With just weeks to go before IBC2024, the leading broadcast trade show is seeing surging demand among the exhibitor community with all major media technology brands in attendance and the return of companies like Yamaha, appearing for the first time since 2019.
Speaking to Installation ahead of this year’s show from 13-16 September at the RAI Amsterdam, Steve Connolly, director IBC, confidently predicted that this year’s event would surpass the IBC2023 edition on all measures. Connolly also noted that AI was a more prominent theme than at any previous show as companies come to terms with its transformative impact.
He tells Installation: “Attendees will see an even busier and even more vibrant show floor than last year with plenty of new show features, first-time exhibitors and emerging technologies being showcased across exhibition halls. Registration numbers are strong and we’re excited to once again unite the creative, technology, and business M&E communities from around the globe. Additionally, we anticipate a higher attendance of corporate enterprise buyers from various sectors, including finance, legal, education, agency, FMCG and other non-traditional media fields at IBC this year.”
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. In 2023, there were more than 325 speakers and more than 1,250 exhibitors spanning a wide range of media sectors showcased leading-edge tech across 13 exhibition halls. That was also an increase on the estimated 1,000 exhibitors in 2022.
RAPIDLY GROWING
But Connolly expects the 2023 figures for both attendees and exhibitors to be beaten. At the time of writing, at the end of July, he pointed out that more than 220 exhibitors were already scheduled to make their IBC debuts across new and rapidly growing technology segments, including 5G Broadcast Collective, Airoha, Antenna Hungary, Carosserie Akkermans, CDN Alliance, Datacamp, Eosos, Frequency Networks, Medianet Berlin, Photocinerent, Strada, Swiss Electronic Creations, SwXch IO, and Vubiquity.
Of the more established players, he says exhibitors that have booked significant exhibition space to showcase their latest ranges include AWS, Blackmagic, Canon, Grass Valley, Riedel, Ross Video, and Sony. Connolly comments: “We already have over 46,000sqm booked for IBC2024, surpassing last year’s final figure. It’s not just exhibitors that are expanding; our halls and exhibition space are growing too. The Content Everywhere area has expanded from one hall to two – opening up Hall 14 to accommodate the exponential growth of Content Everywhere, which acts as an innovation hub for the evolving over-the-top (OTT) streaming and multi-platform delivery landscape.”
AV CROSSOVER
IBC is very much a broadcast-oriented trade show, but there are increasing crossovers with pro AV and Connolly believes more enterprise AV buyers will attend the show than ever before.
He explains: “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. 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.”
To further cater to this convergence in sectors, IBC is working with the AV User Group to host 40 of its members at an IBC Speed Pitch Event on September 12. “Technology providers attending IBC will have 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,” Connolly adds.
Virtual production is another crossover field that will be of great interest to many attendees from the pro AV world. And Connolly says it will be a key show floor discussion point for many exhibitors and tech buyers.
He adds: “Virtual production is growing rapidly and increasingly becoming standard practice in the industry, enabling rich content quality and production efficiency while driving innovation across extended reality (XR), 3D, game engine and graphics workflows. Live news and sports production teams innovate with virtual sets every day to provide dynamic backgrounds and enhance viewer engagement, while growing investment among enterprise and education sectors underlines the cross-industry appeal of VP methodologies.
“We’re expecting to see a range of new products and technologies that push new boundaries in virtual production at IBC2024. Some of the industry’s leading virtual production technology providers will exhibit at the show in September, including Brainstorm, Zero Density, Sony, ARRI, Brompton Technology, LG, Dreamwall and Calrec.”
MAJOR FOCUS
Mirroring this year’s InfoComm trade show, a major focus at IBC2024 will be AI as content providers and technology companies look to harness its transformative potential across all aspects of media production, delivery, and consumption, Connolly tells Installation. To address this theme, IBC2024 will debut the AI Tech Zone, providing a central hub for AI providers, as well as creators utilising AI tech, and solution providers meeting specific industry needs and championing real-world use cases.
The space in the newly opened Hall 14 “will enable industry professionals to mix with other forward-thinking players, hear from tech pioneers leading AI transformation, and unlock game-changing business connections”, Connolly comments. Meanwhile, a networking zone will allow 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.
Yet another new feature for IBC2024 is the IBC Talent Programme, on Monday, 16 September, in the Showcase Theatre in Hall 8. The free-to-attend sessions will explore how the M&E community can work together to nurture new talent, make training accessible, and develop common standards on diversity and inclusion. The IBC programme will examine the benefits of partnerships and mentoring, promoting the industry to the next generation of media professionals, developing skills, and driving engagement with M&E companies.
Scaling up to three days in 2024 from two last year, the IBC Conference, running from 13-15 September, is moving to the Auditorium Complex at the RAI with two theatres and a large, self-contained delegate lounge open to all attendees for breaks, happy hours, roundtables and other events. It will continue to build on the same core pillars – Shifting Business Models, Transformative Tech and People & Purpose – as last year. The conference kicks off on 12 September with an IBC Welcome Party, to which all delegates are invited, on the 23rd floor of the nearby nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel. Event guests can enjoy the breathtaking views of the city as they spend the evening networking with fellow attendees and speakers over drinks and canapes.
