save a few bucks and get the 3-day pass, otherwise just get the single-ride ticket. Oh and make sure to get there early because it gets packed quickly.

Quick tip: Instead of taking the Las Vegas Monorail from the convention center to the strip, catch it from the Westgate (formerly LVH) to be one stop ahead of the crowds.

Free Shuttles: Free shuttles provided by NAB pick up from several of the hotels close by. This is a great way to get around, but like we mentioned before, be sure to allow time for lines and traffic. They are unavoidable.

No matter how you choose to get around, be sure to check out NAB’s shuttle bus schedule for more information.

Get organized.

NAB is a maze of opportunity. New product announcement, keynote speeches and one of the world’s largest production networks await you, not to mention excellent parties and special events.

Take Post|Production World: You could spend your entire time at NAB just taking its classes. Or, sign up for a variety of select Field Workshops, including the Aerial Cinematography Techniques workshop or the Cinematic Lighting workshop. To learn more, visit http://www.nabshow.com/register-and-plan/registration-packages and scroll down to “Field and Training Workshops.”

With so much to do, it’s best to plan ahead. The Exhibitors’ Search tool will help you find all your favorite events, so you don’t miss a beat, then chart out your day or even the week ahead of time using a simple pocket notebook or use one of these 10 great calendar apps to prioritize your day like an expert.

Wear your badge.

Don’t put yourself through the stress of having to get another badge. Use that free NAB lanyard and out your badge around your neck.

Quick tip: We use our badge holder to store extra business cards. Just tuck them in the pouch behind your badge.

Keep up with breaking news and events.

No matter how well you plan, new opportunities will arise daily. The best way to keep up with the latest news and announcements is to stay in touch with the NAB folks directly.

How? It’s simple: Use your smartphone and follow NAB’s Twitter feed for latest announcements and news. Plus, iPhone users can install the NAB Show Daily News app, the official daily newspaper of the NAB Show. The official NAB Show Mobile App was also just updated and is now available for both iOS and Android devices.

Bring your phone charger and extra charging device

And speaking on your smartphone, note that finding electrical outlets will be very difficult in the Convention Center, so be sure to charge your phone every night. In addition, it makes a lot of sense to bring another portable source of charge.

Here are some of our favorites:

Zendure™ 2nd Gen A2 Portable Charger: This originated from one of the most successful external battery projects on Kickstarter!

Jackery Giant+: This one comes with a flashlight.

mophie Powerstation XXL: While this is more expensive, it has by far the greatest capacity available at 20,000 mAh, good for up to eight complete battery charges for most devices.

Bring a swag bag, comfortable walking shoes and cash.

With millions of square feet to cover, you’ll be doing a lot of walking at NAB. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and throw in some of those silicone gel insoles to boot.

Even if your feet feel good, the ATM fees in Vegas can make anyone cringe, so make sure to bring enough cash.

Quick tip: The ATM at Casino Royale is one of the least expensive ATM fees you’ll find on the Vegas Strip, $1 no matter what your bank affiliation.

Take a break now and then!

While there’s more to do than you can imagine at NAB, you are in Las Vegas after all. Sure, we know what Las Vegas is known for (wink, wink), but there are also some hidden gems

Be sure to recharge with a little innocent little down time at some of these great venues:

The Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat. As close to nature as you can expect on the Las Vegas Strip, you’ll find white tigers, magical white lions, bottlenose dolphins, and leopards in a tropical, palm-lined atmosphere.

The Baccarat Bar. Check out amazing live piano by Ray Glover. Ask him to play “Fly Me To The Moon,” before surprising him with requests for his original compositions, such as “Paradiso,” “Nothing Is As Sweet,” and “Jayne’s Waltz.” You’ll love it.

Check out new NTX from NewBlueFX

There’s so much to see at NAB, including our powerful on-air graphics technology, Titler Live 3 Broadcast, powered by NTX. Come check it out and say hello to the NewBlueFX team. Find us at booth SU3307, ready to share even more NAB tips with you.