IBC2021 (International Broadcasting Convention), which was due to take place Dec. 3-6 at The Rai in Amsterdam, has announced it’s cancelling its in-person event. IBC said the move follows growing concerns about the COVID-19 situation in The Netherlands, which has deteriorated over the past week, and feedback from the IBC exhibitor and visitor community. IBC2021 will now focus on bringing the content and technology community together via IBC Digital. Prior to Wednesday’s announcement, several companies including Broadpeak and EditShare, had announced they had made the decision to withdraw in-person participation following the Dutch government’s move to impose a partial lockdown.

NAB Show has announced a new showcase that will explore the transformative impact of data, artificial intelligence and automation on the media and entertainment industry at the 2022 convention, April 23-27. The “Intelligent Content” showcase will direct attendees through data utilization in the content lifecycle, providing opportunities for inspiration, innovation and implementation. AWS, MediaKind and Microsoft will anchor the showcase, located in the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It will highlight new engagement opportunities presented by always-on platforms and emerging networks, and the role data will play as the industry opens new monetization models. Intelligent Content is the fourth content pillar created for NAB Show, joining the previously-announced “Create,” “Connect” and “Capitalize.” 

​​SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) will honour industry luminaries and leaders at the virtual SMPTE Awards Gala, taking place across two ceremonies on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Among those being recognized are Girish Balakrishnan, Director, Virtual Production, Netflix, who will be awarded the Progress Medal in recognition of his long-term commitment and unwavering pursuit of the democratization of virtual production methodologies. Christopher J. Cookson, Retired, Warner Bros., will have Honorary Membership conferred upon him in recognition of his pioneering efforts to advance technology in the production and distribution of television and motion pictures, including HD and ultra high-definition video and the standardization of digital video discs (DVDs), digital cinema, and digital mezzanine files. Wendy Aylsworth, CEO, Walden Pond, will be awarded the Progress Medal in recognition of her long career, during which she helped shape how media content is distributed to homes and movie theatres. Filmmaker Peter Jackson will be awarded Honorary Membership in recognition of technical contributions to the advancement of engineering in motion pictures and the allied arts and sciences. Jackson led his technology company, WETA Digital, in the development of groundbreaking digital effects for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, including a software system to generate intelligent crowds for battle scenes and advanced motion-capture techniques. Read more here.