AI FOCUS
The programme of speakers for the conference reflects Connolly’s point about how AI is at the heart of this year’s entire show. The keynote speech on Day 1 will address the theme “Navigating a changing media landscape: AI and Everything Else”. Media and technology analyst Benedict Evans will consider the convergence of immersive technologies, AI, new connectivity and personalised content experience.
On the second day, AI will move centre stage once more with a discussion of “Unlocking Potential: How are emerging technologies reshaping the business of broadcast”. Simon Farnsworth, CTO, ITV, will assess how disruptive technology is developing at breakneck speed and how it is necessary to adopt new tools and strategies to remain competitive and relevant.
Also on Day 2, the Keynote Fireside Chat will look at the theme, “At the intersection of AI and creativity: Why the future lies in Human-Machine Collaboration”. The speakers are Sachin Dev Duggal, founder and ‘chief wizard’, Builder.ai, and Andy Hood, VP emerging technologies, WPP.
They will analyse how the debate is intensifying around the opportunities and threats posed by AI programmes that produce creative output almost indistinguishable from human efforts. While some fear that AI might replace human creativity, others see it as a powerful tool to augment what we produce. But who owns AI driven content? If AI enables creators to explore unconventional ideas, how can we ensure a fair and ethical approach?
ACTION STUDIES
One final AI presentation will take place on Day 3, Sunday, 15 September, when three different speakers will give examples of “AI in Action Case Studies”. They are Huma Lodhi, principal machine learning engineer, Sky; Monica Williams, SVP digital products, NBC Universal, and Chris Jackson, global head of digital data and analytics, Olympic Channel. Each one will provide a deep analysis of how AI’s real-world applications are optimising operations.
Alongside the focus on AI, other important themes to be addressed by speakers include “CTO perspectives: From ideas to impact: Blending technology, creativity and business ”, Day 2’s keynote speech, in which Phil Wiser, CTO, Paramount Global, will analyse the accelerated decline of linear TV with viewing dropping to its lowest levels, coupled with streaming TV viewing reaching record highs.
However, Wiser will also look at how companies are grappling with the end of streaming media’s profitability free ride; as well as who the winners and losers are, and the business models that will drive long-term monetisation.
FAST ACCESS
One of the hot topics in the broadcast world is FAST and on Day 2, the Fireside chat will look at “How to bring FAST to market – fast: How does a pay-TV operator grab the opportunities offered by free ad-supported streaming TV?” David Bouchier, chief TV & entertainment officer, Virgin MediaO2, will speak about the growth in streamed TV through VMO2 set-top boxes. The talk will be followed by a panel discussion of “Setting the pace for FAST in Europe? Monetisation and motivations”. Speakers are Kasia Jablonska, director of digital and on-demand for EMEA, BBC Studios, and Laura Florence, SVP global channels, Fremantle.
Of critical importance for every iteration of the show are the IBC Technical Papers, a peer-reviewed programme examining all the latest technical innovations. It features original research on solutions to real-world problems faced by the international broadcast and digital media industry. IBC welcomes experts from across any part of the broadcast, communications, electronic media and entertainment fields. Neither does the source of the ideas matter. Bids can be received from professional people, university professors, or members of R&D teams. The proposer could be working alone, or with a global brand.
TRANSPARENCY TOOLS
Dr Paul Entwistle, chair of IBC’s technical papers committee, says: “Technical disclosures can also include new analytical insight into the cultural, social and environmental impact of our industry. As AI continues to impress, it also brings risks from fake news and bias — do we have the tools and transparency to tame this genie?
“IBC sincerely appreciates the support that the industry shows towards the Technical Papers Programme and looks forward to showcasing authors whose work sits at the cutting-edge, challenges the norm, or shares useful and practical insight.”
This year’s programme, running throughout the conference, includes papers on the following:
- Sustainability – energy efficiency, spanning devices to delivery systems
- AI in production – training and targeting
- Audio & speech – advances in production
- Provenance – what can we trust?
- Streaming – the view from each end
- XR – advances in capturing, rendering, and delivering
- Advances in video coding – encoder optimisations and film grain
- 5G Case Studies – public network slicing trials and striving for low latency
- 5G technology – convergence with broadcast
The IBC2024 Innovation Awards have been expanded this year to encompass social advances and sustainability. The three established technical categories recognise completed projects of any size that have overcome “real-world creative, operational, or commercial challenges by demonstrating cooperation between end users and technology partners”.
The two new categories recognise initiatives and campaigns that are making a difference in social advancement and equality, and environmental responsibility. The winning entries will be announced at a single ceremony during the show. The five categories are Content Creation, Content Distribution, Content Everywhere, Social Impact, and Environment & Sustainability.
IBC KEYSTONE
Fergal Ringrose, chair of the judges, IBC Innovation Awards, comments: “The IBC Innovation Awards are an IBC keystone, recognising industry innovations of all types – enabling our community to celebrate together those critical breakthroughs we have made during the past year. This year’s awards reflect the many ways in which industry pioneers are redefining media – whether through technological or social advances. The expanded awards exemplify IBC efforts to lead innovation, highlighting the spirit of cooperation and creative accomplishments that positively impact the businesses involved and the industry overall.”
