IBC
IBC2024 to champion real-world AI applications for the global media industry
Mumbai: IBC2024 has unveiled a host of exciting new show features and speaking sessions to showcase real-world artificial intelligence (AI) advances across the IBC Conference, the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme and the show itself, including the new AI Tech Zone, powered by EBU. AI innovators and media and entertainment (M&E) companies will be able to learn, network, collaborate and unlock business opportunities driven by new AI use cases throughout the event, which takes place in the RAI Amsterdam on 13-16 September.
“The media industry is ready to look beyond the AI hype and focus on real-world applications that deliver tangible benefits for businesses and consumers,” said IBC CEO Mike Crimp.”IBC2024 will showcase an array of hands-on demos and use-case-driven discussions — reflecting M&E’s demand for a grounded conversation on how AI is impacting our sector today and in the long term.”
“AI spend in media is set to reach $13 billion by 2028. It is influencing every element of the content value chain but businesses need more clarity around where and how it can be harnessed most effectively,” said Maria Rua Aguete, Omdia’s Senior Research Director, Media and Entertainment. “Spotlighting high-impact use cases and collaborating to overcome adoption challenges will be key to unlocking AI’s transformative potential for the media industry.”
The new AI Tech Zone, powered by EBU, brings together emerging AI providers, established producers, content creators and innovators looking past the tried and true to re-imagine media creation and operations from the ground up. The zone will be presented by headline sponsor AWS and partner, NVIDIA, fueling hands-on AI demonstrations. Dell Technologies has been announced as a platinum sponsor with partner, NVIDIA. The AI Tech Zone Stage will be sponsored by Wasabi Technologies, while the AI networking zone – sponsored by DOT Group and IBM – will empower the IBC community to engage directly with some of the most innovative players pioneering AI for M&E.
EBU head of media fundamentals and production Hans Hoffman said: “The AI Tech Zone is a must-attend for show attendees. We are now moving on from ‘future potential’ discussions to seeing how practical AI applications in the workflow can enable public service operators, broadcasters and other media organisations to generate real value. Visitors to the AI Tech Zone will witness firsthand how AI is shaping a smarter, more efficient media world.”
An array of sessions on the AI Tech Zone Stage will spotlight groundbreaking AI advances across areas including content authenticity, intelligent media storage, accessibility, mixed reality and creativity in production while sharing critical insight into regulation and policy developments. AI thought-leaders taking to the stage include zone sponsors and representatives from AI Caramba!, BBC Studios, Eluvio, EPFL, Fraunhofer, IBM Aspera, Ina, KBS, Liverpool Football Club, PacGenesis, RTVE, Univeristy of Seoul, VIDEO.TAXI, and YLE News Lab. The full AI Tech Zone Stage schedule is available here.
Alongside sponsors, AI Tech Zone exhibitors will showcase pioneering AI technologies ranging from automated video editing and music-audio separation to advanced data analytics and business optimization to content provenance tracking and fast and secure cloud storage. Exhibiting companies include AI4ME, AudioShake, Blu Digital Group, Brai, CheckSub, Deepdub, Eleven Labs, Eluvio, EU Project X Reco, Globant, HP (Z by HP), Imaginaro.ai, ITTIAM, Magnifi, Media Monks, MobiusLabs, PacGenesis, Scenery, Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, Seagate Technology, Tabsons, The Weather Company, V-Nova, Vera.AI, Video.Taxi, Videolinq.ai, VionLabs, and Zaibr.
AI-focused sessions and thought-leaders will feature across all show floor theatres and at the IBC Conference, where AI will be one of the primary themes explored — with keynotes from industry visionaries charting the evolution of AI in media and presenting new strategies to harness AI for creative workflows. The conference will also spotlight a number of AI in Action case studies, unveiling how generative AI and new data frameworks are already transforming live sports fan experiences and enhancing business operations for major broadcasters including ITV, Olympic Channel, and Sky. The full IBC Conference agenda is available here.
