IBC is a fixture on the calendar of the global media industry, attracting over 52,000 professionals and 1,500+ Exhibitors from more than 170 countries. Among them are the industry’s most senior executives who choose IBC’s highly respected conference to set and challenge the media agenda. The event plays host to a wide array of free to attend Industry Insight sessions, product demonstrations, big-screen movie presentations and the prestigious IBC Awards Ceremony. Innovations such as the Future Zone and IBC Workflow Solutions showcase technology at the cutting edge.
The IBC Conference sets the standard for thought-leadership and forensic analysis in all areas of the electronic entertainment industry. Split into four dedicated streams – Advances in Technology, Business Operations & Content Innovation, Industry Insights and Strategic Insights – it combines world-leading speakers with a rigorously peer-reviewed conference program that dissects the current state of the industry and maps its future. New initiatives, such as the IBC Cloud Solutions, keep the show at the forefront of innovation and industry attention.
Launching in Amsterdam in September 2014 alongside IBC, IBC Content Everywhere Europe will provide a forum for discussing the latest developments and the future of digital content in Europe’s Single Market, providing a focus on rich media production, apps, digital marketing, social media, content personalization, big data, cloud services, second screens and much more.
Visitors to the IBC Content Everywhere Workflow Solutions Theatre in Hall 9 will find a presentation theatre housing case studies from leading suppliers in this fast evolving area, while the IBC Content Everywhere Cloud Solutions Theatre in Hall 3 will consist of ‘free-to-attend’ master class sessions exploring the very latest cloud solutions. Each person’s Touch & Connect Device gives access to the Touch & Connect Portal, a gateway to a global community that will be active all year round.
Touch & Connect is an example of a real advance in technology, this is also a theme reflected in the IBC Conference ‘Advances in Technology’ stream where more examples of technological changes at all stages and all levels of the industry are demonstrated. This stream is also home to the highly respected and peer-reviewed Technical Papers & Posters Program, and
feature major contributions from the people and organizations working at the leading edge of innovation.
The range of subjects covers from latest advances in archiving, to developments in high dynamic range imaging; from the near future roadmap for broadcasting to mobiles, on to developments in 3D audio, from the rise of social media and second screen technologies, to arguments over whether to implement Ultra HD now or wait for Phase 2 (a hot topic in Europe).
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the worldwide leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, also confirmed that more than 50 of its members will speak at technical sessions during IBC2014 — with more than 107 sustaining member companies exhibiting.
Scheduled for 16:00 on Sunday, "EDCF Global D-Cinema Update" will bring together an impressive array of panelists to bring attendees up to speed with the latest business and technology developments in digital cinema around the world. This annual fixture at IBC promises a dynamic and fast-paced overview provided by many of the industry leaders behind the continued evolution of digital cinema. SMPTE member panelists include SMPTE Governors Angelo D'Alessio and Richard Welsh, along with SMPTE Members Andy Maltz, Jim Whittlesey, Julian Pinn, and Peter Wilson.
Also at 16:00 on Sunday, Dr. Hans Hoffmann of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will present a session titled "Go With UHD-1, or Wait for UHD-2?" as part of the IBC Technical Stream. In this session, produced by SMPTE, major players will outline their strategies for content creation and delivery to the home using both traditional and IP technologies and subsequently discuss standards and their roadmaps for the two phases of UHDTV. Panelists include Alan Lambshead, SMPTE standards vice president and Chris Johns, SMPTE U.K. section chair; along with SMPTE Members Chris Fetner, Andy Quested, and Jim Helman.
On Monday, 15 Sept. beginning at 14:00, SMPTE will present "Laser Projection Systems Part 1: Seeing is Believing" and "Part 2: Is the Devil in the Details?" as part of the IBC Big Screen Experience. Chaired by Peter Ludé, immediate past president of SMPTE with participation by SMPTE Member Matt Cowan, the session will look at the impact of laser projection technology on digital cinema and provide a look at breathtaking images shown on the Big Screen Experience 6P laser projection system from Christie.
The IBC Big Screen Experience is one of the many facets of the IBC show that makes it truly unique. Situated at the centre of the RAI is a massive 1,700-seat Auditorium which, for the duration of IBC, is kitted out with some of the most cutting edge cinema technology available. The kit list, of course, changes every year as technology progresses, and this year features Christie 6P 2D and 3D laser projection and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. The Christie ‘6-Primary’ 4K laser projectors are yet to be mass produced — probably coming on stream in 2015 — so this will be one of the first places to see one running and witness the additional luminance they bring to cinema projection, particularly in 3D.
Dolby Atmos, meanwhile, uses up to 64 speakers to heighten the impact of any scene’s audio and allows sound designers to move the audio around an auditorium to create stunning aural effects.
“Dolby Atmos provides the completely immersive sound experience that filmmakers like myself have long dreamed about,” commented IBC2013 International Honour for Excellence Winner, Peter Jackson, and he should know.
All this technology will be put to good use too. Not only is the IBC Big Screen Experience home to the vibrant and fast-paced IBC Awards Ceremony, which takes place on the Sunday 14 September
evening and is free to attend to all show attendees, but it is also home to the free to attend ‘Disruptive Cinema‘ strand of the Conference. Add in the always-popular IBC Big Screen
complimentary screenings, which are typically Hollywood blockbusters chosen to highlight the power and capabilities of the audio and projection systems, and you have one of the many reasons why IBC attracts more than 50,000 visitors every year.
Another is the IBC Conference, which has a world renowned reputation for setting the agenda for discussion as change continues to sweep through the world's electronic entertainment industry. Its keynote sessions are at the heart of the debate too, featuring an international line-up of thought leading speakers who are specially invited to IBC2014 to share their insights, visions and predictions to guide delegates into the next stage of their business and help elevate their organization.
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