INDUSTRY EVENTS
Dressing for the weather: Technology, Business, and the Human Side of IBC
Is IBC a technology show, or a business show? It’s a question that gets harder to answer every year. The event floor is lined with innovations that push the limits of broadcast, production and streaming - but the conversations that take place there rarely stay within the bounds of pure technology. They’re about trust, partnership, understanding and the shared commitment to shaping what comes next. This year, Amsterdam didn’t make it easy on the attendees. The weather had a mind of its own: bursts of rain arriving without warning, followed moments later by clear skies and sudden sunlight in the chill air. Typical Dutch weather: unpredictable, dramatic and somehow charming. As one Xpresso colleague dryly observed, ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing’.
It turned out to be a fitting metaphor for the show itself. Attendance numbers may have been lower than previous years, but for those who came prepared - not just with technology to showcase, but with stories, relationships and human insight to share - the halls were full, the stands busy and the conversations rich. Those who dressed for the right show - the business show, the human show - felt none of the chill. Business in the rain If there’s one lesson the industry has learned in recent years, it’s that a live demo is no longer the draw it once was. Not to say that they don’t still hold importance, it’s just that increasingly, more solutions can be explored remotely: customers can take a virtual tour, stream a product launch, or book an online demo any day of the week. But what you can’t
replicate online is the atmosphere of connection - the quiet moments that build trust, spark curiosity and turn partnerships into collaborations.
That’s the real show.
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DECEMBER 2025 Volume 47 No.4
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