NAB vs. CTIA: Similarities and differences abound

LAS VEGAS—Because of all of the bickering between wireless trade organization CTIA and broadcaster trade association the National Association of Broadcasters, I was curious to find similarities and differences in how the two groups conduct their annual conventions.
Watch the slideshow below to see how very much the two trade shows have in common: and what they don’t.
Both have racing cars that don’t seem to have anything to do but look cool.
Both have lots of taxis and lots of buses to carry people to and from the convention center.
Both have companies I have heard of demonstrating products at booths.
Both have products that look like they belong in outer space.
Both have women who wear comfy shoes and women who don’t.
Both have big banners touting their shows.
But wait: there are some crazy differences between these two shows.
First, NAB uses the north, central and south halls of the Las Vegas convention center. With more than 92,000 people at the show, NAB brings in the larger audience, but my feet would rather go to CTIA.
Second, NAB has a store, where people can buy NAB-branded clothing. And they do. This seems strange to me. Plus, some of the clothing was on clearance! How can clothing be on clearance from a week-long show?
Third, NAB offers free Wi-Fi in the lobby. Now CTIA did have free Wi-Fi near some of the sessions, but everyone at CTIA is a master of RF and so skews their signal to mess with their neighbor – maybe not intentionally, but nevertheless…
Fourth, when NAB touts a mobile/outdoor pavilion, this is what they mean – trucks, beams and satellites. Outdoors. Near the trash cans. (Hint: no DAS.)
Fifth, NAB has bigger screens. But they are scary. And they can teleport with virtual stages and people wearing dots. Scary.
Finally, and I didn’t get this on pictures of this, but the journalists are different. Nowhere is this more pronounced than on the food line in the newsroom. CTIA journalists know to get to the food early, take everything you want, because five minutes after it’s out, all of the food has been eaten.
At NAB, journalists stood in line – without pushing or shoving – to gain access to the food. Day one, there I was, watching people stand in line. Day 2, there I was, watching people stand in line. Sandwiches, wraps, fruit and vegetable trays (I’ve yet to see a veggie tray in the CTIA newsroom.) And when the food was gone, guess what happened? They brought out more. No wonder people were so orderly. But then, on Day 3, it all changed. The journalists stood in line, calm, picking up fruit and veggies, grabbing a cheese cube or two and some olive mix on flatbread, waiting for the wraps and sandwiches to make their way to the table. But guess what? It never happened. Instead, they brought out Granola bars. I immediately left, knowing the frenzy that had been set in motion.