This week organizers for the annual IBC Show offered a preview of its plans for the upcoming annual event, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam.

IBC CEO Mike Crimp said the show will increase its emphasis on networking opportunities both at the show and online.

To that end, the show is launching the “Braindate Lounge” an initiative that will help attendees prepare in advance of the show.

Braindate Lounge will enable attendees to form their own peer groups online prior to the show and will be seeded with expert discussions from IBC consultants and from the show’s conference program around key topics, according to Crimp.

“People can go on there and form their own key topics and gather a group of people around them to do that,” he said. “I suppose the power of IBC is, in a way, is the power to convene, so all of those people will be able to take their meetings online to create an actual meeting between them on site in the Braindate Lounge, and they will be able to sit down, discuss their topics, discuss what they've seen, create their own knowledge networks.”

The show’s “Future Tech” zone, in Hall 14, will increase its focus on startups with the launch of “Future Tech Ignite,” dedicated to startups, emerging tech, future talent, and the creative community, according to Joe.

“We're also extending our partnership with EIT Culture and Creativity, and they are going to become the Future Tech Ignite innovation partner, which will really help strengthen IBC links with Europe's creative innovation communities,” said Jo Mayer, head of marketing for IBC.

Expanded from a single day to all four days of the show, “Ignite Stage”in the Future Tech area, will feature startup pitches, future-focused sessions, and talent/skills content across all four days of the show, Mayer added.

Key themes for this year’s show are: the transformation of sport, trust and authenticity, and new commercial models, which tie into the show’s three guiding pillars of shifting business models, transformative tech, and increasingly, people and purpose, according to Crimp.

“Those pillars are a consistent framework for the conversations that matter most to the industry,” he said.

Exhibition space itself should exceed 45,000 square meters this year with more than 1,200 exhibitors across 14 halls, according to Steve Connolly, IBC’s director of sales.

Last year, the show had 46,000 square meters of exhibition space and an estimated 1,300 exhibitors.

“Some key areas of the show are performing particularly strongly,” Connolly said. “Future Tech in Hall 14 and Content Everywhere in Hall 5 are both significantly ahead of last year in terms of bookings.”

Crimp said that they’re confident that attendance will be strong and that they'll be able to weather some of the issues that plagued the NAB Show in April, where attendance was softer than previous years.

“I think at the moment we are tracking really strongly against last year,” Crimp said. “We're an international show and a very welcoming show. Who knows what’s going to happen in the Middle East, if that's going to get worse, but I at the moment we're very confident that we will deliver numbers sort of in line with last year."

To register for the show, visit https://show.ibc.org.

The 2024 IBC Show, which wrapped up yesterday at the RAI Amsterdam, saw a nearly 5% increase over the 2023 event.

IBC announced that 45,085 visitors from 170 countries converged on the RAI Amsterdam during the show, which ran from Sept. 13-16, approximately 4.69% more than the 43,065 that attended the 2023 event. That show saw a 16% rise in attendance from the 2022 show, the first IBC since 2019, after having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

The number of exhibitors was also up to 1,350, 100 more than in 2023, and the amount of exhibition space reached 46,000 square meters, exceeding the previous year’s total of 44,500 square meters.

“IBC continued on an upward trajectory in 2024, with tremendous turnout across the entire IBC community as people gathered in Amsterdam to explore the technological advances and market dynamics redefining our industry,” said Michael Crimp, IBC’s Chief Executive Officer. “In a year marked by major events such as the Olympics and national elections, there was an extremely positive buzz at IBC2024. This year’s show addressed soaring interest in trends such as AI’s leap from theory to real-world applications, how the industry is fighting disinformation in news, and the need to foster talent and diversity across media, entertainment and technology.”

Other themes that took center stage at IBC2024 included sustainability, 5G, cloud, esports, immersive experiences, over-the-top (OTT) and streaming, adtech, metaverse, edge computing, and connected technologies. Many of these were addressed in the three-day IBC Conference, relocated to the Auditorium Complex at the RAI, as well as in the various show floor theatres and by many of the exhibitors themselves on their stands.

A number of IBC2024’s defining themes were also focuses of the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, which this year included another IBC first: the AI Media Production Lab, exploring a series of projects in which some of the industry’s most inventive innovators collaborated on specific AI concepts. One of the hottest Accelerator projects—also addressed in the IBC Conference—was ‘Design Your Weapons in the Fight Against Disinformation’, which aimed to develop an industry-wide understanding of the challenges and abuses being faced today by all media outlets in helping audiences identify trustworthy news and information.

