CEO Update: IABM at IBC
IBC is one of the biggest dates in the IABM calendar with many of our members exhibiting, speaking across the show and meeting, collaborating and networking in the IABM Hub. Following the success of our reimagined IABM Member Lounge at NAB Show earlier this year, we’ve taken your feedback to deliver an even more supportive and immersive experience for members at IBC, (more of which overleaf). The new IABM Hub is home to the IABM Members Lounge, IABM Impact™ Stage and IABM TV™ and this year, we are situated next to the IBC Conference, Entrance G at the RAI.
As always IABM opens the IBC conference with the IABM Impact™ Briefing which will set out the key themes for the show – giving attendees a critical roadmap for where the industry is heading in the real world, and how IABM can help and support members in this new environment.
As ever, marketing ROI from shows is critical: to support members at IBC this year, we have also introduced two new initiatives – the IABM Innovation Arena (more overleaf) and the IABM Innovation Directory. Both give every member (for free) the opportunity to promote the products and services they are launching at IBC. The IABM Innovation Directory (available digitally and in print), provides a handy guide for MediaTech buyers to plan their time on the IBC show floor. Buyers can also hear from members in the IABM Innovation Arena taking place in the IABM Hub. For more info see iabmipact.com.
For those of you not attending IBC this year, post-show business insights and tech webinars will be delivered by Chris & Stan and the BIU team.
New Talent & AI Training
Attracting and nurturing new talent into the industry is critical and I’m delighted to announce we are supporting a record number of IABM bursary students at IBC. Led by Stuart Ray, our Head of Skills & Development, you can read all about them in the article later in the Journal. IABM is also supporting the IBC’s World Skills Café to further promote the ongoing education – early and mid-career – critical to fostering and retaining the talent we all need.
Our own IABM training and development program now includes a course on AI produced by Damon Neale, one of the leading thinkers on AI in the industry. This groundbreaking AI course is designed to make artificial intelligence accessible and practical for everyone, from tech experts to creative professionals in the media and entertainment industry, to give them a better understanding of the technology that is rapidly becoming a lynchpin across all areas of the industry.
We have also reimagined IABM’s awards program: the IABM Impact Awards recognize the impact our members and wider industry are having across the media tech ecosystem. It’s the people, as well as the innovative products and services who are the differentiators, and the IABM Impact Awards celebrate it all.
Vision and Transformation
In July we elected a new IABM Members’ Board welcoming both veteran and new board members. Our new board brings a greater regional representation across the globe and our AGM, held in the same month, received a record-breaking number of attendees and included guest speakers from IBC, NAB and AVIXA. Thank you to everyone who applied to join the board (we had a fantastic number of members apply) and I am delighted to be working with such a diverse and experienced set of industry professionals. It also gives me great pleasure to announce Josh Arensberg is re-elected as Chair of the IABM Members Board for another two-year term. Josh’s ongoing support and active involvement, together with the SVG, members board and the supremely brilliant Lucinda Meek IABM CFOO and Company Secretary, have been invaluable in helping me get things off to a flying start and build the foundations we need to scale and grow.
In the nine months since I took over as CEO of IABM, we have transformed many aspects of our association in my quest to deliver a real impact for members. This year, as I continue to better understand what our members’ needs are – wherever and whatever size organization they are, from start-ups to established companies, the views and feedback from each and every one are important. Following IBC, I’m looking forward to meeting members and GEPs at Broadcast India with our new Head of Member Engagement & Growth APAC, Sushant Rai, and the IABM team will also be at NAB Show NYC and Interbee in Tokyo.
We continue to build upon the strong new direction and priorities I set out in my last two CEO Updates and have put more changes in place to ensure that we serve you even better. Again, my heartful thanks to the whole IABM team and to you – our members – who have been instrumental in moving things forward during what is, for all of us, a challenging economic and geopolitically complex time.
For a detailed update on our transformation program and results to date, check out the IABM AGM Update available to download from iabmimpact.com. In summary we have and continue to:
- Reposition IABM globally – driving thought leadership and rebuilding our brand equity
- Transform the IABM team – fostering a culture of innovation and promoting cross-functional collaboration
- Enhance member engagement – deepening relationships with our member community, amplifying IABM members across the industry on a deeper regional focus
- Grow our strategic partnerships – expanding our reach, influence and market intelligence
- Reimagine the IABM member experience at shows with the IABM Hub™, IABM Impact™ Stage, IABM TV™, IABM Impact™ Awards
- Review and reengineer our internal operations – platforms and processes, building data to drive how IABM operates effectively and deliver member value and services
Introducing the MEG team!
