IBC unveils digital plans with new Showcase initiative

With the coronavirus pandemic still seriously impacting much of Europe, IBC has announced that the 2020 edition of the trade show will take place digitally.

The physical IBC event was officially cancelled in the middle of May, with the organiser saying that there were “still too many unknowns” to consider staging the Amsterdam event.

Prior to the event’s cancellation, a survey carried out by Vewd found that only 27% of regular attendees planned on being at the 2020 show.

Now, dubbed IBC Showcase, the virtual event will take place from 8-11 September 2020 and will be based around three sections: an exhibitor showcase; a programme of presentations and discussions; and coverage of product launches via the online IBC Daily News site.

The online event promises to give attendees a chance to connect with the industry and “discover a new perspective” online and on demand.

Programmes will be a range of free-to-access sessions that will present online attendees with the latest innovations across the media, entertainment and technology space.

IBC chief executive Michael Crimp said: “We’re excited to unveil IBC Showcase, an online platform that will give the media and technology community a chance to connect.

“It will provide a platform for exhibitors to launch and demonstrate their latest products and services, while others in the industry will be able to learn about cutting- edge technology and find out about the latest tools and techniques for creating and delivering great content.”

“We would, of course, have liked to meet with you all in Amsterdam this year, but we hope instead to see you online during IBC Showcase in September.”

Physical events from all across the industry have been shelved since the cancellation of MWC in March.

In spite of this, Messe Berlin has continued to insist that IFA 2020 will be staged on September 3-5 as a ‘special edition’.