This year’s finalists, announced on July 29, include leading sports and media organisations such as the NFL, NBCUniversal, La Liga, Disney Star and Olympic Broadcasting Services. In a year dominated by big sporting events such as the Summer Olympic Games and the UEFA European Football Championship, 2024’s finalists reflect the power of sports as a driver of innovation, with at least one entry in this area shortlisted in four of the five categories.
Also featuring at IBC2024, as it always does, is Future’s own Best of Show at IBC awards, including specific winners in the Installation category. We will publish the successful products in our October edition, alongside our IBC2024 show report.
ACCELERATING INNOVATION
Innovation is also the driving force behind the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, through which a mix of established and new industry players from across the global media, entertainment and technology communities collaborate to explore potential solutions to critical challenges the industry faces today. This year’s Accelerator Programme will include a “Special Incubator Project” that builds on innovative live production technologies established by projects in previous years. Final proof of concepts (POCs) will be demonstrated at the dedicated Accelerator Zone and presented live on the Innovation Stage.
Mark Smith, IBC innovation lead and chair of the IBC Council, comments: “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. The feedback on the latest round of projects that were pitched as concepts has been overwhelmingly positive.
“There’s a huge buzz around this year’s programme tackling industry-critical issues, such as sustainability, responsible artificial intelligence (AI), the verification of news and countering disinformation, live production workflows, connectivity and more. Bringing together dynamic media and technology pioneers to address the critical industry challenges of today and tomorrow and explore innovative solutions is at the core of everything IBC stands for.”
The eight new challenges announced by the Accelerator Programme and the additional incubator project were chosen following the IBC’s Kickstart Day on 6 March at the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).
For this 2024 cycle, the projects selected for development include “ECOFLOW: Energy-Conserving Optimisation for Future-ready, Low-impact Online Workflows”, a project proposed by Humans Not Robots and Accedo and supported by champions ITV and BBC. It tackles the environmental impact of media consumption by developing consolidated metrics for energy consumption at major steps.
Other chosen projects address the themes of “Solving the IP (Internet Protocol) Identity Crisis”, a project proposed by Eviden, addressing challenges around IP infrastructure within broadcast facilities created by the orchestration of media flows.
And “Design Your Weapons in the Fight Against Disinformation” attempts to develop an industry wide understanding of abuses faced by all media outlets in identifying disinformation and helping audiences identify trustworthy information.
The Special Incubator Project is “Connect and Produce Anywhere, Phase II”, proposed by champions BBC, BT Media & Broadcast, and TV2 Denmark, with others to be confirmed. This special project follows the build and development of an all-IP, edge-first, multi-cloud, multi-software test bed environment that was created in the 2023 Accelerator Programme.
DOMINANT THEME
Returning to IBC’s dominant theme for 2024, and another first for the show, the Accelerators Programme will also feature special challenges under an umbrella theme of “AI Media Production Lab”. It sets out to explore specific AI concepts in various production scenarios. This encompasses researching and developing learnings around the various AI tools and techniques in terms of how to improve creativity, bias and efficiency.
“Generative AI in Action”, proposed by Champions RAI and EBU, will look at how content creators can leverage AI in creative storytelling and production, using several AI platforms to make a pilot. “AI Audience Validation Assistant (AAVA)” has a core focus aimed at the entire industry and audience perceptions, utilising AI as a tool to combat bias detection, AI hallucinations and promote inclusion and diversity for audiences.
And finally, “Changing the Game: Predictive Generative AI” will look at AI as a production tool for live sports and live events to assist directors and production teams to potentially predict next frames and next moves for faster edits, content detection, and better workflows.
ESPORTS SHOWCASE
Other show features at IBC2024 include: The Esports Showcase, in partnership with Unlocked, in Hall 8, which will show the latest innovations in gaming production and delivery; the new World Skills Cafe, the industry’s first global flagship event for skills, diversity, and education, taking place Thursday, 12 September at the RAI Amsterdam.
The Partnership Pavilion will also make a return to the shop. At the Pavilion, attendees can engage with representatives from each of the six leading international bodies behind IBC (IABM, SMPTE, SCTE, IET, RTS and IEEE BTS), arrange meetings, digest specially curated content, learn about all their latest initiatives.
With so many new features, in addition to thought leaders from the likes of Apple, BBC Studios, beIN Media Group, Channel 4, Fremantle, ITV, NBC Sports, Orange, Paramount Global, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sky and Virgin Media O2, IBC2024 promises to be a bumper edition.
ADDRESSING TRENDS
Michael Crimp, chief executive officer, IBC, says: “IBC continues to find new ways to address the trends, issues, challenges and opportunities driving innovation in media and entertainment. Additions to the show, such as the AI Tech Zone, the Talent Programme, and the AV User Group event, combined with the outstanding line-up of visionary speakers, ensure that IBC is again positioned to deliver the world’s foremost M&E event.
“This year, with major global sports events and election coverage putting media performance more in the spotlight than ever, we bring together an industry looking to tap new methods and technologies as it continues to redefine itself.”
