Two Weeks On: Reflections from IBC
Amazing to think that two weeks have already passed since IBC. The follow-up work and recovery stretch can be just as immersive as the show itself - emails to answer, conversations to follow up, and a sleep deficit that takes longer to clear than any time zone adjustment.
But now that the dust has settled, it's worth reflecting on what made this year's show memorable.
Side by Side
As anybody who has planned for IBC knows, the design that goes into a booth is no small thing. We really wanted the visual layout of our booth to tell its own story: arkona and manifold displayed side by side, with no barriers between us, no walls, no artificial separation - just open space and shared resources (Erling's coffee machine, procured specially for the show, being the most important of them!).
And between the two, our EASY-IP demonstration linked the products together in a tangible way, showing visitors exactly how the two companies operate as one ecosystem rather than two separate vendors.
In it together
That theme of collaboration carried through to the certificate we were given to display, recognising manifold’s role as technical partners of the MXL initiative - winner of this year's IBC Content Creation Innovation Award. It’s a project we believe in very strongly, and we’re pleased and proud not just because of the recognition we’ve gained as a company, but what it means for our individual engineers. Their involvement was requested because it was recognised that the team represents some of the best minds in broadcast, and each of them gave their time and expertise to the project in a way that goes far above and beyond the requirements of their job role. It speaks to a team that isn’t merely competent at what they do, but genuinely driven by it.
The Real Value of IBC
As always, the greatest pleasure of IBC is the ability to make real, physical contact with people. Freed from an agenda or expectations about what should be discussed, conversations take more meaningful directions. Free-flowing dialogue produces unexpected ideas. And talk that isn't specifically business or product-focused cements the intangible - trust, familiarity, connection, shared values, things that actually matter just as much for business as the bits and the bytes.
We were especially grateful to Ryhaan for making the journey across the Atlantic to join us, even though she doesn't officially begin her role as CCO for North America until 1st October. Not only did she get a better sense of us - all our quirks and idiosyncrasies - but we got a better sense of her. And it turns out her passion for growing peppers in her back garden (while dodging the Floridian turtles and alligators that also like to hang out there) is just as important as her passion for growing manifold's market in North America.
On show, everywhere
Of course, when you’re exhibiting at IBC, your own little patch can feel like the centre of the universe. But when one finds themselves with fifteen minutes to stretch their legs, there are fourteen halls out there to explore. That’s an important additional measure of how your product is doing - not just how many people come to you to talk about it, but how many references you find to it ‘out in the wild’.
That’s why it was a particular pleasure to see our products as part of NEP’s slick new EU-01 OB van. As they say themselves in their video overview, it is a remarkable combination of innovation channelled through simplified, easy-to-use and intuitive workflows - all designed to let production teams do more whilst feeling like they are working less.
Overall, IBC was confirmation that both arkona and manifold technologies are getting the attention we deserve in the market, as leaders in FPGA-driven workflows that maximise power, potential and versatility. Here’s to spending the rest of this year capitalising on that attention.
But now that the dust has settled, it's worth reflecting on what made this year's show memorable.
Side by Side
As anybody who has planned for IBC knows, the design that goes into a booth is no small thing. We really wanted the visual layout of our booth to tell its own story: arkona and manifold displayed side by side, with no barriers between us, no walls, no artificial separation - just open space and shared resources (Erling's coffee machine, procured specially for the show, being the most important of them!).
And between the two, our EASY-IP demonstration linked the products together in a tangible way, showing visitors exactly how the two companies operate as one ecosystem rather than two separate vendors.
In it together
That theme of collaboration carried through to the certificate we were given to display, recognising manifold’s role as technical partners of the MXL initiative - winner of this year's IBC Content Creation Innovation Award. It’s a project we believe in very strongly, and we’re pleased and proud not just because of the recognition we’ve gained as a company, but what it means for our individual engineers. Their involvement was requested because it was recognised that the team represents some of the best minds in broadcast, and each of them gave their time and expertise to the project in a way that goes far above and beyond the requirements of their job role. It speaks to a team that isn’t merely competent at what they do, but genuinely driven by it.
The Real Value of IBC
As always, the greatest pleasure of IBC is the ability to make real, physical contact with people. Freed from an agenda or expectations about what should be discussed, conversations take more meaningful directions. Free-flowing dialogue produces unexpected ideas. And talk that isn't specifically business or product-focused cements the intangible - trust, familiarity, connection, shared values, things that actually matter just as much for business as the bits and the bytes.
We were especially grateful to Ryhaan for making the journey across the Atlantic to join us, even though she doesn't officially begin her role as CCO for North America until 1st October. Not only did she get a better sense of us - all our quirks and idiosyncrasies - but we got a better sense of her. And it turns out her passion for growing peppers in her back garden (while dodging the Floridian turtles and alligators that also like to hang out there) is just as important as her passion for growing manifold's market in North America.
On show, everywhere
Of course, when you’re exhibiting at IBC, your own little patch can feel like the centre of the universe. But when one finds themselves with fifteen minutes to stretch their legs, there are fourteen halls out there to explore. That’s an important additional measure of how your product is doing - not just how many people come to you to talk about it, but how many references you find to it ‘out in the wild’.
That’s why it was a particular pleasure to see our products as part of NEP’s slick new EU-01 OB van. As they say themselves in their video overview, it is a remarkable combination of innovation channelled through simplified, easy-to-use and intuitive workflows - all designed to let production teams do more whilst feeling like they are working less.
Overall, IBC was confirmation that both arkona and manifold technologies are getting the attention we deserve in the market, as leaders in FPGA-driven workflows that maximise power, potential and versatility. Here’s to spending the rest of this year capitalising on that attention.