How long have you been going to IBC?
I first attended IBC in 2016. The sheer scale of the event was what surprised me; it’s like being in a town filled with broadcasting technology.
What’s your typical IBC routine: what are you there to see/learn, who are you there to meet?
I try to have a good balance between meetings, networking and attending the various conferences that run alongside the show. Calendar planning is essential! IBC is a great place to meet the technology decision makers for partners and prospects—I mainly work on Google Ad Manager with broadcasters, as well as with the wider ecosystem. In the streaming and ad tech world, we increasingly need to work together across different companies to drive standards and integrate our technologies to make it easier for broadcasters to manage their digital advertising experiences.
Why is IBC important to you in a professional capacity, and how does the show compare to others on the calendar?
With 50,000+ people, it’s a huge opportunity for networking, but also an opportunity to share perspectives on the pace of digital transformation in TV advertising and distribution. I’m speaking this year in the main conference on Saturday on future advertising experiences in TV. Versus other shows, IBC is really focused on technology activation, and increasingly that is about digital technology, cloud services and of course AI. Due to its global presence, IBC goes much deeper on these topics than other events.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC2025?
I have a magician friend who lives in Amsterdam and works for one of our ecosystem partners. I hope to catch up with him and show some of his magic on the show floor to some colleagues and customers and then share it on LinkedIn!
What’s your top tip for anyone attending IBC for the first time?
Don’t schedule your calendar back-to-back. Allow some space for serendipity and ad hoc meetings or networking. Walk around the show floor, especially Hall 14, which covers future technologies and Halls 4 and 5, which focus on streaming technologies. Allow some time between your meetings (30 mins may be needed!) if you are crossing between the 14 halls. And my biggest advice is to take a day off in lieu immediately after IBC—it is after all over the weekend!
