In addition to drawing 2,000+ more visitors than last year, the show attracted over 1,350 exhibitors – up 100 from 2023 – while the amount of exhibition space reached 46,000 square metres, exceeding the previous year’s total of 44,500 square metres. IBC 2024 addressed critical trends and issues driving change across the media landscape, such as combatting false information and fake news, while offering new show features, such as the AI Tech Zone, and IBC Talent Programme.

“IBC continued on an upward trajectory in 2024, with tremendous turnout across the entire IBC community as people gathered in Amsterdam to explore the technological advances and market dynamics redefining our industry,” said Michael Crimp, IBC’s Chief Executive Officer. “In a year marked by major events such as the Olympics and national elections, there was an extremely positive buzz at the IBC 2024. This year’s show addressed soaring interest in trends such as AI’s leap from theory to real-world applications, how the industry is fighting disinformation in news, and the need to foster talent and diversity across media, entertainment and technology.”

Other themes that took centre stage at IBC included sustainability, 5G, cloud, esports, immersive experiences, OTT and streaming, adtech, metaverse, edge computing, and connected technologies. Many of these were addressed in the three-day IBC Conference, relocated to the Auditorium Complex at the RAI, as well as in the various show floor theatres and by many of the exhibitors themselves on their stands.

A number of IBC’s defining themes were also focuses of the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, which this year included another IBC first: the AI Media Production Lab, exploring a series of projects in which some of the industry’s innovators collaborated on specific AI concepts. One of the hottest Accelerator projects – also addressed in the IBC Conference – was ‘Design Your Weapons in the Fight Against Disinformation’, which aimed to develop an industry-wide understanding of the challenges and abuses being faced today by all media outlets in helping audiences identify trustworthy news and information.

The new AI Tech Zone, powered by EBU, was packed with visitors engaging with leading innovators on practical applications ranging from automated video editing and music-audio separation to content provenance tracking and fast and secure cloud storage. The Zone stage featured AI pioneers sharing insights into how the technology will impact the future and how it is already transforming media in areas such as discoverability, news verification, and creating immersive experiences.

“In the last few years, IBC has gone from strength to strength, with exhibitors continuing to find more ways to make the most of the show as we add new features and grow its scope and reach,” added IBC Director Steve Connolly. “The feedback we get is incredibly positive, with many seeing IBC evolving as an increasingly important incubator of media tech innovation, as well as maintaining our status as an essential networking destination and source of intelligence on new industry trends and developments.”