What's in Store at IBC 2018?

As summer begins to turn into fall, the media and entertainment industry once again turns toward IBC in Amsterdam. This global event is the annual opportunity to review the current state of the industry while learning about new technologies that open up exciting new opportunities.

The Conference

IBC’s conference offers a vast array of engaging sessions with informed insight, expert opinions, and practical advice across the diverse and growing media landscape. For the satellite industry audience in search of information and solutions for planning their Over the Top (OTT) entrance and streaming deliveries, the “New Platforms: Innovators and Disruptors” strand of sessions, running on Sept. 14 to 15, will deliver insight from major industry players including Netflix, NBC Universal, Now TV, and DAZN, looking at the current state of the OTT market as well as future opportunities and threats.

The track headliner is Maria Ferraras, EMEA Vice President of Business Development at Netflix, who will share exclusive insights into the world’s leading internet entertainment service.

In the session “Who Aggregates Whom?,” a panel including Proximus Head of Content Platform Management and Curation Perrine Bichet; Digital U.K. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jonathan Thompson; Now TV Director of Strategy and Proposition Marina Storti; and MoIQ Entertainment CEO EJ Klein will debate the race to control the future of video distribution.

How do specialist streaming services compete with global players? The “Beyond Netflix” session identifies challenges and opportunities for niche organizations with a panel featuring Britbox Chief Product Officer Soumya Sriraman; NBC Universal Media Vice President of Digital Bruce Mitchell; Filmstruck (Turner) General Manager Kerensa Samanidis; and DAZN Chief Product Officer Ben Lavender.

A session focusing on measuring the value of social networks rounds off day one and features Allied Global Marketing Chief Digital Officer Alan Cunningham; WWE Vice President and General Manager Tracey Keenan; and ITV Editorial Director of Online Sheena Peirse.

Day two opens with a Tech Talk session, featuring two technology authors who deliver their work around the cloud. “Controlled chaos: Embracing Change in the News Media Business” follows, where a panel of experts relay how they have embraced a constantly changing news media market, from content creation that appeals across diverse audiences to platform and technical innovation.

The conference also features significant keynote presentations. BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide and BBC Studios) CEO Tim Davie will present the opening “IBC Conference Keynote” on Sept. 13. Other speakers include

Discovery Networks International (DNI) President and CEO Jean-Briac ‘JB’ Perrette; YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan; and Viacom Digital Studios President Kelly Day. Each speaker will give their insights into the future of entertainment and the ways that technology can help broadcasters reach more people, as well as the next era of television as an interactive and immersive entertainment experience.

Global Gamechangers

New for IBC 2018 is the Global Gamechangers stage, which will welcome the biggest and brightest names in business, digital, creative, and news, sharing their thoughts and ideas on the most pressing issues facing the media industry. Speakers include GroupM and WPP Global Chief Transformation Officer Lindsay Pattison; Modern Times Group (MTG) International Entertainment & MTGx Digital Video Content Executive Vice President and CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen; Al Jazeera Editorial Lead for Contrast VR Zahra Rasool; Endemol Shine Group Chief Creative Officer Peter Salmon;

New York Times Executive Producer of Audio Lisa Tobin; and Al Jazeera Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Mohamed Abuagla.

Cybersecurity

With cyber attacks becoming increasingly common around the world, organizations are now realizing that they need to develop a proactive strategy for dealing with cyber-based crises. Following the popularity of last year’s inaugural event, IBC will present the Cyber Security Forum — a one-day, invitation-only event that will convene CTOs, CIOs, Chief Information Security Officers (CISO), and Chief Digital Officers (CDO) within media and broadcasting for a conversation on the challenges and opportunities presented by cyber security for broadcasters. Attendees will discuss how to anticipate the next cyber threat, how to manage a breach, and how to prepare for the future of cyber security. Keynote presenters include Channel 4 CISO Brian Brackenborough on cyber security and collaboration; 21st Century Fox Global CISO Melody Hildebrandt; who will be exploring risk, resilience, and reputation in order to become cyber secure across an entire organization, and Rob Silvers, Partner, Litigation at Paul Hastings and Former U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy, who will explore the relationship between risk and Return On Investment (ROI), focusing on how to effectively manage cyber risk.

IBC is also introducing the Telco and Media Innovation Forum, which will examine the challenges and opportunities as traditional telcos transition to digital players and broaden their offerings by adding content assets, and partnering with content providers. Thought-provoking industry thinkers will debate and discuss with an invited C-level audience from across the telco, mobile, and BME sectors, providing insight into the future as the telco and media industries become more entwined.

Future Zone

Those that want to catch a glimpse of what might be around the corner for the media industry should explore the Future Zone, where the latest ideas, innovations, and concept technologies from international industry and academia come together in a specially-curated exhibition area within the IBC Exhibition.

This year focuses on how new technologies grow from their first inception and progress through Research and Development (R&D), to maturing into the groundbreaking applications and product standards of the future. Some of the innovative technologies on display will include 3D spatial audio and truly immersive audio and video experiences, the next generation of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality systems including the latest wearable technologies, object-based content production, and workflows in the cloud.

Exhibition

While IBC attracts thousands of businesses with products and services from pre-production to transmission, satellite newsreaders will likely be most interested in Halls one and 14 with exhibitors like Eutelsat, Intelsat, and Globecast.

Register

Visit IBC’s website to register for your free exhibition pass, learn more about the conference sessions, register for C-level events, and view exclusive content including thought leadership articles and technical papers. VS