IBC reports record attendees, details new event plans

IBC said that it counted more than 52,000 attendees at this year’s event, beating its previous record-breaking figures for 2012, as it unveiled details of new IBC events elsewhere in the world.

At a press conference today, IBC CEO Michael Crimp said that as of 10am this morning, the final day of the Amsterdam trade show, IBC had more than 52,322 attendees pass through its doors and more than 150 different countries represented.

“Last year we had a record, which was 50,937. My maths is not brilliant, but I make that about 2% up already on where we finished at the end of last year,” said Crimp.

He also praised the standard of delegates and exhibitors at this year’s show, saying: “Though IBC is a growing event, and it continues to grow at about 5% a year, it’s about quality. I think if you go round and talk to exhibitors, they’re happy with the volume, but they’re also particularly impressed with the quality of visitors and the people that are on the show floor.”

At the same time, Crimp commented on IBC’s plans to expand its global presence with events in the United Arab Emirates and Brazil in the next two years as part of a new venture called IBC Content Everywhere.

“It will be launched here as part of IBC in 2014 – kind of a show within a show. Then it will move onto Dubai in November of 2014 and then on to Sao Paulo at the beginning of 2015,” said Crimp.

He said IBC had decided to take its brand values into those regions as the economies there are growing fast, there’s a “proliferation of connected devices” and a “huge growth in IP-based video consumption that in some areas is overtaking broadcast consumption.” On top of this, there is a real “thirst for knowledge” in these regions, he said.
Of the new venture, Crimp added: “It’s not just a trade show, because that’s not IBC, and it’s not an IBC-lite or an IBC regional – this is something really different.

“We want to bring together a different kind of innovative engagement and help to build community and strength. We will do that in those regions, but we will still have the heart of it here at IBC. We really recognise the investment that people put into IBC here, and this is just another way of us piling on value and feeding more people into this great event.”