The SCTE and IBC 2002

IBC2002, 12 - 16 September (Exhibits 13 - 17 September) RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands In his after show commentary one leading industry journalist said he thought the show would soon be called the 'International Broadband Convention' because there was so much for the broadband industry.

Scientific Atlanta's stand.	IBC2002 - The Tempo Rises. Graeme Young, 'Crosstalk' editor, summarises this year's convention. The mood of IBC2002 was one of optimism and confidence, everywhere people were talking of going forward, new ideas, new investment and new markets. Over 800 stands occupied 11 halls and a car-park, the latter for OB vehicles and satellite up-link trucks. The SCTE is one of six learned societies that are partners in IBC, happy to see an increased attendance and to find this-year's exhibitors booking their places for next year.

The conferences and seminars were well attended. The sessions were grouped by theme this year and delegates were found to be staying on at a session for subjects of no particular direct interest to them. This had the effect of broadening the understanding of one-another's problems and challenges. The halls this year were also arranged on a themed basis making the location of stands displaying a particular aspect of broadcasting much easier. As usual, the excellent facilities offered by the RAI centre made the task of touring the site more pleasurable and excellent transport arrangements made the six-o'-clock escape every evening into an easy matter.		Motorola's Stand

Teleste's Stand	Some innovations captured the imagination of visitors, the BBC were showing some 3D imaging and object creation using a human model to generate data for application to a computer-generated figure, giving it animation close to reality. On the Fuji TV stand a giant touch-screen displayed a browser in the form of a mosaic of pictures that could be called instantly and was intended primarily for newscasting applications. This had the effect of lessening the number of operators in the studio 'gallery' who are normally necessary for the presentation of a news bulletin.

Digital technology dominated the exhibition and seminars as might be expected, but analogue was not forgotten and many exhibitors still paid some attention to the needs of analogue users, offering equipment and services. The vast range of the apparatus of broadcasting was on view, from cables and connectors to multi-kilowatt transmitters, from microphones and teleprompters to complete continuity suites, and from subscriber taps and set-top boxes to head-ends and telco switches. Cable, satellite and terrestrial delivery systems were all abundantly represented and grabbed the attention of the multitudes of visitors.

	The convention featured a number of themed conference sessions allowing plenty of time for delegates to visit the exhibition. The success of the conference streams seems to suggest that people are determined to stay up to date with technical developments and ensure they can take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

Photo Gallery Visit the Photo Gallery for more, and larger pictures from this year's exhibition.

	The SCTE and IBC The SCTE is one of the partners in IBC and is closely involved in the management of the show. This means we will continue to see the convention offer more and more of interest to SCTE members. The convention management are continually looking at how to further develop the show's success. For information on IBC, 2004 please use the menu on the left or follow this link to the IBC, 2004 page.

Remember that for further information regarding any aspect of IBC you can visit http://www.ibc.org Or contact the IBC Office at Aldwych House 81 Aldwych London WC2B 4EL UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7611 7500 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7611 7530 Email: show@ibc.org


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