The new AI Tech Zone, powered by EBU, featured AI pioneers sharing insights into how the technology will impact the future and how it is already transforming media in areas such as discoverability, news verification, and creating immersive experiences.

Another new feature at IBC2024 was the Audio Visual (AV) buyers’ event on the eve of the show. Working with the AV User Group, media technology companies at the show were able to actively engage with major AV purchasers such as Arup, AstraZeneca, Bank of America, Barclays, Deliveroo, Direct Line Group, KPMG, Schroders, Sopra Steria, UBS, and WPP.

The inaugural, free-to-attend IBC Talent Programme featured discussions on mentoring the industry’s next generation, recruitment challenges, and the importance of diverse perspectives for driving innovation. The program was preceded by the World Skills Café, run by Global Media and Entertainment Manifesto, which took place at the RAI the day before the show.

“In the last few years, IBC has gone from strength to strength, with exhibitors continuing to find more ways to make the most of the show as we add new features and grow its scope and reach,” said IBC Director Steve Connolly. “The feedback we get is incredibly positive, with many seeing IBC evolving as an increasingly important incubator of media tech innovation, as well as maintaining our status as an essential networking destination and source of intelligence on new industry trends and developments.”

All content sessions from IBC2024 will be made available online following the show. The 2025 IBC Show will return to the RAI Amsterdam, Sept. 12-15.

The 2024 IBC Show runs Sept. 13-16 at the RAI Amsterdam. TVBEurope Content Director Jenny Priestley recently talked with IBC President Michael Crimp about what to expect.

TVBEurope: What are the key themes of IBC2024, and why have you chosen them?
Michael Crimp: We have three core themes which form a thread that runs through all aspects of IBC2024, including the IBC Conference, the show floor theatres, new show features and partner initiatives taking place at the RAI. They are: Transformative Technology, Shifting Business Models, and People and Purpose.

We’ve kept these key pillars in place to maintain a structure and help visitors navigate their show experience, with each theme representing a critical focus area for the industry. Transformative Technology has always been at the core of IBC and is exemplified by the innovation on display across our exhibition halls and through the IBC Innovation Awards, Technical Papers Programme, and the Accelerator Media Innovation Programme.

Similarly, IBC has always championed industry evolution as the media technology sector has had to adapt amid changing consumer behaviors, new ways of working, and challenging economic conditions—making Shifting Business Models an essential theme that impacts every conversation at the show. The People and Purpose pillar is just as pivotal, enabling the entire IBC community to play an active role in positive change, including attracting and retaining the next generation of talent and fostering skills development, improving sustainability, and promoting diversity, equality and inclusion.

TVBE: This year’s show features an AI Tech Zone. Why did you choose to highlight AI in that way?
MC: AI is everywhere in the industry, and is demonstrating hugely exciting potential in media and entertainment. As AI rapidly evolves, and technology pioneers and media companies move beyond the experimentation stages to real-world applications, we are providing a central hub to showcase how AI is impacting our sector’s future. We know that media brands and tech providers are looking to step beyond hype cycles and talk about real, proven use cases.

TVBE: What will we see in the AI Tech Zone?
|MC: The AI Tech Zone, powered by European Broadcasting Union, will act as a focal point for AI providers, content creators and solution vendors showcasing how AI can meet specific industry needs. On the AI Tech Zone Stage, its sponsor, Wasabi Technologies, will lead a session which will look at how advanced AI algorithms automatically tag content libraries with rich metadata for a range of uses. Over at the AI Networking Zone, sponsored by DOT Group, the media and entertainment community can connect and engage around AI issues and meet some of the most innovative players championing AI in media.

TVBE: Tell us more about IBC’s first AI Media Production Lab.
MC: Alongside showcasing new products and pioneering AI thought leaders at IBC2024, we want to play an active role in fuelling its development via our hugely successful Accelerator Media Innovation Programme. The AI Media Production Lab project covers three project streams: Generative AI in Action, AI Audience Validation Assistant, and Changing the Game: Predictive Generative AI, which set out to pioneer new, real-world use cases of AI within media production. The aims include improving creativity in storytelling, deepening audience engagement, and harnessing real-time predictive analytics to personalize live sports viewing. The projects are being powered by world-leading innovators including Verizon, the RAI, ITV, and Vodafone, among many others.

