IBC 2023 unveils headline speakers and content pillars

IBC2023 announces a world-class line-up of headline speakers from across the media, entertainment and technology sector, along with the underlying content pillars running through this year’s show, which takes place in the RAI Amsterdam on 15^th-18^th September.

The content at this year’s event is underpinned by three fundamental pillars: Transformative Tech, Shifting Business Models and People and Purpose – themes that will fuel learning, discussion and collaboration in presentations, demonstrations and panel sessions across the IBC Conference, the show floor theatres, and the IBC Changemakers Programme.

Michael Crimp, IBC’s Chief Executive Officer, says: “IBC continues to evolve and grow with the industry. We are actively listening to our community on what they want out of a modern trade show. Among the things they are telling us they want are new topics and new ways of learning – and our content pillars give us the scope to provide these. They form a compelling thread that runs through the talks, presentations and panels going on at the conference and at show-floor venues across the RAI. They create a clear focus for an exciting slate of visionary speakers to address the most pressing trends, issues, opportunities and challenges in media and entertainment today.”

The 2023 IBC Conference (in the Forum at the RAI on the 15^th and 16^th of September) brings together some of the industry’s most influential thought leaders to present talks, panel discussions and the IBC Technical Papers. The 2023 IBC Conference, which is a paid part of the event, will offer the usual standard Delegate Pass, which includes entrance to all the event’s presentations, and a new Premium Pass that provides access to additional content plus exclusive networking in the Premium Lounge – where the IBC Innovations Awards will also take place.

The conference will explore core trends and technologies shaping the future of media and entertainment (M&E). It kicks off with an address by ‘Media Universe Cartographer’ Evan Shapiro, a renowned industry influencer who maps M&E trends and future developments. Shapiro will lead a session entitled ‘Plotting the effects of disruption: Charting the new media ecosystem’.

Other confirmed headline IBC Conference speakers include:

• Aditi Pandey, Head of Vendor Management & Partnerships at NRK
• Allu Venkatesh (Allu Bobby), Actor, Film Producer and Entrepreneur at aha, Just Tickets
• Anthony Guarino, Executive Vice President, Global Production & Studio Technology at Paramount
• Bill Baggelaar, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, Technology Development at Sony Pictures Entertainment
• Kishore AK, President Technology and Chief Technology Officer at Zee
• Leah Hooper Rosa, Senior Vice President, EMEA Streaming and Global Integration Lead at Warner Bros. Discovery
• Michael Wise, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Universal Pictures
• Natalya Tatarchuk, Distinguished Technical Fellow and Chief Architect, Vice President, Wētā Tools at Unity Technologies
• Phil Wiser, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Paramount Global
• Richard Berger, Chief Executive Officer at MovieLabs
• Ralph Lee, Chief Executive Officer at BBC Studios Productions
• Valerio Motti, Vice President FAST Channels at Fremantle

Jaisica Lapsiwala, IBC’s Head of Content, notes: “We are excited to have such a diverse and global range of thought leaders coming together for this year’s IBC Conference, which sets the media and entertainment industry agenda. This part of IBC2023 really speaks to the first two content pillars of the event, Transformative Tech and Shifting Business Models.”

In the show-floor venues – which include the Showcase Theatre in Hall 12, the Innovation Stage in Hall in Hall 3 and two theatres in the Content Everywhere area in Hall 5 – there will be an array of exhibitor and sponsor content that will include speeches, panels and demos, with many relating to the first two content pillars. Showcase Theatre sponsors include Accenture, AWS, Google, Microsoft, and Zixi, while LTN and Tencent are each sponsoring one of the Content Everywhere theatres. In addition to hosting thought leadership sessions, the Innovation Stage will showcase the results of the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, which brings together pioneering media companies and leading-edge technology partners as they collaborate to solve real-world challenges and drive advances across a range of areas.

Highlighting the People and Purpose content pillar in 2023 will be the free IBC Changemakers Programme, which returns to the Forum on the 17^th and 18^th of September after a highly successful launch in 2022. These sessions bring together trailblazing organisations, individuals and initiatives that are changing the industry culture and pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology. They will address topics such as gender equality in broadcasting, advancing sustainability, and inclusive tech. Groups involved in Changemakers include RISE, Soho Media Club, Women in Immersive Tech, and Albert. The IBC Social Impact Awards will also be part of the Changemakers Programme.

Akwasi Ansah, Founder and Creative Director, Omroep ZWART – the first intrinsically inclusive TV broadcasting station in The Netherlands – will give the keynote for the Changemakers sessions, sharing his personal story and vision for a digital-first landscape that is equitable, inclusive and accessible. Other Changemakers speakers include:

• Alexandra Hussenot, Chief Executive Officer, Immersionn, and UK Lead at Women in Immersive Technologies
• Jabbar Sardar, Global HR Director at BBC Studios
• Paul Pastor, Chief Business Officer and Co-Founderat Quickplay
• Sasha Scott, Head of Transformation Services at EBU

In the run-up to the show, IBC will also offer the Changemakers Podcast series, focusing on media culture. Hosted by journalist Nadira Tudor, the podcasts will consist of a series of interviews that initiate essential conversations and spread awareness about critical cultural developments in technology and M&E. Guests include:

• Asif Sadiq, Chief Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Warner Bros. Discovery
• Kamal Ahmed, Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder at The News Movement
• Lisa Kelly, Head of Content Innovation & Development at BBC Children in Need
• Victoria Murovana, Chief Editor/Kids Content Producer at UA:PBC Suspilne, Ukraine.

Lapsiwala says: “At IBC2023, we want to play our role in driving positive change across the media, entertainment and technology community. The Changemakers sessions enable the IBC community to learn from people who are pioneering best practice in these areas. Through all the content running across IBC 2023, we aim to deliver insights and energise the market – sparking conversations, shifting perceptions and changing expectations.”

IBC is owned by six industry organisations, IABM, IEEE, IET, Royal Television Society, SCTE and SMPTE. The IBC Partnership Pavilion will provide visitors with an opportunity to find out more about the IBC owners, which will also take part in sessions on the show floor and in a conference room while the Changemaker sessions are taking place.