Compared to prior years, one thing I readily noticed was the absence of the most prominent content creators on YouTube. Those focused on the technology for making videos, the ones you always turn to when researching your next camera purchase, the ones with massive audience reach and a huge following.
To be certain, travel costs have increased notably. Many influencers hail from Canada, so geopolitics may have prompted them to stay home this year. But it’s also possible that the novelty and uniqueness of new gear for content creators have plateaued. Truth be told, there wasn’t as much of that air of excitement over truly groundbreaking new products at this year’s show.
With this in mind, I’m a little concerned that the creator economy relevance at NAB may have started to peak. Nonetheless, official attendance figures showed a very impressive 140% growth in registrants who identified themselves as content creators, and nearly half of all attendees visiting the show for the first time.