Here we go again! The final countdown for IBC 2026 has started. Show prep should be well under way, stand designs finalised, side events organised and invitations sent, meetings booked in with journalists and customers, press releases (almost!) good to go, spokespeople aligned and ready… the list goes on.
As far as trade shows go, IBC is an absolute powerhouse. The show is massive – over 43,000 visitors are expected this year with more than 1,300 exhibitors. With that many industry professionals all under one roof, the opportunity to generate new business is immense. But you can’t just turn up and hope for the best.
Preparation is everything
To get good results at the show, preparation is key, and while you may get a sense of how well its going during the 4 days on the show floor, its often not until after the show when following up leads that ROI becomes clear. Following up on all the interesting conversations you had – whether informal chats or meetings with prospective customers - after the event, is often the lever that turns that new contact into an actual customer.
As a PR and marketing agency working in the M&E space, IBC is probably the biggest event of the year in our calendar. We have of course been working closely with clients over the last few months to ensure they maximise their return from the show. The work that goes into IBC preparation is all part of the wider effort to raise our clients’ visibility, build a positive reputation, position them as an industry authority and earn trust across the industry.
This is important on several levels. If your company gets a lot of media coverage, regularly contributes articles and commentary to respected industry magazines, speaks at industry events and takes part in podcasts, this goes a long way to raising your visibility. And of course, it goes without saying that potential customers are also much more likely to want to do business with you if you have a great reputation and you’re seen as an expert in your field.
Building visibility beyond IBC
Of course, building a great reputation doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly doesn’t start and end with four days at IBC. While the show is a great opportunity to raise your profile, it’s what you do before, during and after the event, as well as across the rest of the year that builds lasting visibility and authority.
This is where PR is becoming even more important. Not least because the way potential customers discover companies and products is changing rapidly because of (you guessed it) AI. The search funnel used to be largely linear with customers following a similar path. They would search in Google, then click though to the higher-ranking websites, then perhaps request information or a quote, sign up to a newsletter or make a purchase.
That process has now fundamentally changed: customers are now more likely to use AI to find information and answer questions. For example, they might ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity for recommendations or search Google and get their answer through its AI overview rather than clicking through a list of websites.
This matters because being visible online is no longer just about ranking highly in search results. AI will only suggest your brand or product in its responses if it sees your company as credible and a trusted authority. Having a great website and strong SEO is not enough to get your company mentioned by AI. Instead, companies need to build a strong presence online and become a trusted authority.
This is where traditional PR activities are invaluable. Thought leadership articles and expert commentary in respected industry publications, speaking at industry events and publishing credible case studies all help to build trust and authority. These activities have always been important for reputation and visibility, but as the SEO and search landscape changes, they’re becoming even more important.
This need to optimise your online presence to ensure that AI understands and trusts your brand so that it recommends it in its responses is all very new and really is something we’re still getting to grips with. But one thing is clear: building authority and a strong reputation across the industry is more important than ever, whether the audience finding you is a person, a search engine or an AI assistant.
IBC undoubtedly provides a great opportunity to build brand and reputation. It brings the industry together in one place and creates opportunities to meet people, explore partnerships, demonstrate expertise and, importantly, build the relationships and reputation that extend well beyond the show itself.
See you at the show
This year’s show will be my 20th IBC show and I’m as excited as ever to walk the show floor and get a feel for the current trends and challenges that the industry is facing. I can’t wait to see all of the hard work our clients have put into preparing for IBC pay off. I’ll also be paying close attention to the awards, particularly because a number of our clients have submitted for IBC innovation, CSI, Best of Show, IAMT, and RISE (which will announce the shortlist during the event). As always, the Radical Moves team will be splitting our time between supporting clients, meeting media, listening to some of the Connected World sessions, and attending as many of the events and awards as we can. This includes the Pride Happy Hour event now in its third year.
If you would like to meet up with someone from the Radical Moves to discuss what we do or how we can help make your company more visible and boost your authority, get in touch.
