Executive Leadership: Sally-Ann D'Amato as SMPTE's Managing Director
SMPTE, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, is gearing up for a significant presence at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in 2023. This annual event, held in Amsterdam, is one of the premier global gatherings for professionals in the media, technology, and engineering sectors.
For SMPTE, IBC holds particular significance due to its potential for networking, learning, and sharing the organisation's mission. The speaker, who has only been to IBC once in 2006, is looking forward to reconnecting with colleagues, making new contacts, and exploring new collaborations at this year's event.
In fact, conversations at IBC over the past two years have led to SMPTE delivering technical education at the Saudi Media Forum (FOMEX) and launching a new initiative to grow SMPTE membership in Africa. This year, SMPTE will have a stand on the IBC show floor for the first time, providing flexibility for scheduled meetings and informal engagement with delegates.
The speaker encourages first-time attendees to prepare an itinerary of their "must-attend" sessions and social events, invest in comfortable shoes, and visit the SMPTE stand (8.F55f).
IBC offers SMPTE a vital platform to showcase its standards and technological advancements, such as those for IP workflows (e.g., SMPTE ST 2110). By engaging with industry professionals at IBC, SMPTE can influence the broader broadcast and media technology markets, supporting its mission to advance media technology and engineering for the motion picture, television, and professional media industries.
While SMPTE has its own dedicated events like the SMPTE Technology Summit and Annual Awards Gala, IBC stands out as a "must-attend" event due to its broader scope. Encompassing exhibits, conferences, and product launches for the entire broadcast and media technology ecosystem, IBC is a highly strategic event for SMPTE to engage with a wider audience beyond its core membership and to influence industry adoption of its standards.
This year, the speaker is particularly interested in the programme's focus on AI, live sports streaming, and real-time experiences. IBC2023 stands out as a "must-attend" event for the speaker, and the speaker is excited about the potential future collaborations and innovations at IBC2025.
Moreover, SMPTE finds IBC valuable for engaging with industry leaders from unconventional markets. The speaker plans to divide their time between the SMPTE stand and the Owners Pavilion, where they will have the opportunity to connect with students from SMPTE's UK and Germany Student Chapters.
In conclusion, SMPTE uses IBC to present its work in a global, commercial, and diverse setting, while SMPTE’s own events provide more specialized, technical forums. IBC’s scale and international reach distinguish it from other industry events as one of the most impactful in SMPTE’s calendar.
- SMPTE's missions can potentially expand in unconventional markets through engagement with industry leaders at IBC, a premier global gathering for professionals in the media, technology, finance, and business sectors.
- At IBC, SMPTE showcases its standards and technological advancements, such as those for IP workflows and AI, influencing the broader finance, business, media, and technology industries, thereby supporting its mission.
