We've seen a crazy amount of demand': IBC prepares for return to in-person show

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, said IBC head of sales, Steve Connolly

By Tom Butts

Published: June 29, 2022 Updated: June 30, 2022

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, said IBC head of sales, Steve Connolly

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With IBC returning to Amsterdam's RAI this September for the first time in three years, organisers are giving an upbeat message to the media tech industry.

IBC head of sales Steve Connolly told journalists the number of exhibitors at this year's event is currently sitting at 850 but that number could potentially reach 1,000 by September. We've seen a crazy amount of demand over the last six months, he said. 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, Connolly also noted that attendance figures are more difficult to estimate. 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, he added.

However, to give you some kind of guideline and mathematical formula, when we had 55,000 square metres of space, we had 53,000 visitors. I would expect our final square metres [of exhibit space] to be around about 35-36,000 square meters, so following that trend, you can expect some numbers around that.

Regarding Covid protections, IBC CEO Michael Crimp said the show will follow current EU Covid protocols, which are minimal at this point. He added 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.

Show agenda IBC 2022 will focus on the current and future trends that have emerged since the 2019 show-many of which were accelerated by pandemic.

The conference takes place on September 9th and 10th and is aiming to bring brings together some of the industry's most influential thought leaders to present keynotes, panel discussions and IBC Technical Papers, It is centred on the theme What's next? Designing the future together,' and will explore core trends and technologies shaping the future of media, including metaverse, data-driven ad strategies, hybrid business models and cloud migration. Confirmed headline speakers include:

Eddie Drake, head of Ttchnology at Marvel Studios

Anthony Guarino, executive vice president, Worldwide Technical Operations at Paramount Global

Renard Jenkins, senior vice president, Production Integration and Creative Technology Services at Warner Bros. Discovery

Michael Wise, SVP and chief technology officer at Universal Pictures

Raymundo Barros, CTO at Globo

Archana Anand, chief business officer at ZEE5 Global

New this year is the free IBC Changemaker sessions, hosted by IBC's Partners' Programme, which 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.

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Also featured at the 2022 show 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 programme will cover: live streaming and VoD; achieving low latency; content discovery and recommendations; audience engagement; monetisation models and ad tech; software development strategies; and device fragmentation.

Adding to the broad and diverse range of content is IBC's new 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.

Both Avid and Sony have already confirmed their return to the trade show floor in Amsterdam, with brands exhibiting set to include ARRI, AWS, Blackmagic Design, Canon, EVS, Fraunhofer, Grass Valley, Hewlett Packard, MediaKind, Meta, Nagra, Ross Video, Sony, Synamedia, and many more.

The IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme returns to Amsterdam in 2022, 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. This year's Accelerator projects, presented on the Innovation Stage, are:

Cloud-based Live Events, Analytics and Low Latency Protocols'

Unified Cloud Architecture to Streamline the Localisation Process'

Next Generation News Studio'

5G and the Arena of the Future for XR Events'

5G Remote Production in the Middle of Nowhere'

6DOF Audio-led Narrative and Music Experiences in the Metaverse'

Volumetric Video for Broadcasting, Metaverse Production and RT3D Assets'

Media Content Sharing, Monetization and Micropayment Systems via Blockchain'

Acceler

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