Industry-defining leaders, ground-breaking creators and tech innovators head packed IBC Conference schedule

When it comes to exploring the business of broadcast, the opening CTO Roundtable session on Friday is a must attend. Representatives from Warner Bros. Discovery and ITV will share insights into how they're responding to changing viewer habits and shifting how they operate to achieve lasting impact at scale. 

New ways of operating are also picked up in two back-to-back sessions later in the day on the power of strategic partnerships. First up, Grace Boswood, Director of Technology & Distribution, Channel 4, and Pedro Pina, Vice President, YouTube EMEA, will delve into how YouTube is partnering with broadcasters to adapt to the rapidly evolving media consumption landscape. 

A panel featuring Elena Petrova, Head of Content Partnerships and Media Solutions, A1 Telekom Austria Group; Harish Sarma, VP Business Development and Partnerships, Yahoo Mail; Jorrit Eringa, Head of Media Partnerships, DACH, The Netherlands and Nordics, Snap Inc; Katharine Wen, Director of Strategy & Development International Syndication, Sky; and Liz Riemersma, Vice President - Strategy, Business Development & International, Sling TV, will then discuss the far-reaching implications of collaboration and partnerships and how they are driving innovation and growth in the sector. 

The final session of the conference will also explore the rapid transforming media world, with a particular focus on rights. Mike Darcey, media industry commentator and advisor, will draw on his experiences as the former COO of Sky and CEO of News UK, to deliver a keynote on the new business models reshaping how value is captured and measured, and the need to innovate to build direct, lasting relationships with audiences as streaming fatigue grows. 

Creative trailblazers will also be taking to the IBC Conference stage. This includes Director Bernard MacMahon and Sound Supervisor Nicholas Bergh, who will be discussing 'How Becoming Led Zeppelin was Created'. The pair will reveal how a vast archive of 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, 2” video, tape, disc and stills were transferred and sculpted into a cohesive whole for the record-breaking IMAX release. 

Also on Saturday, Jeff Wilson, Series Executive Producer, Silverback Films, will be discussing a key scene from the new BBC series Parenthood and the technical challenges and hurdles that were overcome in order to make this extraordinary wildlife spectacle. 

Ahead of receiving the International Honour for Excellence at the Innovation Awards on 14 September, world-renowned Editor Thelma Schoonmaker will be in conversation with Carolyn Giardiana discussing the art and craft of editing, her close collaboration with Martin Scorsese and working to restore the films of her late husband, Michael Powell. 

How technology is creating opportunities across content creation, production, distribution and monetisation will also be explored across all three days of the conference. 

Sports is one area where emerging tech is having a particular impact, helping to ensure seamless delivery at scale, streamlining workflows and ensuring broadcasters can meet a key aim of creating more content for less. 

Mansoor Fazil, Director of Global Platform Engineering, NBCUniversal; Marcos Obadia, SVP Global Engineering and Media Technology, TelevisaUnivision; and Prashant Khanna, Head - Production Services, Studios & Production Tech – Sports, JioStar, will delve into how to combine advanced streaming technologies and a robust security layer to succeed in delivering live sports at scale, before Rollo Goldstaub, Global Head of Sports Partnerships, TikTok, will share how broadcasters can work better with social media giants to seize the opportunities in the digital sphere as they arise. 

Technologies sure to be discussed at length during IBC2025 include AI and IP. This includes by Damian Cronan, CDIO at ABC, who will share how the broadcaster is utilising AI as an integral part of its digital transformation to drive efficiencies, create value and revolutionise the way content is produced, distributed and monetised. In addition, Jon Roberts, CTO, ITN, will offer valuable insights for navigating shifting tech stacks and explore how innovative workflows are unlocking greater flexibility, efficiency and scalability while laying the foundation for what’s next. 

The IBC Conference runs from 12-14 September. Delegate passes, which also include access to the Technical Papers Programme and exclusive events and networking in the Delegate Lounge are available now. To view the full conference agenda, click here.