Shaping the Future? Reflections on IBC 2025 from Amsterdam

Every September the broadcast world gathers in Amsterdam for the International Broadcast Convention (IBC). It bills itself, quite grandly, as the place where the future of media and technology is shaped. This year Alex – the Mahne Creative Media Cameraman – and I spent three packed days in the cavernous show halls plus a well-earned snooze on the Eurostar. Our view of this year’s convention: steady hands, shifting players and fewer fireworks than expected.

The first surprise was how few major announcements there were from the industry’s big players. In years gone by, IBC was where new flagships were launched and futures were mapped. This year, it felt more like incremental updates than headline-grabbing breakthroughs. Camera design in particular seems to have plateaued. Over the last twelve months, very little has changed in the look, feel, or performance of the workhorses that dominate sets worldwide. Reliable, yes. Exciting, less so. Sony, for example, had a room all to themselves, but were the first to admit they had no new products to display.

Murmurings amongst  the delegates were rumours around the future of Arri. Once the untouchable titan of high-end cinematography, Arri now finds itself the subject of persistent chatter about declining influence and whispers of a possible sale. Whether fact or fiction, the speculation alone says something about the shifting balance of power in our sector.

That balance of power is increasingly tilting east. The Chinese “challenger brands” that, just a few years ago, were dismissed as imitators are now some of the largest and most innovative exhibitors at IBC. Their stands were packed, their product ranges deep, and their confidence palpable. Aputure , Nanlux, Hollyland . Where in previous years you might find them crowded around the edge in cramped stalls, Now they own the place, taking top tier locations that were once the exclusive domain of household names.

In many ways, the most interesting innovations weren’t coming from the traditional European or US manufacturers but from this new wave of Chinese companies. Their kit is more polished, more reliable, and increasingly pushing the envelope. You could feel the energy. If IBC is a weather vane, then the winds of change are blowing firmly from the east. Pixboom and their high speed “Phantom Killer” showing just how far you can stretch the budget for a broadcast quality slo-mo camera. Proton had just amazing quality micro cameras. The best I’ve seen in such a small form factor.

Given how “AI everything” dominates consumer headlines, it was striking how little of it was on display among the professional broadcast equipment manufacturers. Very few banners shouted about AI and among the halls there was a sense that – at least in this corner of the industry – the hype cycle has cooled. I think I can see the reason for this. Camera and Sound technicians pride themselves on their skill and expertise. It’s not a selling point to have the computer make all their creative and artistic decisions for them. I think the only time I saw AI mentioned was in the networks and transmission hall and that was more about resilience and redundancy than asking AI to do your work for you.

That’s not to say AI is irrelevant (we’re using it ourselves in subtitling, transcription, and content clipping back at Mahne Creative Media ). But for professional-grade hardware and production equipment, this year’s IBC was far more about engineering than algorithms. A reminder perhaps that at the sharp end of production, human judgment, reliability, and physical kit still matter most.

Alex and I made it our mission to walk past every stand and to spend quality time at the ones that caught our eye. After a 5am start at St Pancras on Friday and a power-nap on the train, we hit the halls that afternoon. By the end of Sunday we’d ticked everything off the list.

A few standouts worth calling out:

• Blackmagic Design – Their stand was buzzing, with every piece of kit available for hands-on experimentation. I was keen for hands on time with their newly announced iPhone 17 breakout box — a small but powerful reminder that professional-grade tools are edging ever closer to consumer hardware.
• Cinetech – Their archiving tape cleaning setup was ingenious and delightfully analogue. Just the friendliest bunch of inventors on the floor, happy to talk you through every CNC’d bobbin and bolt. Simply the best at what they do.
• Angenieux – Their new oval Iris is a feat of engineering to be seen to be believed. Gives anamorphic lens effects in a standard lens.
• Deity Microphones – Their digital timecode slate was a simple but game-changing piece of kit that I wanted to see and hold. It’s a couple of years old now, but I left thinking “I must get one of those”.

Other big trends? Literal answer to this one – Cranes and jibs. The scale this year was outrageous — the biggest topping out at 70 feet long, towering over the halls like mechanical dinosaurs.

And of course, in the great tradition of trade show surprises, the best non-tech addition? A pop-up Febo food vending station. Nothing says “Amsterdam” quite like grabbing a kroket from a glowing wall of hot snacks between halls.

IBC’s theme this year was “Shaping the Future”. Yet walking the halls, I was struck by how much of the future is being shaped not by the familiar names but by the brands that, not long ago, were fighting for credibility.

It was also a reminder that innovation isn’t always where the marketing budget points. The banners shouting about disruption weren’t necessarily where the disruption was happening. Instead, it was in the corners — clever engineering fixes, smart workflow improvements, small-scale tools designed by people who actually use them.

And maybe that’s the point. The future of our industry rarely arrives as one big bang announcement. It comes quietly, through incremental improvements and the slow but steady shifting of who sets the pace.

What were my main takeaways from IBC 2025?

• Don’t expect revolutions from the majors. This year felt like consolidation, not transformation.
• Watch the Chinese brands. They are no longer outsiders; they’re leading innovation and rapidly scaling global influence.
• AI has its place — but not everywhere. In professional-grade production kit, reliability and engineering still trump hype.
• The best finds are often the smallest. A new timecode slate, a friendly chat at an archiving stand, or even a Dutch croquette from a vending wall.

For Mahne Creative Media, trips like this are part of staying sharp — seeing what’s next, but also grounding ourselves in the reality of what works today. Because in our world, whether it’s broadcast kit or corporate video storytelling , it’s not just about the shiny new thing. It’s about the tools and techniques that help us tell stories with authenticity, clarity, and impact.

And after three days at IBC, one conclusion is clear: the future may not be arriving all at once, but it’s definitely on the move. Sometimes on 70-foot cranes. Sometimes via Chinese chellengers. And occasionally, if you’re lucky, straight out of a Febo vending machine.

We paid for this trip to IBC ourselves. This is my personal view of the convention and we were not sponsored or influenced to take any particular perspective.

Christian Mahne is the founder of Mahne Creative Media, a video production company specialising in the financial services sector. With a background in journalism, a deep understanding of regulated environments and a passion for intelligent storytelling, Christian has worked with banks, fintechs, wealth managers and insurers to deliver creative content that builds trust and drives results.