Transformative Tech, Shifting Business Models, and People and Purpose are the three content pillars running across all of IBC.
IBC 2023 has announced its line-up of headline speakers from across the media, entertainment and technology sectors, along with the underlying content pillars running through this year’s show, which takes place in the RAI Amsterdam from September 15-18.
Thought leaders from Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, BBC Studios Productions, Unity Technologies, Indian streaming service aha, and other leading organisations will take to the stage as part of this year’s IBC Conference programme.
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.
Speaking about the speakers and this year’s event, Michael Crimp, Chief Executive Officer of IBC, said: “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 (on September 15 and 16) brings together some of the industry’s most influential thought leaders to present talks, panel discussions and the IBC Technical Papers.
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; 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; Phil Wiser, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Paramount Global; Ralph Lee, Chief Executive Officer at BBC Studios Productions; and Valerio Motti, Vice President FAST Channels at Fremantle.
Jaisica Lapsiwala, IBC’s Head of Content, added: “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 IBC 2023 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. 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 September 17 and 18 after a successful launch in 2022. 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 Award 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; and 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; and Victoria Murovana, Chief Editor/Kids Content Producer at UA:PBC Suspilne, Ukraine.
Lapsiwala stated: “At IBC 2023, 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 practices 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.”