TVBE: How are new technologies like AI bringing new exhibitors and attendees to IBC?
MC: Leading-edge innovation across areas such as cloud, AI, 5G, XR, and immersive tech are expanding both IBC’s exhibitor and visitor bases, as media and entertainment draws on new and emerging technology segments. Over 150 first-time exhibitors will be in attendance at this year’s show. With continued convergence between broadcast and pro AV sectors, we’re also hosting a new AV Speed Pitch Event—in partnership with the AV User Group—to enable technology providers to showcase their latest innovations with non-media audiences across retail, finance and other sectors.

TVBE: The immersive tech space has expanded into two halls this year. How will that be reflected in the Conference program?
MC: Immersive tech is one of six essential topics covered in the content program at IBC2024, with Conference sessions from industry leaders including, “How are games impacting the media ecosystem?” and “What does human-machine collaboration mean for the future of content and creativity?” These sessions will cover the evolution of immersive technologies like AR, VR, and metaverse while exploring cutting-edge interactive content experiences of the future.

TVBE: What are the aims of the Conference this year?
MC: The IBC Conference provides an exclusive deep-dive into the most pressing market issues and trends in media, entertainment, and technology—sharing fresh insights, sparking change, and connecting people. This year, we have a hugely exciting line-up of speakers and key thinkers from major organizations, including Sky, Orange, Virgin Media O2, BBC Studios, WPP, BEIN Media, Olympic Channel, Viaplay, Paramount, and ITV.

TVBE: What are some notable speakers?
MC: We have over 325 speakers lined up across an expanded content offering so there really will be a session for everybody. The IBC Conference kicks off with Benedict Evans, the internationally renowned media and technology analyst who has worked with Orange, Channel 4 and NBCUniversal, giving a keynote on “Navigating a Changing Media Landscape.” For those interested in sports entertainment in this year of huge sporting events, “Olympics 2024: Technology to broadcast beyond expectations” will look at tech developments that are transforming coverage of the Olympics and raising the bar in live sport production and distribution.

TVBE: Why are the Accelerator Projects that have been running over the past few months so important to IBC?
MC: Bringing together dynamic media and technology pioneers to address the critical industry challenges of today and tomorrow is at the core of everything IBC stands for. The IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme has built huge momentum since its inception in 2019, and we have seen more major media players from around the globe than ever coming to pitch ideas this year.

One particularly exciting project within such a major global election year is “Design Your Weapons in the Fight Against Disinformation,” championed by the BBC, CBS News, Associated Press, Channel 4 and Al Jazeera amongst other leading media companies. The project aims to help news organizations address the challenges and abuses of disinformation and misrepresentation in media—working to establish real-world solutions and effective interventions to combat fake news and strengthen content authentication processes.

TVBE: What do you hope attendees and exhibitors will take away from IBC2024?
MC: IBC2024 is an opportunity for attendees and exhibitors alike to play an active role in redefining the future of media technology, and experience new innovations coming to life. Business models and consumer trends are evolving at breakneck speed—IBC2024 is the place to be if you want to stay ahead of the curve and seize new opportunities. l

For more information, visit www.ibc.org.

In a press conference last week, IBC organizers previewed the upcoming 2024 IBC Show, taking place Sept 13-16 at the RAI Amsterdam, with a focus on how AI is impacting media and entertainment as well as an examination of how evolving business models are transforming the way media companies use technology to inform and entertain. 

The three themes this year include “transformative tech,” “shifting business models” and “people on purpose,” all of which will come under the show’s umbrella theme of “Content Everywhere,” according to IBC President Michael Crimp.  .  

“What we've seen over the last seven or eight years is the emergence of a theme called ‘Content Everywhere,’ which is a whole area of the show, with its own kind of orange branding,” Crimp said, adding that the theme has been so successful that it has moved out of its dedicated space at Hall 5 into all 14 halls of the RAI. 

Underpinning all of this is the growing importance of artificial intelligence in the M&E industry. Over the past two years, AI has been the talk of industry trade shows and at IBC, a major focus will be on how generative AI is enhancing sports as well as how it impacts election coverage. 

Attendees will be able to visit the “AI Tech Zone” in Hall 14, sponsored by the EBU European to check out the latest innovations, Crimp said. 

“We've all been following the story of AI and I have a feeling we'll see it begin to grow up a little bit during IBC with some sort of real world AI examples, moving on from some of the machine learning that we've seen in the past,” Crimp said. “At the zone, you will see a whole central hub of AI providers, not just generative AI creators, but also AI solutions providers across the board. They'll show the positive impact that AI can and will have on the media and entertainment ecosystem.”

