IBC2018 Announces Telco and Media Innovation Forum amidst Plans for Record-Breaking Attendance

IBC2018, the world’s most influential media, entertainment and technology show – which last year attracted more than 57,000 attendees from 170 countries – today announces an all-new Telco and Media Innovation Forum to expand its position as one of the preeminent destinations for telecoms and emerging technologies. The collaboration will form part of the prestigious annual IBC show at the RAI in Amsterdam from Thursday 13 to Tuesday 18 September 2018.

IBC2018’s focus on telecoms and smart connectivity comes at a time when the media and telecoms industries are becoming increasingly intertwined. Mirroring this trend, a cross-section of new and long-time IBC exhibitors will showcase the latest breakthroughs set to define both industries.

To reflect the ways in which emerging network technology is changing how the media world operates, IBC2018 will feature the dedicated Telco and Media Innovation Forum designed for the leading players in the industry and a new ‘Smart Connectivity and Multiplay Devices’ track within the IBC Conference Programme in order to provide a platform for collaborative dialogue between telecoms providers, media players and the OTT sector.

The exclusive Telco and Media Innovation Forum will include keynotes from Matt Stagg, Director of Mobile Strategy at BT Sport, Jeremy Fox, Co-founder & CEO, Atrium TV who will discuss how content is developing and how telecoms providers are benefitting from joining their club, and Domingo Corral Lopez, Director of Original Programming, Movistar who will give insight into how his business is developing original content under the wider Telefonica brand. This invitation-only programme will bring together C-suite level audience members to examine the collaboration between telecoms players and content providers, digital transformation, OTT content and current challenges around the evolution of the telecoms sector.

The ‘Smart Connectivity and Multiplay Devices’ track will tackle the challenges and opportunities offered by 5G, exploring the impact the technology will have on broadcasting and beyond. Speakers include Dr David Gomez-Barquero, Senior Researcher, Ramon & Cajal Fellow, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and Dr Athul Prasad, Head of 5G Business Modelling & Analysis, Nokia - both from the 5G X-Cast consortium - who will deliver a focused masterclass on the future 5G network architecture for live scale immersive media delivery. Nicholas Wodtke, Executive VP, Digital Content, VEON will also give a case study around value added services, the role of content and how traditional mobile services are being disrupted.

IBC2018 is collaborating with the TM Forum - a non-profit industry association for service providers and their suppliers in the telecommunications sector - to increase cooperation and collaboration between their respective industries. TM Forum’s members generate over $2 trillion in revenue and serve five billion customers across 180 countries. The venture will encourage senior executives from both sectors to partner, helping broadcasters, operators and software vendors to work together across the media and telecoms sectors.

“IBC is the go-to destination for media technology professionals, attracting almost 60,000 people to Amsterdam each September. At IBC2018 we are launching the IBC Telco and Media Innovation Forum. Working with the TM Forum and others, IBC will to bring together C-level executives to explore the opportunities and challenges created by convergence,” said IBC CEO Michael Crimp. “We promise our hosted delegates a high-level networking event with world class content. I am sure this will be valuable day for all our guests. I am looking forward to being part of this new initiative.”

“Joining the biggest businesses in the telecoms and media spaces provides me with an opportunity to meet the most influential voices in each field – as a broadcaster looking at the role of mobile and our future, that’s vital,” commented Matt Stagg, Director of Mobile Strategy at BT Sport. “It’s important that events like this break down the silos of technologies and industries – this programme reflects the reality of broadcasting today.”

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About IBC

IBC is the world’s most influential media, entertainment and technology show, attracting 57,000+ attendees from more than 170 countries and combining a highly respected and peer-reviewed conference with an exhibition that showcases 1,700+ leading industry suppliers of state-of-the-art technology. In addition to the world-class exhibition and conference, IBC also encompasses the IBC Daily, IBCTV and IBC365.

IBC365 provides year-round insight and opinion into the hot topics and key trends from leading industry journalists, along with insightful whitepapers, peer reviewed technical papers, highly engaging webinars and an expansive video library.

IBC2018 Dates

Conference:				13 - 17 September 2018
Exhibition:				14 - 18 September 2018

For more information about IBC2018 visit: show.ibc.org/

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Contact information

Liberty Communications
Sophie Howell
IBC@libertycomms.com
+44 207 751 4444