Top 10 things to do at IBC2023

1. Visit the IBC Exhibition Hall

IBC sits at the global crossroads of the media, entertainment and technology industries providing an informative, innovative and beneficial experience for all attendees.

Visitors can wander around our 13-hall exhibition, where over 1,000 exhibitors will be showcasing their latest products and services. Following a successful 2022 show, This year the likes of Adobe, Avid, AWS, BT Media & Broadcast, Canon and Samsung are returning alongside a host of other exhibitors such as EditShare, Xytech Systems, Grass Valley, LG Electronics and Vizrt Group. View the 2023 Exhibitor list. 

2. Explore the IBC Conference

This is a two-day conference that features the foremost thought-leaders, innovators and policy makers in their fields. Covering a wide breadth of topics (see the current content programme here), the IBC Conference will explore new strategies, business disruptions, future technological progress and will reveal the future road map of the industry.

The IBC Conference this year will feature discussions with Leah Hooper Rosa, SVP, Head of Streaming EMEA, Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros. Discovery; Phil Wiser, Executive Vice President & Global Chief Technology Officer, ViacomCBS; and Ralph Lee, CEO, BBC Studios Productions. Topics range from FAST channels to innovation in ad tech to gaining a competitive edge in AI. 

Get your IBC2023 conference pass by registering here.

3. Discover Content Everywhere

Visit Hall 5 at the RAI for the popular Content Everywhere showcase, where the worlds of broadcast and broadband mix into exciting new products, solutions and services. Content Everywhere exhibitors range from IBC debutantes and start-ups to some of the biggest names in online tech, including Brightcove, Comcast, Telstra, AWS and Amagi.

Discover the very latest emerging technologies, trends and strategies, including: Advertising Tech, App Development, CDNs, Cloud Services, Cyber Security, IPTV, Multi-Platform Delivery, OTT equipment & services, Personalisation and Streaming. To find out more and to see what’s on, visit the Content Everywhere 2023 page.

4. Experience the Accelerator Innovation Programme

Thinking about the future? Then the Accelerator Innovation Programme is just the ticket. At IBC2023, there are eight new Accelerator Innovation Projects to learn about, exploring some of the hottest topics (and biggest problems) in the industry today. This year’s projects include:

• Real-time XR Sport Edge (DAZN, Kings College London, Trinity College Dublin, Immersive Combat, BT, Outernet Global, Vodafone Group)
• Synthetic Humans for Entertainment and Accessibility (RAI, EBU, ITV, VRT, YLE, BBC, BT)
• 5G Motion Capture For Live Performance and Animation (Vodafone Group, Noitom, Curing Kids Cancer, Outernet Global, Production Park)

As Joe Newcombe, Microsoft, says: “[The IBC Accelerators programme] is amazing. You get broadcasters, you get Champions, you get people from all different areas that have problems… And that’s the biggest thing; how do we solve problems specific to the broadcast community [that are] really going to resonate and be relevant? It’s just an amazing environment to collaborate on some real key issues.”

Find out more about this year’s projects, plus the Champions and Participants involved, here.

5. Drop by the Partnership Pavilion

Meet the IBC owners at the Partnership Pavilion, where you can engage with representatives from each of IBC’s owners - IABM, IEEE, RTS, SCTE, SMPTE and the IET. Arrange meetings, digest specially curated content, learn about all their latest initiatives and find out how you or your company can get more closely involved. And don’t miss the IABM’s annual BaM Live event! Find out more about the sessions here.

6. See the sights in Amsterdam

Nobody expects you to spend every minute at the RAI. While you’re in Amsterdam, why not check out the famous Rijksmuseum (home to masterpieces by Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer) or visit the house where Anne Frank hid during the Second World War. If you’ve got time, you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city from the A’dam Lookout or take to the waterways on an open boat canal cruise.

Our friends over at Iamsterdam can point you towards some of the top things to do, see, eat and drink whilst visiting! See how they can help you here.

7. Read cutting-edge Technical Papers

Discover original, novel research on solutions to real-world problems faced by the international broadcast and digital media industry. Papers will be delivered from all industry sectors as part of the IBC2023 Conference Agenda and The Best Conference Paper Award will be presented at the IBC Awards Ceremony.

To view past technical papers, visit the IBC Technical Papers archive.

8. Take a break at The Beach

The Beach is back! This infamous bar and sandy networking space is the ideal place to take a break between visits to the RAI’s many halls. Kick off your shoes and catch up with old friends and colleagues over some of Amsterdam’s finest drinks and snacks.

9. Meet the Changemakers

The free-to-attend Changemaker programme puts a spotlight on People and Purpose. Trailblazing organisations, initiatives, and individuals who are changing the culture of our industry and pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology will take to the stage to address topics such as gender equality in broadcasting, advancing sustainability and inclusive tech.

10. Attend the IBC Innovation and Social Impact Awards

The IBC Awards bring a little glitz and glamour to the show. The IBC Innovation Awards celebrate completed projects, which take a real requirement – creative, operational or commercial – and develop a solution through the cooperation and collaboration of users and technology partners. The award categories recognise innovation in: Content Creation, Content Distribution and Content Everywhere.

The IBC Social Impact Awards, meanwhile, champion initiatives and campaigns that are making a difference in sustainability, diversity and inclusivity, as well as environmental responsibility. The award categories recognise new efforts in the following categories: Social Impact, Advances in Diversity and Inclusion, and Environment and Sustainability.

You can read more about the IBC Awards here.

Register for IBC2023 today

It’s been an exciting years and we’ve seen some rapid digital transformation across many areas of the media, entertainment and technology industries. As for what’s next, IBC2023 will point the way, bringing exhibitors, visitors and the whole community together to meet face to face, engaging, learning, discovering the latest innovations and exploring the exciting world of content.

Not registered yet? Get your IBC2023 pass by registering here.