In less than two months, thousands of Christian media and ministry professionals will converge at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN, to take part in the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Convention & Exposition – the world’s largest annual gathering of Christian communicators.

Beginning March 2, top Christian media professionals and leaders attending the four-day event will be exposed to new tools, services, ideas, inspiration, and relationships that can advance their organizations and themselves. They will attend a broad range of educational sessions; engage in hands-on activities from the exhibit floor training pavilion; and be inspired by nationally and internationally known speakers and artists.

“It’s a group of men and women committed to using every electronic media platform available to us to reach the world for Jesus Christ,” explains NRB President & CEO Dr. Frank Wright. “It’s the embodiment of the body of Christ that we see at the Convention.”

Every year, the NRB Convention & Exposition draws a wide range of participants, including radio and TV station owners and operators, pastors, church media professionals, radio and TV program producers, college educators, students, film producers, web and mobile developers, social media managers, marketing representatives, and ministry staff members.

A highlight of the annual gathering is its exclusive Exposition, the largest marketplace dedicated to Christian media professionals seeking to harness the power of media to spread the Gospel. Nearly 200 companies, ministries, and organizations will showcase their products and services on 135,000 square feet of exhibit space, including broadcasters, non-profits, educational institutions, publishers, media agencies, and broadcast equipment and software companies.

“NRB forces me to stop and assess the year, consider next steps, envision areas of growth or areas where I am missing ministry opportunities, investigate new technology and trends, etc.,” commented one Convention participant. “Without NRB, I’d just keep doing the same thing year after year. It’s a breath of fresh air in the middle of winter.”

As in previous years, the NRB Convention will offer approximately 50 educational sessions led by professionals at the top of their field. These sessions offer participants topics such as fundraising, marketing, video production, social media, technology and leadership. Sessions this year include “Channeling IPTV & Chiseling Tablet Apps for Your Ministry,” “Ethics and Leadership: Strengthen Your Character Development,” and “What Should Christian Media Look Like in 10 Years?”

Among the dozens of speakers at the 2013 Convention will be ministry leaders Dr. Tony Evans of The Urban Alternative, Bobby Gruenewald of LiveChurch.tv, and Nick Hall of the PULSE movement; popular bloggers Jeff Goins and Tim Challies; as well as social media luminaries from Twitter, Google, and Facebook.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of attending the Convention is the chance to meet and speak directly with representatives of leading Christian organizations, including the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Campus Crusade for Christ, In Touch Ministries, Focus on the Family, Grace To You, Moody Radio, Harper Collins Christian Publishing, World Vision, and more. For thousands, the Convention is a “must attend” on the calendar of Christian media professionals.

“We come together for a lot of reasons,” says David Keith, NRB’s Vice President of Convention & Technology Development. “It’s a time for conducting business. It’s a time for tackling challenges. And, all around, it’s a great time for peers in media and ministry to network and enjoy each other’s fellowship.”

Dr. Wright adds, “You get energized by engaging men and women of vision, seeing the faithfulness with which they do their work, and seeing the hand of God’s blessing on them. And it just reminds you that God is working in your life and your ministry too.”

The upcoming Convention, NRB 2013, will mark NRB’s 70th. While the Convention itself will kick off Saturday, March 2, the Exposition will officially open its doors Sunday afternoon.

The event concludes March 5.

About NRB
The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is a non-partisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers, and readers. Our mission is to advance biblical truth; to promote media excellence; and to defend free speech. In addition to promoting standards of excellence, integrity, and accountability, NRB provides networking, educational, ministry, and fellowship opportunities for its members. Learn more at www.nrb.org.