They say innovation never stands still, which is certainly true in our industry. Often attached to that idea is the view that innovation without leadership can result in all manner of missed opportunities for growth and advancement. The IBC Talent Programme has consistently asked industry figures to consider how we, as an industry community, can corral leadership around some of the most pressing issues we face.
That includes where our future talent will come from, the relationship between media and education, persistent skills gaps, more open access to career opportunities, professional development and talent retention, and the need to bring a greater diversity of thought and experience to the top table of the industry by establishing inclusive leadership pathways. It also means considering how all of these areas are being reshaped as the industry continues to evolve.
That thinking now has a wider platform at IBC2026 with the launch of the new Future Tech Ignite Stage, which will host the third annual Talent Programme on Friday before moving through three further days focused on start-ups, professional development, and students and young professionals.
Across the programme, we’re tapping into industry talking points that merit more airtime: how we attract and retain talent; the opportunities available to new businesses and innovators; the skills people need to build and sustain careers; and the priorities that should be shaping the industry we create for the next generation. EIT Culture & Creativity joins IBC2026 as Innovation Partner, while AWS and NVIDIA are sponsoring the stage, and a host of start-up companies will be providing five-minute pitches showcasing some exciting tech and business innovation.
Talent at every level
The IBC Talent Programme explores the landscape for industry talent at all levels: the challenges for young people starting careers; issues facing mid-career professionals; what we need to do about underrepresented talent pools; and how to create a sustainable pipeline for talent of all backgrounds to find a place in our industry community.
Media Cartographer Evan Shapiro opens Friday’s programme with a keynote looking at the economies of the new media landscape and what they mean for the people building careers within it.
REGISTER FOR IBC2026
The programme then turns to the evidence. State of the Talent Landscape: What the Data is Telling Us will bring new research into the discussion, with Global Media and Entertainment Talent Manifesto CEO Carrie Wootten moderating a panel featuring IAMT’s Stuart Ray, SMPTE VP Education Polly Hickling and ScreenSkills chair Lisa Opie.
Education and routes into the industry will also be examined by Hickling, Rise Academy co-founder and Premier League Studios director of technology Andy Beale, Shant Bayramian of Inholland University of Applied Sciences, and Barbara Devilee of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Friday also introduces What’s Important Right Now (WIRN), bringing together specialists to discuss areas in need of more deliberate industry focus. Trusted Partner Network president Terri Davies, MTSS co-founder Barbara Lange and SMPTE president Rich Welsh will examine sustainability, cybersecurity, talent diversity and the responsible application of AI, and the practical progress required in each area. They will be joined by Sam Fray, founder & director of Black People in Sports Broadcasting, and Elena Petrova of A1 Group.
Soho Media Club’s Jaisica Lapsiwala and Tom Witkowski chair the penultimate session of the day with AI Won’t Make You Creative, exploring the role AI is beginning to play in creative work, before the first of our start-up pitch sessions closes the programme.
Start-ups in focus
Saturday puts start-ups and innovation at the top of the agenda.
Evan Shapiro returns alongside Streaming Made Easy founder Marion Ranchet for a session aimed specifically at media technology start-ups, examining some of the realities involved in developing a proposition, finding customers and building a business in the sector.
The WIRN conversation also returns, this time with a dedicated focus on content and data security. Terri Davies will be joined by Matt Andrews, director and head of global content security at Netflix; Bekhan Batalov, director of content protection EMEA at the Motion Picture Association; and Once Upon a Time group IT director Joe Hunter. The panel will look at preparedness, recurring vulnerabilities and what the industry can learn from recent security incidents.
Stage sponsors AWS and NVIDIA will also run a dedicated session, bringing their respective perspectives on technology development and the infrastructure supporting the next generation of media services.
EIT Culture & Creativity then takes a prominent role in the afternoon programme. CEO Anette Schaefer will introduce its work as IBC’s Innovation Partner, followed by sessions looking at Europe’s media innovation ecosystem and the relationship between start-ups, established organisations and investors.
The five-minute Ignite pitches running throughout the stage programme will extend that start-up focus across the full four days.
REGISTER FOR IBC2026
Professional development
Sunday turns to people already working in media and entertainment, with sessions addressing skills, leadership, career development and the changing demands of the industry.
Caretta Research will examine the creator and experience economies and the increasing crossover between broadcast and AV, including the implications for talent, technology businesses and content creators.
#GALSNGEAR founder Amy DeLouise will lead Future Shock: Are You Ready?, joined by Imagine Communications chief revenue officer Glodina Lostanlen, Epic Games’ Elena Dimopoulou and ABOTTS president Yassue Inoki. The discussion will cover skills, reskilling and the career pathways emerging around new technologies and production models.
Women in Streaming Media will address allyship and talent development, with Deepali Narsiker contributing to the discussion, while Rise Women in Broadcast’s Deborah Cross and communication coach Sylvia Cohen will host a practical session around networking and professional connections.
Women in the Industries of Tomorrow will also examine how AI, robotics and synthetic media are affecting careers and creative roles.
Students and young professionals
Monday shifts the focus towards people entering the industry and those taking the first steps in their careers.
An IBC owner session will connect emerging talent with the organisations behind the show before the Future Talent Showcase gives students a platform to present their own work.
On-Air will introduce its student-led 24-hour global broadcast project, while students from Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Hogeschool van Amsterdam will present short-form work created around IBC2026.
The final WIRN session, The Leaders of Tomorrow, will hand the conversation to students and emerging professionals, asking them to identify the issues they believe should command greater industry attention.
Across the four days, supporting and contributing partners include Rise, Rise Academy, Women in Streaming Media, #GALSNGEAR, Women in Immersive Tech, Women in Industries of Tomorrow, Black People in Sports Broadcasting, the Global Media and Entertainment Talent Manifesto, Trusted Partner Network (Motion Picture Association), Caretta Research, Soho Media Club, On-Air, IAMT, SMPTE, IET, IEEE BTS, RTS, SCTE, EBU, HBS, ScreenSkills, Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
The full schedule can be found here.