We have also created a 360° approach to membership engagement. Led by Ana-Claire Bernardes and supported by Michelle Kelly and Sushant Rai in the Americas and APAC respectively, the Membership Engagement team (affectionately known as the MEG team!) with close cooperation with the Business Intelligence Unit (BIU), CTO Office and Skills and Development, are tasked with understanding and supporting member’s business objectives and rolling the appropriate IABM resources out to support them. The MEG team will ensure that every member not only feels a valued part of their association, but also actively benefits from the full array of IABM resources available to them.
Many of you know Ana, a member of the IABM family for the last 3 years; Ana previously ran our GEP (global engaged partners program), now run by Purminder Gandhu who joins us from the BBC and who also co-produces the IABM Impact™ Stage and IABM TV™. Michelle joins us from NAB Show, where she served as SVP & CMO and is a familiar figure not only to US members but everyone who has had any dealings with NAB Show over recent years. Sushant is similarly well connected in APAC, having worked for 30 years in sales, management, business development, systems design, and customer support across APAC, Middle East & Africa.
Ana, Sushant and Michelle will be working closely with the Americas, APAC & EMEA Regional Members’ Councils to ensure that regional issues and opportunities are addressed, and to feed these back seamlessly into IABM’s central activities.
In addition, I am delighted to announce that Juliette Langlois, a recent graduate and who many members met at NAB and CABSAT, moves into the role of Membership Engagement Manager, supporting the MEG team and members globally.
Celebrating our members
It is particularly gratifying that IABM members are already noticing the impact we are making as we continue to transform the association. Here a just a few of the comments we have received following recent events:
“The recent transformation and renewed focus at IABM is further validating the ROI on our membership and participation.”
David Kaszycki –CEO, Beam Dynamics, USA
“HPE values the platform IABM provides for driving innovation and aligning the industry on key challenges. The collaborative energy across members is helping shape a smarter, more connected media technology future.”
Matt Quirk – Director, Hewlett Packard Enterprises
WW Channel & Partner Ecosystem – OEM Solutions, UK
“IABM’s enhanced engagement strategy is clearly delivering, from high-value networking at our industry events, at CABSAT as a great example, to impactful thought leadership and member activities and voices amplification.”
Hasan R. Sayed Hasan – Managing Director, Master Media, UAE
“Thanks for shining the light.”
Ajey Anand – CEO Norigin Media, EMEA
“It’s been great to see how IABM has transformed over the past months—we now have a much clearer understanding of what IABM can do for us, where to access our member benefits, and how to truly engage with the community. The value it provides has become far more targeted—closely aligned with our real needs, industry trends, and hot topics. Through localized support and platforms like the councils, companies like Kiloview are now better able to share our voices, gain visibility, and connect with the broader industry.”
Judy Zuo – VP Marketing and Sales, Kiloview, China
“IABM’s ‘Building stronger relationships between MediaTech Buyers and Vendors’ – I loved being part of this discussion as it is one of the most important topics in the industry. Thank you IABM.”
Jiri Gabriel – COO MISTV, EMEA
As an IABM platinum member, we recently supported MISTV with their 30th Anniversary Conference and Celebrations in Prague, where our BIU team led by Chris Evans contributed critical, business-enhancing information to support MISTV’s objectives across the region. Members of the BIU team have also been presenting at industry conferences and digital webinars for members across the globe.
Our CTO Stan continues to lead the industry with groundbreaking IABM member working groups including the newly launched Tariff Working Group and the IABM Technology & Trends Roadmap© and together with Chris will deliver the IABM Impact™ Briefing which opens IBC.
Everything we do focuses on delivering value for our members – helping them make an impact – which I announced right at the start of my tenure as CEO as central to our vision for a revitalized IABM. And I am really proud of what the whole IABM team has achieved in such a relatively short time, but assure you, we will not rest in our pursuit of delivering continuing impact for all members; expect further exciting developments as our transformation continues.
Meantime, I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible who are at IBC and continuing to build relationships at the forthcoming NAB NYC Show, Broadcast India and InterBEE later this year.
Saleha Williams
CEO
IABM
