IBC2024 – reactions from the IABM Bursary students
Stuart Ray, Head of Skills and Development, IABM
As many of us reflect on our nth IBC this year, for some it was the first time experiencing the event. Among them were IABM’s Bursary winners – ten lucky students from universities in the UK, France and Germany who were selected to receive the sought-after award. Their travel, hotel and Delegate Pass were all paid for, along with a daily stipend for food and drink during the four-day event. We’ve gathered together some of their thoughts and reflections on IBC this year to gain a different perspective.
For many of the students the sheer scale of the event was a surprise. “The place was huge, with around 15 halls, thousands of exhibition stands and plenty of visitors from around the world,” said Nicolas Thys, a second year Post Production Masters student at Universite-Polytechnique Hauts-de-France. Sophie Burgess, recently graduated from Southampton Solent University, commented “When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting IBC to be as large as it was.”
All the Bursary winners had free rein to tailor their IBC experience to their own interests. All were invited to participate in the ‘World Skills Cafe’, a Global Media talent Manifesto initiative which was held on the Thursday afternoon prior to the official IBC start date. “This great event inspired me because of all the interesting and diverse people that I came to share experiences with about the subjects of education, recruitment, retention, diversity, transferable skills and future technology. I will definitely be looking to follow up on similar events,” said Friederike Fluit, a final year Media Technology degree student at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
“I really liked how open the discussion was and that I could contribute my perspective as a student and former apprentice in the M&E industry. The small groups with people from very different sectors were also a great opportunity to network,” added Jan Ludwig, another RheinMain student.
For Robin Braun, also a RheinMain student, the World Skills Cafe “allowed us, the next generation, to provide insights on how the media industry can connect better with younger talent. It emphasized the importance of understanding and promoting media careers early on to inspire the future workforce.”
The Friday morning started with all the students from the three different universities meeting for the first time. After introductions they were unleashed on to the show floor. Most had planned what they wanted to see. Many attended the IABM’s ‘State of the Industry’ briefing which launched the event before navigating their way around the 14 halls, outdoor exhibits and pods.
Most had a clear plan of who and what they wanted to see. For Niklas Ehrenklau, also from RheinMain, “Sennheiser was my personal highlight of the day. Their new digital wireless system impressed with its ability to manage simultaneous sending and receiving at very low latency. The system’s flexibility in allocating resources, such as sample rates and bandwidth, makes it adaptable to all kinds of production needs and the first of its kind.”
“As a student working in Post Production,” says Nicolas Thys (Post Production Masters student at Universite-Polytechnique Hauts-de-France), “I was looking for everything related to post production software. As a result, I spent a lot of time in Hall 7, where all the video editing, visual effects and 3D software were located. I could discover the new tools that were added into DaVinci Resolve, or in Adobe and Avid software, but I also had the pleasure to discover Maxon! I’d never heard of Maxon before the event, but their stand quickly became my favorite.”
“My first aim was to see each of the 14 or so exhibition halls, to try to get my bearings and a sense of the scale of it. This took me almost all of day one, as I inevitably was ‘side tracked’ by a wide array of interesting stalls. One that stood out for me was Ross Video’s stall, equipped with a SpiderCam, live news set and Ross Video socks!” says Tom Holland, a recent graduate of Live Event Technology at Southampton Solent University. Tom had also used the IBC app to create a shortlist of companies he wanted to visit. “While their new products were of interest, the Netgear AV academy training program was what was most memorable, as this something I am working on completing post show,” he said.
Fellow Southampton Solent graduate Sophie was focused on camera tech, equipment and accessories. “One company that absolutely blew me away was Canon. Their display showed how their cameras have evolved over time and their live set showed how versatile their cameras are.”
Mattieu Fernandes (Universite-Polytechnique Hauts-de-France) found he was able to draw on his University work when visiting the StageTec stand. “My final year project involved developing a system for locating sound sources in space. This combination of microphones provides optimum sound detection in three dimensions in space…I was able to see this microphone in operation…I had a discussion with an engineer who was interested in my project, and we exchanged some ideas and suggestions on how to make it happen.”
This opportunity to discuss projects and areas of interest was a key element of the IBC experience. Robin Braun had created an XR short film at university and used an HTC Vive headset. “Their team was enthusiastic about my studio integration project, and we discussed possible future collaborations, sharing my XR short film and their joy in our usage of their product makes me smile even today. I am thrilled to use their new App to make a future description of their products to other students more exciting.”
Students receive full delegate passes and all made good use of the opportunity to attend conference sessions. “The highlight session of the weekend, was an IBC accelerator and panel discussion around ‘The Fight Against Disinformation’ in news and the lengths to which broadcasters go to authenticate stories and trace the provenance of these. This was a fascinating subject, even if this is an area of broadcasting not aligned with my normal interests. A panel on ‘The Evolution of Live Production’ in respect to IP transformation, was one of the most useful sessions I attended for my personal understanding and interests,” says Tom Holland.
The session on ‘XR – Advances in Capturing, Rendering and Delivering’, appealed to Robin. “This session piqued my interest the most, as XR is my passion. The presentation delved into innovative research on capturing and rendering technologies that push the boundaries of immersive experiences.”
For Sophie, “The most eye-opening was about the 2024 Olympics. The Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS) needed more than 1000 cameras and 4000 microphones as they were going to be filming over 11,000 hours of content in 47 different venues. OBS managed to make this happen by teaming up with companies such as NBC and Bien Media, who provided over 50 OB vans for the games. Seeing companies work together in this way brings me hope for the future of the industry as companies are too often put against each other and viewed as competition rather than potential assistance.”
All the students made good use of the opportunity to network and meet with industry professionals. With the added attraction of free drinks, the IABM awards, Rise WIB and SMPTE’s evening, all proved to be draws. All participated in the Monday IBC Talent Programme sessions, “where I heard inspiring panels about organizations that are working to recruit and retain young people in the media industry, and in particular to get more women into the industry. I made some contacts there that I plan to follow up on,” says Friederike.
The overall experience proved to be memorable for all our bursary students. Sophie described it as an “absolutely amazing” event, which brings “so many industry professionals into one space where they were able to collaborate and build connections in a professional but friendly environment.” For Niklas Ehrenklau, “Attending IBC 2024 was an incredibly rewarding experience, offering the chance to explore the latest industry innovations, gain insights from professionals and make meaningful connections. It was a perfect blend of learning, hands-on experience and networking, and it has given me valuable perspectives that will undoubtedly influence my future in media technology.”
Robin Braun: “IBC 2024 provided a unique platform to connect with industry professionals, gain valuable insights into upcoming technologies, and reunite with colleagues. It has opened doors for potential future collaborations and furthered my understanding of the ever-evolving media landscape. I am extremely thankful for this invaluable experience, and it will certainly shape my future career.”
