With the advent of user-friendly handheld video cameras and editing software that any tech newbie can master, shooting and creating video clips has become easier and easier. So why aren’t you incorporating more video into your marketing strategy?

At this year’s National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show, organizers instituted a comprehensive on-site video strategy designed to extend the show’s presence off the show floor. The complex strategy comprised several moving parts, and required months of planning — all told, a team of about 25 people worked on the project. Not every show has the resources to devote to such a huge undertaking, but devoting a sliver of your resources to an on-site video strategy can pay off in dividends, giving your show a new way to connect with attendees and exhibitors — and starting a library of video footage you can leverage yearround to spice up marketing efforts for the next show.

One of the biggest elements of NAB’s on-site video strategy was its use of video bloggers. The show cherry-picked bloggers in advance of the show, and armed them with handheld video cameras on site to capture their own perspective of the event. “We picked someone from each demographic of our audience,” says Aaron Cullers, Manager of Convention Marketing for NAB. “We had a speaker, an exhibitor, an attendee, an international representative, a student…we even had an NAB staffer walking around.” Within hours of filming the videos, the clips were posted for attendees, and for those following the action at home, to see online.

And one blogger in particular culled quite a following among attendees at the show. “We had a student blogging who sort of became a runaway hit for us,” says Cullers. “Throughout the show, everyone loved her segments, her voice and her feel for the show. But she fell ill very early on and spent much of the show in her hotel room sick. People started coming up and asking us where she was and why she hadn’t posted.We sent an intern over to pick up the camera and she actually filmed a blog from her hotel room to say why she hadn’t been able to post.”

A few other components of NAB’s video strategy:

Roving reporters. The show created a bit called “Where in the World is Patrick Flynn?”; segments were filmed as Flynn, the show’s Vice President of Sales, checked in with key exhibitors and sponsors in different locations on the show floor.

Thought leaders. One of the show’s production partners, Level 3 Communications, brought its ubiquitous “red couch” to the show (it also takes the couch to other events, including the Sundance Film Festival) to interview thought leaders about issues facing the industry.

Focus segments. The show shot segments around “themes” of the event; one segment focused on sustainable booths to highlight green event practices for exhibitors, for example. In another segment, one of the reporters chatted up Vegas cab drivers to get their take on how the show impacts the city. The strategy is so successful that NAB is already planning its on-site coverage for next year’s event. An added bonus? The show has been able to use this year’s footage in several promotions and communications, including an exhibitor education video series.