IBC2024 saw 2,000+ more attendees than in 2023 – 45,085 visitors from 170 countries – converging on the RAI Amsterdam on 13-16 September. And converge they most certainly did: although IBC is very much a broadcast-orientated show, this edition saw more crossover between broadcast and AV than ever before, with tech convergence never far from attendees’ and exhibitors’ lips. Indeed, what surprised Installation was just how many traditional broadcast vendors are also looking to make inroads into AV; prior to IBC2024, we had mostly witnessed convergence going the other way…
IBC brought this continuing convergence to the fore with the new Audio Visual (AV) buyers’ event, which took place 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.
COMING TOGETHER
IBC brings together the global media, entertainment and technology community to connect, showcase and discover innovations, tackle pressing industry challenges, and explore new opportunities. This year, it attracted over 1,350 exhibitors – up 100 from 2023 – with exhibition space spanning 46,000 sqm, exceeding the previous year’s total of 44,500 sqm.
“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,” IBC director Steve Connolly told Installation.
“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.”
As well as convergence and AI, other themes that took centre 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 booths.
A number of IBC2024’s main themes were also focused upon in the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, which this year included another IBC first: the AI Media Production Lab. This explored 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 inaugural, free-to-attend IBC Talent Programme featured lively and engaged discussions on mentoring the industry’s next generation, recruitment challenges, and the importance of diverse perspectives for driving innovation. The programme 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.
UPWARDS TRAJECTORY
Last year, IBC announced that the 2023 show had attracted 43,065 attendees from 170 countries, which was a 16 percent rise on the 37,000 visitors at the 2022 edition. This year, visitor numbers were up by 5 percent, with exhibitors up 8 percent from 1,250 to 1,350. Exhibitor numbers indicate a continued upwards trajectory post-Covid, and are particularly impressive when compared with 2022’s 1,000, with a notable increase in AV-facing vendors.
Indeed, ahead of IBC2024, Steve Connolly anticipated more enterprise AV buyers exhibiting and attending the show than ever before. “We’re seeing growing interest from AV manufacturers and systems integrators as the broadcast and AV sectors overlap and the need for trusted expertise grows,” he commented. “Non-media companies are increasingly harnessing video for a wide range of use cases, from live investor announcements to customer conferences and dynamic hybrid events. Delivering these types of live video experiences requires broadcast-quality content creation and streaming technologies – and in many cases, advanced systems integration expertise.”
Post-show, Michael Crimp, IBC’s chief executive officer, confirmed IBC’s continued growth. “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,” he enthused.
“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.”
AI ADVANCES
As mentioned, and as predicted ahead of show, AI was also front and centre alongside convergence. Content providers and technology companies are looking to harness AI’s transformative potential across all aspects of media production, delivery, and consumption. To address this theme, IBC2024 debuted the AI Tech Zone, providing a central hub for AI providers, creators utilising AI, and solution providers meeting specific industry needs and championing real-world use cases.
It saw visitors engaging with leading innovators on practical applications ranging from automated video editing and music-audio separation, to content provenance tracking and fast and secure cloud storage. The Zone stage 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.
The AI Tech Zone, in the newly opened Hall 14, was set up to “enable industry professionals to mix with other forward-thinking players, hear from tech pioneers leading AI transformation, and unlock game-changing business connections”, according to Steve Connolly. In addition, a networking zone allowed IBC attendees to engage directly with innovative players pioneering AI for M&E. Other AI exhibitors include AI4ME, AudioShake, Magnifi, MobiusLabs, The Weather Company, Video.Taxi, Vionlabs, Zaibr, and Videolinq.ai.
Installation worked very hard to cram in as many booth visits as it could across the four day show – never easy at the non-linear RAI! If ISE’s new Fira home is New York – all straight lines and halls in ‘blocks’ – its old RAI home, now exclusive to IBC, is more akin to London’s Soho, making it much harder to navigate. The result: tens of thousands of steps and multiple blisters!
And, as has been the case in previous years – at the Fira also – our biggest gripe is signage. As usual, it’s inconsistent, and given what these shows are all about – technology! At times we’d find ourselves in a hall, following signs for the adjacent hall, only for signs to disappear. Plenty of huge, brand-supported, signage informing attendees which hall they are actually in; not enough decent signage pointing the way to the hall they are actually navigating towards!
Anyway, moan over. When Installation finally found the booths it was looking for, it wasn’t disappointed. A huge shout-out to Sony, which as was the case last year, smashed it with its vast, comprehensive booth in hall 13, featuring a fabulous Star Wars-themed virtual production segment.
Absen’s booth, whilst sadly ditching its own VP section from last year, was also a feast for the eyes, and we were both wowed and relieved at the size of Matrox and Tata booths, as both accommodated meeting rooms enabling Installation to enjoy meets away from the show floor!
We will continue to loop back to some of the tech launches we witnessed at IBC2024 on the Installation website (see page 27 for details) – along with additional news and views from the show. But for now, gripes about signage aside, we are happy to report that this year’s edition was as billed: a hugely busy and successful event, with more broadcast/AV convergence than we’ve yet witnessed.
If you want to find out more about the continuing convergence between AV and broadcast, turn to page 34 to register for our free eBook.
IBC2025 will take place 12-15 September 2025, again at the Amsterdam RAI.
This article will appear in the new October edition of Installation, which is out on October 10.