The zone will feature a dedicated stage and network zone, Crimp added. “I think it's worth the trip down there, because with the help of the EBU, we're trying to curate things a little bit and measure the progress [of AI]. "

Along with the potential benefits of AI comes the negative aspects of its impact on election season this year. 

“I think maybe a third of the planet is going to vote in democratic elections this year, so we're going to look at the transformative technology [of AI] and how it helps to fight against fake news and disinformation in the media,” Crimp said. 

One keynote panel at the show “Fake News and Fighting Disinformation,” will focus on the issue of fact checking in the digital age and the “Design Your Weapons in the Fight Against Disinformation” in the “IBC Accelerators” media innovation program will provide attendees with an opportunity to provide feedback on this important topic, according to Crimp. 

“This project, which is proposed by the BBC, CBS News and Paramount global, aims to build an understanding of the problem and establish an initial approach on how news organizations collaborate on methods and technologies to combat disinformation,” he said.

Sports is always an important theme of the show and this year, IBC will continue its longstanding tradition of focusing on the technology behind broadcasting the Olympics. 

The impact of sports on the business and broadcasting and streaming is an obvious but very crucial theme again,” Crimp said. "Our conference session'“Olympics Technology: To Broadcast Beyond Expectations,' will showcase all the tech developments that are transforming coverage of the games, and look at how businesses can innovate in similar ways to set themselves apart from competitors and capitalize on sports opportunities..”

eSports is also returning as a major theme. “It's another growing area of sports media coverage,” Crimp said. “It's not just driving technological innovation, but it also provides new business opportunities across the media and entertainment industry.” 

New this year is the “World Skills Cafe,” a gathering devoted to sharing ideas about skills, diversity and education. Collaborating with Rise Academy, #GALSNGEAR, WIIT (Women In Immersive Tech), Women In Streaming Media and the recently launched Global Media and Entertainment Talent Manifesto, IBC will hold a three hour conference from 2:00-5:00 p.m. on Thursday Sept. 12 to discuss HR and DEI initiatives and policies in the media and entertainment industry. 

“It will bring the industry together to work collaboratively to address talent, social issues and where we need to be,” Crimp said.

Another new element being introduced at IBC2024 is a special Audio Visual (AV) buyers' event on the eve of the show. Working with the AV User Group, IBC has created an IBC Speed Pitch Event for 40 of its members that will take place on Sept. 12th. The event offers media technology companies the opportunity to promote their products, services and brands directly to major AV purchasers, including Arup, AstraZeneca, Bank of America, Barclays, Deliveroo, Schroders, UBS and WPP.

In all, for the 2024 IBC Show, more than 325 speakers have been scheduled across an expanded content program, according to Jo Meyer, head of marketing for IBC.

According to Steve Connolly, Director at IBC, approximately 45,000 square meters of show floor space has been sold surpassing the final amount of space for the 2023 show. More than 1,100 exhibitors—more than 150 of which are new—will be spread across 14 halls at the RAI during the show. 

"We're seeing overwhelmingly strong demand from exhibitors, with many returning brands increasing space and new companies coming in, Connolly said. “There is already a very positive buzz around the exhibition this year — visitors to IBC2024 will see exciting demos and get the chance to meet an increasingly wide array of innovative brands from across the media technology landscape. With the introduction of the AV User Group event, IBC continues to broaden its scope and provide more opportunities for both exhibitors and visitors."

Register for the show here. 

LONDON—IBC has announced its speaker lineup and main tech themes for the 2023 IBC Show, Sept. 15-18 at the RAI Amsterdam. 

During an online press event, organizers announced the show’s three fundamental pillars: Transformative Tech, Shifting Business Models and People and Purpose, themes that will be reflected in presentations, demonstrations and panel sessions across the IBC Conference, show floor theatres, and the IBC Changemakers Programme.

IBC CEO Michael Crimp noted the success of the 2022 event, the first one held since 2019 because of the worldwide Covid pandemic. That event attracted 37,071 attendees and 1,023 exhibitors from 170 countries. After the show, IBC conducted surveys and focus groups with attendees and exhibitors and one common thread was evident from the survey results. 

“People came out of the pandemic really valuing large scale events,” Crimp said. “Three quarters of the people involved in the surveys, and focus groups see trade shows as the most important platform for sourcing new technologies and products.”

