IBC extends digital Showcase through to end of 2020 as once a week events, is ‘on track’ for 2021 physical resumption

Leading industry trade event IBC will expand from the usual mid-September slot through to the the end of the year as a once a week event.

IBC typically runs in the early part of September in Amsterdam, but will go digital from September 8-11, as Digital TV Europe revealed back in July.

The show, which regularly attracts upwards of 50,000 attendees, has been branded as IBC Showcase with three sections – an Exhibitor Showcase, a Sponsored Programme of presentations and coverage of product launches via the online IBC Daily News site.

Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the show, IBC CEO Michael Crimp said that the event organiser “plays a leadership role in bringing the industry together” and said that its aspirations “to make IBC a 365 day a year experience has been accelerated by COVID-19.”

Crimp said: “I believe we are in a unique position to lead the way with a new hybrid approach to engagement; combining targeted online activity with live events, when we can, and giving our customers access to the 150,000 strong global IBC community that we have built and nurtured for over 50 years. I am excited about our Showcase offering, and committed to helping the business survival of our customers.”

A number of partners including Comcast, FIFA and Synamedia will be running sessions in the coming months.

On the 2021 show, Crimp said that “IBC is open for business.” The CEO added that the organisation is “on track with rebookings” and said that a “Significant amount of space” should be rebooked by the end of September.”

Steve Connolly, director of exhibition at IBC added: “The enthusiasm from our exhibitor customers to work with IBC in 2021 is really encouraging. Bookings for our Amsterdam event are strong and our customers are also embracing the opportunities we are creating with our new virtual platforms. The future of events is hybrid and IBC intends to be ahead of the game in giving our customers what they need to achieve significant ROI and grow their businesses,”