Tell us more about the Talent Programme at IBC2024?
The Talent Programme is a fantastic way to round-off the event – bringing in a diverse bunch of speakers to talk about the things that matter to YOU. There is so much packed in a few hours that can really elevate your game. And it’s free for ALL exhibitors and attendees – so, no real reason not to come along and learn what you can!
There’s a Networking Breakfast in the morning where key partners, stakeholders, exhibitors, attendees, will all gather and chat away. Afterwards, there will be feedback from the World Skills Café, career development talk with the next generation of young industry talent, a focused discussion on mentoring, and how to develop partnerships.
What do you hope the audience takes away from the sessions?
These sessions were created with the attendees in mind, first and foremost, and how they can take the next step forward. Be it upskilling and developing, advancing your career, or even just making training more accessible – there really is something for everyone at the Talent Programme. As someone who came into the industry in an unorthodox way – learning on the job, no real media qualifications, it means so much to me that there’s an event dedicated to talking about how we can navigate the industry and support each other.
What do you view as some of the biggest trends shaping the industry at the moment?
There are two trends that I think are fast growing and shaping things whether we like it or not! First of all, AI – how we integrate automation and generation into our workflows, and how it’s become a topic in itself that requires a high degree of focus, scrutinisation, and regulation.
Second is the convergence of social media and broadcasting. The growing online medium is something many broadcasters are becoming more well-versed in as audience consumption habits shift. It was just announced that news consumption has shifted even more to online from TV – even overtaking it in the UK! So how the industry reacts to this news and the ever-changing online world is pivotal.
Why is IBC an important date in the media tech calendar?
IBC has been running for nearly 60 years now – and in that time, it’s evolved and adapted as the industry has advanced both culturally and technologically. Tens of thousands from all over the world come to Amsterdam every year to attend. If that isn’t an important date for broadcasters, then I don’t know what is! Especially at a time where online platforms have entered the fray, and many are still figuring out how to navigate them – IBC provides everyone an opportunity to learn from each other as we all tweak our best practice to suit a modern audience. I don’t think there will ever be a time that IBC won’t be important.
Other than the Talent Programme sessions, what are you most looking forward to at IBC2024?
Too much to choose from! In all honesty, I’m very much looking forward to the Accelerator Media Innovation Programme. Working with Muki Kulhan and Mark Smith as part of the IBC Accelerating Innovation podcast series that we broadcasted before the show, I discovered the wonderful array of projects and start-ups that are being showcased at the event. I would love to see what they have to offer in-person whilst they’re on stage!