Inherent with live events is the networking, Crimp added. “Overall, research showed that the IBC community wanted engagement,” he said. “Networking, especially structured networking was cited by 80% of the attendees who are looking for new connections and new audiences.

“Most reassuringly for us, they said that IBC has a very strong track record in this area and they were confident that we could keep this going,” he added. 

The 2023 IBC Conference, which is a paid part of the event, will be held Sept. 15-16. It will offer the usual standard Delegate Pass, which includes entrance to all the event's presentations, and a new Premium Pass that provides access to additional content plus exclusive networking in the Premium Lounge, where the IBC Innovations Awards will also take place.

“We'll be talking about transformative tech and shifting business models—anything from the emergence of FAST channels to how to stand out when you're launching your new streaming platform to the kind of emergence and acceleration of AI,” said Steve Connolly, director at IBC.

Two weeks ago, IBC previewed the numbers for the 2023 show, announcing that it had already passed the 40,000 square meters mark in terms of exhibition space, up from the final figure of 37,000 (sqm) for the 2022 event. 

Since the beginning of May, more than 80 exhibiting companies have signed contracts with IBC, bringing the current total booking stands at this year’s show to over 1,000, including 100-plus new exhibitors. Panasonic and Samsung are among the most recent companies to announce plans to exhibit. 

“Registrations are ramping up and hotel, flight and Eurostar train bookings are starting to get very busy,” Connolly added. 

The conference will kick off with an address by "Media Universe Cartographer" Evan Shapiro, a renowned industry influencer who maps M&E trends and future developments. Shapiro will lead a session entitled "Plotting the effects of disruption: Charting the new media ecosystem.".

Other confirmed headline IBC Conference speakers include:

• Aditi Pandey, Head of Vendor Management & Partnerships at NRK
• Allu Venkatesh (Allu Bobby), Actor, Film Producer and Entrepreneur at aha, Just Tickets
• Anthony Guarino, Executive Vice President, Global Production & Studio Technology at Paramount
• Bill Baggelaar, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, Technology Development at Sony Pictures Entertainment
• Kishore AK, President Technology and Chief Technology Officer at Zee
• Leah Hooper Rosa, Senior Vice President, EMEA Streaming and Global Integration Lead at Warner Bros. Discovery
• Michael Wise, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Universal Pictures
• Natalya Tatarchuk, Distinguished Technical Fellow and Chief Architect, Vice President, Wētā Tools at Unity Technologies
• Phil Wiser, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Paramount Global
• Richard Berger, Chief Executive Officer at MovieLabs
• Ralph Lee, Chief Executive Officer at BBC Studios Productions
• Valerio Motti, Vice President FAST Channels at Fremantle

In the show-floor venues—which include the Showcase Theatre in Hall 12, the Innovation Stage in Hall in Hall 3 and two theaters in the Content Everywhere area in Hall 5—there will be an array of exhibitor and sponsor content that will include speeches, panels and demos, with many relating to the first two content pillars. 

Showcase Theatre sponsors include Accenture, AWS, Google, Microsoft, and Zixi, while LTN and Tencent are each sponsoring one of the Content Everywhere theatres. In addition to hosting thought leadership sessions, the Innovation Stage will showcase the results of the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, which brings together pioneering media companies and leading-edge technology partners as they collaborate to solve real-world challenges and drive advances across a range of areas.

Highlighting the People and Purpose content pillar in 2023 will be the free IBC Changemakers Programme, which returns to the Forum on Sept. 17-18. These sessions will address topics such as gender equality in broadcasting, advancing sustainability, and inclusive tech. Groups involved in Changemakers include RISE, Soho Media Club, Women in Immersive Tech, and Albert. The IBC Social Impact Awards will also be part of the Changemakers Programme.

Akwasi Ansah, Founder and Creative Director, Omroep ZWART—the first intrinsically inclusive TV broadcasting station in The Netherlands—will give the keynote for the Changemakers sessions, sharing his personal story and vision for a digital-first landscape that is equitable, inclusive and accessible. Other Changemakers speakers include:

• Alexandra Hussenot, Chief Executive Officer, Immersionn, and UK Lead at Women in Immersive Technologies
• Jabbar Sardar, Global HR Director at BBC Studios
• Paul Pastor, Chief Business Officer and Co-Founderat Quickplay 
• Sasha Scott, Head of Transformation Services at EBU

In the run-up to the show, IBC will also offer the "Changemakers Podcast" series, focusing on media culture. Hosted by journalist Nadira Tudor, the podcasts will consist of a series of interviews that initiate essential conversations and spread awareness about critical cultural developments in technology and M&E. Guests include:

• Asif Sadiq, Chief Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Warner Bros. Discovery
• Kamal Ahmed, Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder at The News Movement
• Lisa Kelly, Head of Content Innovation & Development at BBC Children in Need
• Victoria Murovana, Chief Editor/Kids Content Producer at UA:PBC Suspilne, Ukraine.

