IBC: Show Sees Record 50,937 Attendees

Exhibition space also was expanded in 2012

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/11/2012 1:17:56 PM

Complete Coverage: IBC 2012

Despite some worrying economic problems in major European markets, the IBC 2012 conference in Amsterdam closed Tuesday with a record attendance of 50,937. That was only slightly up from 50,462 in 2011 for a growth rate of 0.93%, but it marked a significant increase from 2005, when the conference has 42,815 attendees.

The 2012 exhibition also has expanded significantly, attracting over 1,400 companies and adding a 14^th hall, the conference organizers reported.

Just over 70% of the attendees of the show, which ran from Sept. 6 to 11, were from Western Europe and Scandinavia, with 9.1% from North America and nearly 8.6% from Asia.

"That we have drawn a record audience at a time when there are still economic challenges in many parts of the world -- and when broadcasters are dealing with massive events like the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and US presidential elections -- clearly shows that, above all, IBC is relevant to people at every level in our industry," said Michael Crimp, IBC's CEO in a statement.

While the conference has closed, all of the keynote sessions from the IBC2012 Conference can be viewed online at www.ibc.org/sessionsondemand

Next year's show will be held in Amsterdam from Sept. 12 to 17, 2013.