The International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), which takes place every year at RAI in Amsterdam, is the essential event for those involved in creation, production, media distribution and electronic entertainment. The trade fair attracts more than 56,000 visitors from 150 countries each year. Wallonia Export &Investment (AWEX) will have a stand there between 9 and 12 September 2022 with promising Walloon SMEs from this sector, as it has every year for a long time. Eight companies will be present at the stand for this edition, with the majority of these being regulars at the fair. This is an opportunity for them to present the latest developments in their products and services.
Walloon gems
Based in La Louvière, Cyanview offers a universal control system for cameras based on an RCP and small hardware modules. The Cyanview system addresses three elements through the use of a mixture of camera types: connection, control and image quality. It manages a wide range of cameras, from ENG camcorders to mini-cameras for capturing special shots (for example, in the show Fort Boyard) and D-Cinema cameras that are used during live artistic performances. The system is intended for visual engineers and also manages various elements in the control room, in order to easily integrate the cameras into the existing broadcasting workflow.
Dephten provides solutions and expertise concerning the integration of AI into operations using computer vision and natural-language processing. This spin-off of the University of Mons is involved in ‘tagging’ and adding keywords to images and video and audio data, as well as indexing media directories and so forth. They offer end-to-end solutions: artificial intelligence, web-based solutions, databases and add-ons.
DreamWall needs no introduction. This audiovisual production company specialises in virtual technology, from creation on UE to set-up and production in studios. Their services can be provided individually or on an end-to-end basis. A number of international clients have already placed their trust in them, including RTBF, France TV, TF1, AL Kass and Star TV (Disney). DreamWall also enriches events, for example, the opening ceremony of the Africa Cup of Nations, with a 3D lion in augmented reality.
DreamWall is a regular at the IBC. This year, the company hopes to consolidate the prospecting of international clients at the fair, in particular TV channels and the organisers of sporting events, particularly with respect to technology intelligence. The products they intend to showcase during the fair can be viewed here:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DkqrVicgkfMIUC5JoLWUO1ixndl4hLj3q6GJ2m_Z9to/edit?usp=sharing
intoPIX compresses, secures and transmits images and creates and licenses innovative image-processing and video-compression technologies for broadcasting, cinema and professional video applications. Their technologies offer competitive advantages to manufacturers, content creators and broadcasters for capturing (image sensor), live productions, IP videos, contributing, storing, editing, archiving and playing.
NeuroMedia Software provides broadcasters and the multimedia market with the means to facilitate content creation and measure performance in the audience-measurement niche. Its flagship product, NeuroMedia Analytics, is a tool for measuring the use of media streaming and is used by thousands of channels around the world.
The audio software suite by On-Hertz helps to overcome the limitations of traditional hardware environments. The Hyon-based company creates solutions and apps that are easy to adopt and use and provide full control over production. From their modular audio engine to their flexible audio console (not to mention their turnkey cloud-based production solutions), On-Hertz brings media brands closer to their audience. The company is a long-time regular at the fair and aims to meet as many clients or prospective clients as possible. They will also use the trade fair as a platform to announce new products and updates to several existing products.
Boasting more than 25 years of professional experience, WNM is an audiovisual company specialising in recording and relaying sound, in particular for large-scale TV/radio events like the World Cup. The company provides all audiovisual facilities for the broadcasting and industrial markets. WNM also offers artificial intelligence solutions, such as retranscription, subtitles and smart detection.
Crewbooking connects you with professionals in the audiovisual, cinema, performance and events industries from all over the world in an interactive manner. Their user-friendly platform and app will help you to find the right people and resources anytime and anywhere. More particularly, the company will use the fair to introduce their new feature: an interactive diary that allows freelance technicians and professionals to manage their schedules, their financial interactions with clients and their expenses.
Industry trends
Within the entertainment sector today, the promising branches include video games (for example, the Walloon company Fishing Cactus), audiovisual and media technologies (for example, companies like Deltacast or intoPix) and sports technologies (for example, Alterface).
Despite the potential economic consequences of the war in Ukraine and rapidly rising inflation affecting the purchasing power of the consumer, consistent trends towards development and innovation can be seen in the industry.
Firstly, consider the trend surrounding the race for audiences and the availability of lots of new content in the entertainment industry.
When it comes to the film industry, it is noted that new film releases are increasingly released directly at home, via streaming or video on demand platforms.
Another trend involves ‘unique live’ experiences for consumers, such as participatory experiences, interactive content and dynamic storytelling. These experiences are made possible by the development of technologies such as 5G, RTR (real-time rendering) and augmented reality.
Other trends concern the introduction of NFTs (non-fungible tokens), or digital assets created and exchanged via blockchain technologies, and, finally, the Metaverse, a shared virtual space that exists in real time and where people can meet, interact or collaborate.
Visit the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX)'s stand at the IBC between 9 and 12 September to find out more!