Although the 2022 event was deemed a success, it ended on a sour note with massive delays at Schipol Airport as attendees headed home, causing many to miss flights and deal with lost or delayed luggage. The fiasco—which was the result of a work slowdown by airport employees as well as Schipol's inflexible leave policies— resulted in the eventual resignation of the airport's CEO. 

Crimp seemed optimistic that Schipol has their act together this year.

"It seems that they are coming back on their feet. It seems like it's gonna be OK, but I'm waiting for them to tell us to tell us that. So from IBC's point of view, we're pushing them hard," Crimp said. 

"They have a long track record of being a great airport, very accessible to the venue. It wasn't a small thing that happened last year—it was pretty terrible," he added. "But I think they have a lot of confidence that the investments that they've made, and the changes they've made, including the new CEO, have put them back on on their feet."

Register for the 2023 IBC Show here: https://show.ibc.org/

AMSTERDAM—The last time the M&E industry gathered here in Amsterdam, the word “zoom” was more likely to describe a lens than a new form of virtual meeting. And given that the show went through numerous stops and starts over the past several years because of the pandemic, the mood heading into the 2022 IBC Show, Sept. 9–12 at the RAI, is one of optimism and a sense of purpose. 

Although the show is well known for shining the spotlight on the latest industry trends through its conference sessions, this year the exhibition is getting a lot more attention than before, perhaps because “virtual expos” are an inadequate substitute for the real thing. IBC President Michael Crimp agrees and thinks attendees are eager to get back to business. 

“There’s a hunger for the expo; expo space demands have been high and have outstripped our cautious approach to it,” Crimp said. “We’ve even seen customers who had a digital value proposition package with us shifting back towards expo again, because there’s just an excitement about networking with people.”

Better than expected attendance at the NAB Show and similar recent trade shows also didn’t hurt when it came to assessing the potential success of IBC. “[The shows] are seeing solid, not spectacular attendance,” Crimp said. “There was an enthusiasm for networking and the benefits of meeting face to face—that’s what we heard about NAB [Show], so my congratulations to Chris Brown and their team.”

Trade shows are notoriously expensive undertakings for attendee and exhibitor alike and a three-year gap between events can lead to sticker shock to those used to attending free virtual events. Crimp says IBC has taken steps at controlling costs for this year’s show.

“We have significantly reduced the cost of attending the conference—that’s a third of the normal cost,” Crimp said. “So we’ve concentrated on not just the cost there but the value of providing other things. We have negotiated with the hotels to reduce their prices, which are actually about 9% cheaper than in 2019.” 

High Exhibitor Demand
The number of exhibitors is now closing in on 1,000. “We’ve seen a crazy amount of demand over the last six months,” IBC Director Steve Connolly noted during a press conference in late June. “We’ve surpassed our initial expectations and are thrilled with the levels of enthusiasm and engagement among exhibitors and visitors for this year’s show.”

However, attendance figures are more difficult to estimate, he said.

“In terms of in-person attendance, it’s harder to predict, especially when you look at other trade shows at the beginning of the year and how much of their final registration comes through in the last three weeks,” Connolly said. “However, to give you some kind of guideline and mathematical formula, when we had 55,000 square meters of space, we had 53,000 visitors. I would expect our final square meters [of exhibit space] to be around about 35–36,000 square meters, so following that trend, you can expect some numbers around that.”

The show already has seen the return of one major exhibitor that had originally announced that it would not exhibit at live shows in 2022—Avid disclosed in late June that it would exhibit at this year’s show, after assessing the recent success of in-person shows. 

In an interview with Peter White of the IABM, Avid President Jeff Rosica characterized the change as “an evolution of our decision.”

“I think as we saw the market improve and the situation improved with COVID and countries started opening up, I think we started to realize that with the feedback from our customers that it’s probably time to start getting back to some of the major trade shows,” Rosica said.

