IBC returns to Amsterdam next week and with more than 1,000 confirmed exhibitors and a raft of headline speakers already announced, IBC organisers are gearing up for a fresh and exciting show.
With three new “core pillars” at the heart of the content themes and broader agenda for this year’s edition, the event organisers are looking to showcase game-changing innovation and tackle the broadcast industry’s most pressing business trends and issues, while sparking positive change for a more inclusive and sustainable industry. Of interest this year will be content in conferences and show floor theatres that speak directly to the growing crossovers in operations, technology, and indeed standards between broadcast and AV.
To dig a little deeper into the content pillars for 2023, Installation hears from senior figures within IBC who explore the themes of Transformative Tech, Shifting Business Models, and People and Purpose.
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Transformative Tech: Mark Smith, innovation lead and newly appointed chair of the IBC Council
The beating heart of the industry
Transformative technology has always been the beating heart of the media industry, driving evolution, breaking new frontiers and empowering content creators to imagine fresh possibilities. IBC consistently champions groundbreaking technologies, showcasing leading-edge solutions and services while providing an incubator for innovation; especially through the Accelerator Media Innovation Programme. Engineering and development teams work tirelessly throughout the year to bring new technologies to the forefront and pioneer real-world use cases, and that’s exactly what we’re helping to drive in a collaborative way through our Accelerator projects. Building on the huge successes of last year, we’re bringing together a line-up of pioneering media companies and technology partners that have united to solve common challenges and push new boundaries across the media and entertainment sector.
Transformative Tech is the driving force that makes working in media so exciting, unpredictable, and fascinating, and it plays a massive role in deciding where our industry is heading and how the viewer experience evolves. That’s why it’s a pillar of IBC2023.
Smarter ways of working
We’re seeing big technology shifts in our industry right now. AI is advancing at breakneck speed; cloud is proving itself on the biggest stages; 5G-enabled connectivity is opening up an array of new production opportunities and re-shaping consumer experiences. Meanwhile, media brands and content owners are battling economic uncertainties to make their businesses as efficient as possible. Technology is a huge force in helping media companies not only be more creative and exciting, but also in enabling them to operate more efficiently while unlocking new cost-savings. It’s never technology for technology’s sake, especially not in 2023. Business leaders know that a show like IBC is the perfect place to uncover the best new technologies and smarter ways of working. And if you’re putting in the work to bring an inventive product to market that can make a difference, IBC is where you come to shout about it.
What to look forward to at IBC2023
Cutting-edge innovation across areas such as cloud, AI, 5G, XR, metaverse and edge computing will be front and centre throughout the sessions, panels and demos across the show floor theatres and at the IBC Conference. Our Accelerator Programme projects will also showcase proof-of-concept demonstrations at the Innovation Stage: the culmination of months of hard work, dedication and learning from groups comprising industry pioneers and dynamic start-ups. Some truly exceptional projects are taking part this year, covering connectivity anywhere for remote productions with cloud and edge workflows, synthetic human avatars and accessibility, immersive sport, metadata-driven content targeting, and live, 5G-enabled motion capture performance art and animation.
The IBC Technical Papers Programme leads the way in showcasing original, novel research, driving new technology concepts forward and exploring their real-world applications; it’s the pinnacle of R&D in media technology. With the IBC Innovation Awards celebrating the best success stories harnessing tech for game-changing business outcomes, there’s so much on offer this year when it comes to transformative technology.
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Shifting Business Models: Mike Crimp, CEO, IBC
A hub for business innovation
Exploring evolving business models runs in IBC’s DNA, and right now, the global media and entertainment industry is tackling more complexities than ever. In the face of challenging economic headwinds, world-leading media organisations are trying to find new ways to grow revenues and align with rapid shifts in consumer behaviour to secure sustainable commercial growth. IBC has always been a hub for business innovation, where media leaders come together to define and action the industry’s future. As markets shift and media ecosystems become increasingly complex, IBC aims to help industry players better understand how to futureproof their organisations and harness emerging opportunities to monetise their content.
Achieving longer-term business goals
The only constant is change in our industry, and 2023 is no different. Broadcasters, content owners, streaming services, and sports organisations are making key decisions about how to better engage with consumers and operate their businesses more cost-effectively. As decision-makers weigh up various routes to market, they are looking for new and different monetisation models, while re-imagining their content distribution strategies amid a rapidly changing sports rights landscape. IBC is where the industry meets to talk business and everyone comes to the show looking to learn, uncover the next big trend, and find the partners and technologies that will allow them to achieve their long-term business goals.
What to look forward to at IBC2023
We have a high quality line-up of industry visionaries taking to the stage at The IBC Conference to discuss some of the most pressing business issues, opportunities and challenges facing our industry today. The opening conference session by Evan Shapiro is centred on navigating change and disruption in the new media ecosystem, with plenty of other big-name speakers from brands like Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, Universal Pictures and BBC Studios covering topics such as AI-driven content personalisation, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST), futureproof streaming strategies, and more.
Across the show floor stages, exhibitor thought-leaders will also present novel technology thinking and cutting-edge solutions that empower content owners to capitalise on emerging business trends and adopt new models. IBC provides the foundation to gain mission-critical market insight and the networking opportunities to build powerful new connections; we’re confident this can help all our visitors navigate a fast-moving business landscape.
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People and Purpose: Jo Mayer, head of marketing, IBC
People and Purpose
IBC plays a vital role in enabling positive change for our industry, and we’re focused on delivering that more than ever this year. We want to bring together the associations, companies, individuals and other changemakers driving diversity, inclusiveness, accessibility and sustainability throughout media and entertainment, energising new thinking and fostering initiatives that really shift the status quo. We’re hugely excited about the IBC Changemakers Programme, returning in 2023 after a hugely successful launch last year, with industry trailblazers addressing critical topics such as gender equality, workplace culture, inclusive tech and advancing sustainability. People are at the heart of our industry’s future, and through our People and Purpose pillar, we aim to spark conversation to create a more equitable, sustainable and creative future for media and technology companies.
The forefront of industry discussion
Through collaborative learning and decisive action, the media and entertainment ecosystem can ramp up its sustainability efforts to help achieve emissions goals and tackle climate change. Issues around diversity, equity and inclusion are coming to the forefront of industry discussion as companies look for ways to attract and retain new and better talent from a broad range of backgrounds. Staying engaged and informed about where the industry is moving in the near term and long run is critical for organisations that want to fuel creativity and stay ahead of the curve while adopting forward-looking business practices. With a deep offering of educational, informational and inspirational speakers across the content programme this year, we want to provide the platform for visitors to gain new insights that can spark debate, reshape perspectives, reset expectations, and prepare our community for positive change.
What to look forward to at IBC2023
The free-to-attend IBC Changemakers Programme is at the core of the People and Purpose content pillar, bringing together industry game-changers that are pioneering best practice across areas across social and environmental challenges while championing creativity. Some of the sessions already announced include talks on ethical AI, gender equality, inclusive storytelling and best practices in reducing carbon emissions. We’ll also showcase our IBC Social Impact Awards winners, celebrating media initiatives that set new benchmarks in sustainability and diversity while delivering meaningful societal impact. We’ve been blown away by the quality and range of this year’s entries, and they exemplify the type of positive change and real-world advances our industry can achieve through real ambition and collaborative spirit.
