IBC closes with a 7% drop in the number of visitors

IBC closes its doors with 45,547 visitors, 7% less than in 2008.

Despite the gray omens, finally official IBC figures have established the number of visitors who have passed through the Amsterdam RAI this year at 45,547. This figure represents a drop of around 7% compared to attendance recorded last year. The COO of IBC, Mike Crimp, commented during the press conference at the closing of the fair that, taking into account the global economic situation and the stagnation that many investments in the communication and broadcast industry are experiencing, “the attendance figures could be described as positive” adding that “IBC is much more than a fair, it is an event in which professionals can see the results of all the hard work for part of the industry.”

1,300 exhibitors have participated in this edition of IBC, highlighting the new area called Production Village in Hall 9 where a large number of new companies have exhibited for the first time. Other areas such as the Games Arena, The Beach, the New Technology Campus or the Big Screen 3D Movies have been a meeting point for many professionals. It is noteworthy that in the Production Village, videographers, independent filmmakers and audiovisual fans have found for the first time a space designed for them and a response to the increasing democratization of access to the means of production.

IBC has also encouraged its relationship with exhibitors to cut costs and reduce the effort required to exhibit at an event of this category, presenting proposals such as 'turnkey' stands at a fixed price. For the 2010 edition, companies in the sector have reserved 23,000 square meters of surface area.

Apart from the exhibition area where professionals can learn about the latest developments, IBC has had, as usual, an extensive conference program in which attendees can learn about new trends, train or retrain technologically.