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SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC, on the importance of trade shows; current industry trends and hot topics; and what visitors to IBC Show 2018 can look forward to
WHY ARE TRADE SHOWS IMPORTANT, AND IN PARTICULAR WHY ARE TRADE SHOWS IMPORTANT IN OUR INDUSTRY? ARE WE SEEING A DROP IN INTEREST?
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I still believe people have a real need to meet, to 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.
If you look at the structure of the media and entertainment business, we have a tiny handful of really big suppliers, a few middle-sized vendors, and a long, long tail of small, specialised and extremely valuable companies. This structure has been around for as long as I have been in the industry, and it works.
One of the reasons that it works is that it depends upon collaboration which naturally feeds innovation. IBC is a great place for those collaborations to be incubated.
WHAT'S NEW AT IBC 2018?
Before I answer that, it is important to say what is the same: We still have 15 exhibition halls full of all the players in this rapidly changing industry. That includes some new and exciting businesses, like the Alibaba Group, based in China, and the sixth largest internet company in the world.
Also the same since the first IBC, 51 years ago, is the recognition that our visitors are seeking knowledge. They rely on IBC to provide the forum for information exchange, on the show floor, in the conference, and in the value added experiences and networking opportunities we create.
In turn, we are seeing exhibitors evolve in the way they present themselves. When IBC started, exhibitors were selling big devices: it was obvious what they did, and the captions alongside the big boxes talked in terms of technical specifications.
Today, large numbers of the products at IBC are software packages of some sort, whether running on dedicated hardware, standard computers or in the cloud. Exhibitors have to innovate to showcase their products and their unique selling points.
Smart exhibitors are finding new ways of telling their stories. We see many more putting theatres on their stands so they can present the philosophies behind their solutions, perhaps introducing users who have successfully adopted the technologies. It is all part of telling the story.
In the conference, too, we are finding new ways to tell the story. Our Global Gamechangers day, for instance, brings together people and roles as diverse as Mohamed Abuagla, CTO of Al Jazeera, and Peter Salmon, chief creative officer of Endemol Shine, the production company behind programmes as varied as Black Mirror and MasterChef.
The IBC Conference was founded on technical papers, and they remain absolutely central to the programme. This year, though, they are being 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.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR IBC 2018?
Honestly, it is the opening (finally!) of the new North-South metro line. 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.
When you get off the new train, then you will see that we have transformed the conference programme. To create new impetus, we have a new conference steering group, chaired by Keith Underwood, COO of Channel 4 in the UK.
They have guided our team to create six new conference tracks focusing on the most pressing challenges. They have also added new formats into the conference, like breakfast briefings and lounge talks.
I have already mentioned the Global Gamechangers stage which kicks off the conference. There are also keynote presentations from the likes of Kelly Day of Viacom, Neal Mohan of YouTube, JB Perrette of Discovery, and former model and entrepreneur Lily Cole of Impossible.com.
WHAT ARE THE TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS YOU ARE MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
It may be an odd thing to say, in a technological industry, but it is not 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.
But 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.
One of the IBC events I enjoy most is the awards ceremony on Sunday evening, and within that the IBC Innovation Awards. These mark the most successful completed projects of the year. Time after time the winners say that their projects started with conversations at IBC, when they saw the potential of new technologies and could see how to solve their own very specific challenges. That is worth getting excited about.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HOT TOPICS THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED DURING THE CONFERENCE?
We have six tracks through the conference this year:
New platforms: innovators and disruptors
Audiences: engage; influence; grow
Smart connectivity and multi-play devices
Advertising: the new attention economy
Cutting edge tech innovators
Nextgen: interactive and immersive experiences.
Within each of these streams we have some big names who have pioneered new approaches and guided their businesses to successful achievements.
Alongside these are some special events, including our popula
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