BOCA RATON, FLA. — On Thursday, with CES 2022 at its height — and reportedly with attendance at some 75% under the CES 2020 total tally — signs that NATPE MIAMI could be in danger arose with the news that Univision Communications would be cancelling its Tuesday morning breakfast session as part of the Opening Day festivities for the National Association of Television Program Executives’ signature event of the year.
As of 7:15pm Eastern Friday, NATPE Miami was still a go, with press confirmation and registration information sent to reporters with a January 12 deadline to submit COVID-19 vaccination status to the organization. Less than 24 hours later, the plug was pulled on NATPE Miami — a victim of Omicron. That put the organizers of the “shoulder” Matrix Media Ad Sales Summit in motion on what to do with its January 2022 affair.
On Tuesday, a final decision was made to postpone the more intimate Matrix broadcast media industry gathering.
An “important update” was distributed by email early Tuesday (1/11) to those involved with the event, scheduled for January 19-21 at the Nobu Eden Roc on Miami Beach. Co-signed by Matrix CEO Mark Gorman and Chief Revenue Officer Brenda Hetrick, the executives said, “It is with an abundance of caution and in keeping the safety of our Summit attendees as our main priority, that we have made the decision to postpone the 5th annual Media Ad Sales Summit. We are diligently working with the venue to identify new dates and hope to have those to everyone in the coming days.”
Gorman and Hetrick thanked all for their patience as Matrix worked to ensure “an outcome that focuses on our attendees, speakers, sponsors, and team’s safety, above all else.” Furthermore, the Matrix leaders said, “We are optimistic that postponing the event will allow for the surge in COVID-19 cases to subside, making the ability to travel to this event safer and easier for all. It is our goal to keep all programming and agendas intact, and thus retain as many of our current speakers as possible.”
RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson was scheduled to moderate an in-person session on January 20 focused on ATSC 3.0 and NEXTGEN TV growth. He is expected to appear at the rescheduled affair, pending the date chosen by Matrix.
The decision to postpone the Matrix event, which is traditionally an intimate, exclusive affair of some 150 attendees plus staff, comes after NATPE’s Saturday afternoon announcement that, “after serious consideration of the health and safety of all attendees, as well as the quality of the event experience for its membership and other constituents,” NATPE Miami 2022 was cancelling the in-person Conference and Marketplace planned from January 18-20 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, adjacent to the Nobu Eden Roc.
Given the decision by NATPE to axe its event, and travel plans among Matrix attendees largely linked to NATPE Miami, postponing the Media Ad Sales Summit was anticipated.
That said, the outright cancellation of NATPE Miami, with just 10 days until it was to start, was somewhat of a surprise — even as the spread of the Omicron variant in parts of Miami-Dade County is severely high, putting a strain on not only the Fontainebleau Miami Beach’s staff but also placing the safety of conference attendees in question.
NATPE Miami was last held in January 2020, when COVID-19 was largely an Asian concern. Attendees from China were present, as were many from Latin America. Given the sizable international presence at NATPE Miami, moving forward with a full-scale affair could have resulted in the embarrassing moments just seen by the Consumer Technology Association in Las Vegas. Among them: a LG expo full of QR codes that led many to believe they were visiting a memorial.
While the in-person NATPE Miami is officially cancelled, NATPE President/CEO JP Bommel says new dates and locations are under consideration for the next event.
An alternative location is particularly worrisome news for the Fontainebleau, which has played host to the conference for many years.
Meanwhile, NATPE says it is in the process of developing a plan to create both virtual and in-person events — when appropriate — throughout the year. And, they will come with “either no fees or limited ones in appreciation for the support NATPE has received from many people around the world.”
Bommel remarked, “Although this decision from a financial point of view will cost the organization a great deal of money, that was secondary to our primary concern, which is to put the welfare of our members first. We put a great deal of safety protocols in place, but it is just not enough given the intensity of this virus, which is spreading at an enormous rate all over the world. We look forward to producing a strong conference at the right time and under the best circumstances, and to provide all our attendees with the greatest value we can offer.”
