NAB Show
Webinars On-Demand: Exhibitor Town Hall Series
Exhibitor Town Hall Series
Creators Mean Business: Why This Growing Buyer Community Matters and What Exhibitors Need to Know
Originally presented: September 3, 2026
Do you really know today’s creator buyer?
Before this Town Hall, we asked NAB Show exhibitors how they view creators as customers and technology buyers. The results revealed some interesting perceptions:
- 95% associate professional creators with YouTubers and social media creators.
- Only 5% view creators as serious professional technology buyers with meaningful budgets.
- 30% believe creators are primarily interested in free or discounted products.
- Yet 35% already consider creators a significant customer segment or growing business opportunity.
Those perceptions are worth challenging. Creator attendance at NAB Show grew 43% year over year, and creators are increasingly building professional media businesses with sophisticated technology needs across production, AI, streaming, cloud, audio, workflow and monetization.
So, where does perception end and reality begin?
In this Exhibitor Town Hall, members of the NAB Show Creator Council share firsthand insights into how creators discover and evaluate technology, what influences their purchasing decisions, what earns their attention and trust, and what brands may be getting wrong about this growing buyer community.
Key Takeaways:
➡️ Expand your definition of “creator.” Today’s creators range from solo entrepreneurs to small studios, production teams and multi-platform media businesses.
➡️ Understand the workflow before selling the product. Relevance starts with understanding the problem creators are trying to solve.
➡️ Don’t underestimate their influence. Creators buy technology themselves while also influencing the purchasing decisions of peers and broader audiences.
➡️ Let them experience your technology. Hands-on demos, subject-matter experts and clear use cases can earn attention where generic sales pitches cannot.
➡️ Invest in the relationship. Listen, understand their business and build trust that extends beyond a single transaction.
Creators are growing, professionalizing and buying. Learn what it takes to earn their attention, trust and business.
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