Regarding COVID-19 protections, IBC will follow current EU COVID-19 protocols, which are minimal at this point. Unlike the rules leading up to the 2021 show, which was eventually cancelled, a COVID-19 entry pass is no longer required and social distancing and masks are no longer compulsory. 

However, Crimp cautioned that IBC will monitor safety protocols and will change them if needed. “If medical advice is to do differently, we will introduce them so you can imagine we’ve got a ‘Plan B’ and ‘Plan C’ in place,” he said. 

With COVID-19 still having a large global presence, Crimp thinks the geographical makeup of attendees will be slightly different than in the past. “I certainly think we’re going to have a strong U.S. audience from everything that we’re seeing,” he said. “Europe will be strong of course, including good attendance from the U.K. I guess there are questions around Asia and specifically around China, which we’re keeping a close eye on but they are only a small part of our audience.”

Two Day- Conference
In terms of the conference agenda, the show’s theme is “Designing the Future Together” and will focus on the current and future trends that have emerged since the 2019 show—many of which were advanced by the pandemic. 

“During the pandemic there was this kind of acceleration in lots of various areas, in particular, remote production,” Crimp said, adding that in parallel, this has impacted workflows, now more likely to be cloud-based. “There are [conference] sessions on things like cloud media workflows, but it takes on a different perspective than in 2019 because of what we’ve been through and the fact that it’s actually become more of a norm for some people now.”

Other topics will include AI, virtual production and a focus on hybrid broadcast/OTT models in the show’s “Future of Linear” session, for example. “We’ve got these different ways of consuming where traditional broadcasters in the OTT space are all looking at different ways of monetizing their content,” Crimp said. “So I think there will be some thinking about what those hybrid business models look like going forward.”

Confirmed headline speakers during the two-day conference include:

• Eddie Drake, Head of Technology at Marvel Studios
• Anthony Guarino, EVP, Worldwide Technical Operations at Paramount Global
• Renard Jenkins, SVP, Production Integration and Creative Technology Services at Warner Bros. Discovery
• Michael Wise, SVP/CTO, Universal Pictures
• Lewis Smithingham, SVP of Innovation at Media Monks
• Raymundo Barros, CTO at Globo
• Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer at ZEE5 Global

Focus on Trends and Innovation
New this year is the free “IBC Changemaker sessions,” hosted by IBC’s Partners’ Programme, which bring together industry trailblazers such as RISE, Albert, MovieLabs, HBS, Soho Media Club to explore topics such as raising equality, advancing sustainability and mental health awareness—as well as the latest thinking in creativity and technology.

Also featured is IBC’s Partnership Pavilion and free-to-attend IBC Owner sessions, which will enable attendees to engage with and gain insights from the six leading international bodies behind IBC: IABM, IEEE BTS, IET, RTS, SCTE, and SMPTE. Other free-to-attend sessions include panel discussions, product demonstrations and case studies presented on the Content Everywhere Stage in its new purpose-built home in the expanded Hall 5. A four-day program will cover live streaming and VOD; achieving low latency; content discovery and recommendations; audience engagement; monetization models and ad tech; software development strategies; and device fragmentation.

A new addition to the show is the Showcase Theatre in Hall 12, which will feature live demos, masterclasses and thought-leadership insights on key trends and opportunities from leading technology providers such as Accenture, Amazon Web Services (AWS), EVS and Zixi. The Innovation Stage in Hall 2 will feature thought leadership speakers and other sessions.

The IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme returns, bringing together pioneering media companies and leading edge technology partners as they collaborate to solve real-world challenges and drive advances across a range of areas, including cloud production, 5G, AI and Volumetric Video.

Also returning is the IBC Accelerator Project of the Year Award 2022, voted by an independent jury of media and innovation peers, with the award announced after IBC showcases have taken place.

To register for the show, visit show.ibc.org. 

AMSTERDAM—No sooner had the confetti been swept up from IBC’s 50th anniversary celebrations last year than the team was back planning our 51st show. Not such an exciting number, admittedly, but certainly a whole lot has happened in our industry in a year, and IBC 2018 promises to delve into all the new technological developments—and the business implications they present.

This is a key factor in the ongoing relevance and development of IBC. It may be an odd thing to say, but in a technological industry it is not only the technologies themselves that are exciting. Certainly there are big things happening; I think we will see big advances in areas like artificial intelligence, 5G and blockchain, and you do not need me to talk about the shift to IP connectivity and software-defined topologies; about the convergence of broadcast, IT and telecoms; and about the search for new formats, whether that is Ultra HD or virtual reality.

