Consumer Experience at the Heart of IBC 2022
2022 finally saw the in-person return of the International Broadcasters’ Convention, or IBC, to the RAI, Amsterdam. Six members of the Futuresource team were on the show floor, the company’s largest presence at IBC to date. Heading the Pro-Video analyst team was Chris Evans, Senior Market Analyst at Futuresource Consulting, with Market Analysts Helen Matthews and Joyce Wang also in attendance.
Considering the event’s three-year break, anticipation for IBC 2022 was ripe. With over 37,000 visitors watching over 1,000 exhibitors, the show floor was undeniably alive with energy as the latest industry innovations were unveiled. Although there was much to digest in a singular weekend, the Futuresource analyst team has compiled a post-show dossier, presenting key findings and insights from their time at IBC.
Audience Engagement Top Priority
Consumer experience was at the heart of IBC 2022. With the battle between traditional broadcasters and OTT platforms becoming increasingly fierce, many exhibitors were highlighting the importance of audience engagement in helping retention.
‘With an endless number of platforms, both terrestrial and OTT, fighting for consumer attention, companies were displaying multiple solutions to enhance the enjoyment of broadcast content for viewers at home,’ says Chris Evans, Senior Market Analyst at Futuresource.
Although brands were pursuing fresh ways to engage audiences, Chris noted that many of the technologies showcased were borne from the pandemic era, including the use of augmented reality (AR) in live television broadcasts. With AR and virtual reality infiltrating multiple spaces, companies are seeking to enhance the consumer experience beyond the traditional “flat” screen.
Sustainability High on the Agenda in Europe
Sustainability brought a high level of focus and innovation to IBC 2022. Companies have adopted various measures to achieve a more sustainable workflow and reduce their carbon footprints. In Futuresource’s post-show report, Chris highlights the three main pathways to operate more sustainably: the first being accurate measurement, the second increasing efficiencies, and the third constantly seeking improvement.
An Industry Open to Change
The broadcast industry has often been characterised as slow to adopt change. But after the upheaval of the pandemic, producers have become well-acquainted with major shifts in working habits. IBC 2022 reflected this development, with many companies experimenting with new workflows. Organisations throughout the video supply chain are actively looking to reinvent their systems to achieve a diversity of outcomes ranging from improved cost efficiencies to enhanced work-life balance for employees.
Download Our Post-Show Report
Our IBC 2022 Post-Show Report explores key developments within video acquisition and content creation, including new product launches and technology advancements. Our analysts also look at the overarching trends within live production witnessed on the show floor at the RAI.
Catch up on everything you missed or relive the highlights - download your free copy of our post-show report here.
About the author
Chris specialises in providing market insight and analysis across the professional video technology industry and video content supply chain. Chris draws on a background in video production to apply an end-to-end understanding of workflow, end-user needs, and product specific knowledge across a range of research methodologies and services.
His areas of expertise include: cloud technologies in live broadcast; virtual and remote production; user generated content and live streaming; the sustainable future of the video entertainment industry; large format and >4K video acquisition; vertical specific use cases for pro video products and services.
Chris joined Futuresource in 2017 as a member of the broadcast equipment team. As video technologies have proliferated into an everyday tool for a diversity of professional applications, Chris has taken leadership of Futuresource’s Professional Video services. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Film and English from the University of Southampton.
About the author
Olivia Lowden is responsible for the long-form content, press, and partnerships at Futuresource. Prior to her career at Futuresource, she completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, demonstrative of her lifelong love of words.
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