Meanwhile, a number of companies across other exhibition halls will showcase new AI product launches and technologies for the first time at IBC2024, including Ateliere Creative Technologies, Backlight, Cinegy, Evergent, farmerswife, HAND, IMAX, InSync, ioMoVo, Media Excel, MediaKind, nxtedition, Operative, Periphery, Pixotope, Profuz Digital, Telestream, Telos Alliance, and Vubiquity.
Another IBC-first is the introduction of the AI Media Production Lab within the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, exploring a series of specific AI concepts to improve creativity in storytelling, deepen non-biased audience feedback and engagement, and power real-time predictive analytics to personalise live sports viewing. The three project strands, ‘Generative AI in Action’, ‘AI Audience Validation Assistant (AAVA), and ‘Changing the Game: Predictive Generative AI’ are being driven by Champions including Al Jazeera, BNNVARA, Channel 4, EBU, Evangelische Omroep (EO), IET, ITV, Paramount Global, Rai, Verizon Business, Vodafone, World Freestyle Football Association, Yle, and Zwart. Technology participants include Magnifi, Plan 9 Labs, Pluxbox, Respeecher, RKG Creative, Somersault, and Xansr Media.
Each project strand will be showcased with proof-of-concept demonstrations in Hall 3 at the Accelerator Zone and on the Innovation Stage.
Find out more about AI at IBC2024 here:
AMSTERDAM: Amsterdam’s RAI convention centre became the epicentre of media’s digital revolution last week as 43,858 industry professionals descended on IBC2025, the world’s largest broadcasting and entertainment technology show. From global media giants to plucky start-ups, 1,300 exhibitors and 600 speakers gathered to chart the future of an industry in the throes of transformation.
The event’s success reflects an industry caught between disruption and opportunity. Visitors from 170 countries—from veteran broadcasters to streaming insurgents—came seeking answers to questions that keep chief executives awake at night: how to harness artificial intelligence without losing the human touch, and how to stay relevant as viewing habits fragment across countless platforms.
IBC chief executive Michael Crimp declared the event had “delivered real business outcomes” with “overwhelmingly positive feedback.”
What struck him most, he said, was the prevailing “sense of optimism and purpose”—a notable sentiment in an industry more accustomed to existential dread.
The debut of Future Tech in Hall 14 captured much of this optimism. Here, punters could witness live demonstrations of generative and agentic AI, immersive media experiences, and cloud-native workflows. France Télévisions showcased a 5G-enabled aircraft, whilst others explored private networks and sustainable innovation—all buzzwords that would have seemed like science fiction a decade ago.
“We’re witnessing a pivotal moment of innovation,” said Tata Communications global business leader Brijesh Yadev. The hyperbole may be familiar, but the underlying sentiment rings true: the industry is scrambling to reinvent itself before others do it for them.
This urgency was palpable in the quality of conversations on the show floor. Gone were the days of casual networking; exhibitors reported “more strategic” discussions focused on “future-looking solutions” and “next-phase investments.”
The conference programme reflected these concerns, with packed sessions on AI, new business models, and sustainability. Icons like Thelma Schoonmaker, the Oscar-winning editor who worked with Martin Scorsese, provided creative inspiration alongside more prosaic technical papers on practical innovation.
Perhaps most tellingly, the industry is finally acknowledging that technology alone won’t save it. IBC2025 emphasised people and talent, with initiatives focused on skills development and inclusion.
The show floor itself told the story of an industry in flux. Established giants like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Sony, and Samsung rubbed shoulders with newcomers such as Baron Weather, Momento, and Remotly. Each hall showcased advances in production, distribution, and streaming—the building blocks of tomorrow’s entertainment ecosystem.
For all the talk of transformation, IBC2025 proved that some things endure. The event remains the world’s essential meeting place for media professionals. In an increasingly digital world, the value of face-to-face connection—and the deals that flow from it—appears undiminished.
Whether this optimism translates into sustainable business models remains to be seen. But for four days in Amsterdam, at least, the industry felt confident about its ability to shape its own destiny rather than have it shaped by others.
