Although visitor numbers at last week's NAB exhibition in Las Vegas were down almost 20% year-on-year most exhibiting manufacturers were more than content with the quality of the people that did make the trip.

According to non-consolidated visitor figures, the show had 83,842 attendees this year with 23,232 of those coming from overseas. Last year, 105,000 people turned up. In 2007 that number was 111,000.

But despite the reduction in volume - put down to the challenging economy - exhibitors, anecdotally at least, were satisfied.

Post-production equipment manufacturers such as Cintel and Digital Vision said that they had a good show as the people that had turned up were serious customers that were there to buy rather than just ‘kick tyres'.

While the really big technology firms such as Panasonic and Harris both said that having less people milling around their stands meant that more time could be dedicated to important customers.

Others, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the smaller crowds had other benefits too such as shorter cues for catering and other facilities.

Dennis Wharton from the show's organisers was also happy with the turnout. "The NAB Show has been a phenomenal success by any measure in an otherwise challenging economy," he said.

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