Broadcasters' Show Expands Appeal to Worship Niche

"Churches have the most important product in the world to deliver," says R. Bob Adams, director of technical communications at SLS Loudspeakers, Houston, Texas. "Regrettably, with the exception of a very few ministries, churches are delivering this important information in a sub-standard way."

This is one of the factors Adams believes are leading more and more church media specialists to mark their calendars for an event that, at first glance, may not seem directly aimed at the church market at all: the upcoming National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas April 16-21.

NAB has been focusing on the religious market for several years, and last year launched its first specialized conference in the area. Dennis Wharton, senior vice president, corporate communications at NAB says, "We were surprised by the large turnout last year and look forward to building on that support at NAB2005."

Wharton says NAB is drawing more attendees from houses of worship, even though the concrete numbers of attendees remain small compared to the many thousands who crowd the show each year. He adds, "The conference offers unique and informative sessions that allow those who work in worship production to learn how to create and produce superior programming for their audiences."

Shelagh Rogers, one of the Worship Technology Conference organizers, says last year's conference was expected to attract 40 or 50 participants, but instead drew more than 200. This number has already been exceeded in advance registration for 2005.

"Eighty-five percent of the attendees last year had never attended an NAB before," Rogers says. She adds that NAB will appeal to these attendees with a combination of seminars and practical demonstrations staged in a 50ft. x 50ft. pavilion on the exhibit floor. Demos will address topics such as sound mixing and location lighting.

The 10-session seminar program takes place between Monday, April 18, and Thursday, April 21, coinciding with NAB's exhibit hall.

The dual approach is ideal for newcomers like many church media people, says Rod Payne, president of the Christian Family Network Television in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a speaker at the conference.

"It's the best of both worlds for church media managers," Payne says. "They can get inspiration from the seminars and see the best gear on the floor."

Rogers predicts, "What's really going to be big this year is high definition. A lot of churches are going for HD."

Adams notes that church attendees at NAB often have to overcome significant obstacles. "TV stations know that to do their job right they must allocate some funds for training," Adams says. "Few churches have training budgets. Most church technicians that attend NAB do so out of their own pocket."

Attendance is growing anyway, Adams says. "Churches are becoming more aware of the need to educate their folks, and those doing the tasks are becoming more serious and dedicated," he explains.

Adams also sees an under-appreciated dimension for exhibitors at NAB seeking to serve the worship market. Even though the great majority of attendees are media professionals, they often combine their worldly roles with a different, often more important calling.

"Many, many of the professionals that attend NAB are strong Christians who serve their home churches," Adams says. "However, as I talk to them, I am constantly amazed how under-utilized these folks are."