PUTTING RAW TECHNOLOGIES INTO ACTION

For me, the real excitement comes when these raw technologies are put into action. IBC puts these ideas in front of people who can imagine the possibilities and create the applications that transform our creativity and our business models. How are the businesses that use these technologies evolving? How will broadcasters, telcos and streaming companies co-exist? Will OTT providers be the new broadcasters, or will producers sell direct to consumers? Advertising still seems a reliable and lucrative way to fund content production and delivery; will programmatic advertising planning and dynamic ad insertion transform the cost/revenue model? Or will new monetization methods—maybe blockchain-managed micropayments from consumer to producer—transform the creative industry?

These issues may not be solved at IBC2018, but they will be much talked about. The last stage of development in IBC was a move away from a purely engineering-based event to one which attracts debate from the creative, operational and commercial sides of media businesses, because amazing technology is meaningless if it doesn’t gel within a workflow or it costs more than it earns.

In order to keep at the forefront of these issues, we are constantly refreshing and tweaking the IBC format to meet the needs of today’s much wider broadcast industry. We are the first to admit that some innovations are more successful than others, but we are also agile as a business and learn from our efforts. The end result is an event that continues to grow.

FROM ENGINEERING TO CREATIVE

A great example is the Leaders’ Summit. The move from an engineering-led event to a creative and commercial one meant that we had to engage more at CEO level. By helping C-level executives understand what the technology allowed them to do, they would be better equipped to develop strategic pathways for their businesses, which would maximise return. We developed this invitation-only, behind-closed-doors day to ensure that the people in the room could freely exchange ideas and opinions with their peers. It remains a cornerstone of the IBC Conference, and has led to additional C-level sessions being developed, such as the Cyber Security Forum and the Telco and Media Innovation Forum. Again, these are hosted, high-level events that bring new people and new businesses into the IBC community, and provide advocacy and context for the rapidly developing world of media.

These events underline my strongly held belief that people still have a real need to meet and talk face to face. In our industry we are dealing in extremely complex systems that use technology to drive creativity and commerce. It is not the sort of industry where a quick Google search will find an off-the-shelf product, so getting together with multiple potential partners, in the right environment to do business, is really valuable.

The broadening of the industry into adjacent markets also means that there are wildly successful companies you’ve never heard of in different sectors, or small start-ups with no advertising budget, that may have just the workflow or product or idea that will make a big difference to your business. IBC is a great place for those collaborations to be incubated.

This diversity is reflected in the conference program. While the IBC Conference was founded on technical papers—and they remain absolutely central to the program—this year they are woven more closely into broader sessions, so that the underlying technology is handled alongside the operational and business implications, putting all sides of the story in the same place. We will see new ideas from converging markets and emerging technologies from nascent companies as well as leaders from broadcast organisations that are successfully evolving with the new technology available, showing how the underlying technology is handled alongside the operational and business implications. With over 400 expert speakers across six dedicated streams, there will be much to learn and discuss.

ON THE EXHIBIT FLOOR

As well as the conference, we have 15 exhibition halls full of all the players in this rapidly changing industry. That includes some new and exciting businesses from the Alibaba Group, based in China, and the sixth largest internet company in the world, to start-ups who will take a small space at IBC and achieve a dramatic result. We are also seeing exhibitors evolve in the way they tell their stories; it’s no longer about black boxes with blinking lights—they need to sell less tangible (though no less important) products and services as software or in the cloud—so they are devising clear, compelling and exciting ways to present them.

There’s lots to look forward to at IBC 2018. On a practical level, I am very pleased to confirm that the new North-South metro line is finally open! Now visitors will be able to get from central Amsterdam to the heart of the RAI in just a few minutes. It will be a great relief for those who dread the crowds on the number 4 tram, and it will slash journey times.

We are expecting more than 57,000 people from around the world this year, and I encourage you all to immerse yourselves in the whole experience. Drop into conference sessions that interest you, or that you know nothing about. Go to the Awards Ceremony to see what the really innovative people are achieving today. Visit the IBC Future Zone, our regular space given over to the hit products of five years in the future. But above all, talk to people. Share your knowledge and experiences, and seize the opportunity to be a part of the big global debate.

To register for the show, visit http://show.ibc.org.

Michael Crimp is CEO of IBC.