Dan Cherowbrier - Jury Chair
Dan has a broad range of experience in broadcast engineering management, specifically with analytics, security & sports broadcasting. He is a director of security specialists Sea Eagle Group and analytics service provider TVA Group. He currently advises Formula E, E1 Electric Racing & Narrative Entertainment on the technical services.
Previously he has acted as interim Head of Engineering for Encompass leading engineering for their UK merger with Babcock Media Services, General Manager at the DPP, Engineering & Operations Director at Comux & Head of Commercial at Arqiva.
Angus Blackwood
As a leader, Angus has spent much of his career helping teams perform at their best. He has led engineering and operations teams at Director level positions for over 20 years. As Customer Services Director at Arqiva, Angus ran all the teams providing services to UK broadcasters and many of the world’s international broadcasters for 15 years.
Angus is currently Managing Director at HawkCX, a consulting company which enables its clients to deliver service excellence. Why service excellence? Because organisations that deliver a fantastic customer experience will ultimately win! He works with leading broadcasters and service providers and also travels extensively as an auditor for the World Teleport Association.
Angus is a Chartered Engineer with a degree in Engineering from Aberdeen University and an MBA from Warwick Business School. His earlier career was spent in engineering positions at ESA, Airbus, Telespazio and WorldSpace.
Avi Shapira
He is the Owner and CEO of Shapira-Waxman, which was established by Avi Shapira and his partner Mr. Yossi Waxman, 20 years ago. Avi Shapira Bachelor’s of Design (BDES) and graduates of the prestigious Bezalel Art and Design Academy.
Shapira-Waxman: Employing a talented team that combines creativity with innovation, passion for design, and out - of - the box and economical thinking, the Company is presently one of world's leading design and production suppliers of stands and pavilions for international exhibitions, gaining an excellent reputation. Over the years, Shapira-Waxman won several international design prizes.
Avi Shapira has worked at IBC shows for more than 15 years as a booth designer and for the last three years as one of the team choosing the best design booth for the IBC Stand Design Awards.
Avi believes That companies need to figure out a way to make their booth catch the client’s eyes. It can be a unique lighting, special sound, impressive visuals, or a full-on custom booth structure with unusual shapes, “We have to realize that it’s easy to get lost in the sea of booths. Our ultimate goal as booth designers is to make eye-catching, interactive, and unique designs, taking in consideration the functionality of the booth.”
Ben Shwarz
As an active consultant, analyst and blogger, Ben is recognised as an international thought leader in the converging media space. After ten years in IT at Logica CMG, he became CTO of a music start-up during the Internet bubble. Ben spent the next ten years in telecoms, with Orange, aligning strategy to a world with the Internet. He ran innovation programs launching several media-based services including the operator’s first music streaming service and IPTV in Europe and Africa.
Since 2008 Ben has run his own company, CTO Innovation Consulting, now helping international clients with strategy and business modeling technology.
In 2012, Ben added communications and PR to his portfolio, honing the messaging for several vendors. In this capacity, he has driven the design booths at several international shows including NAB and IBC. He has published over a dozen industry white papers and contributes to several blogs.
Ben joined the Ultra HD Forum in 2015 where he works on next-generation TV and entertainment and now chairs the communications workgroup. In 2018 Ben started running Communications for a blockchain start-up, RIDDLE&CODE. He lives in Paris, and his social media name is @nebul2.
Drew Englebright
Drew is a strategic Business Leader with over 20 years of experience in Media, Marketing, Advertising, Broadcasting, Events and Entertainment. He has held CFO and Finance Director roles within the UK for IBC, GroupM and MEC respectively.
His KPMG background underpins business knowledge within Broadcasting with work on BBC, Modern Times Group and Seven Network Australia. Thereafter his industry experience covers, but is not limited to: Media Planning and Buying, Digital and Social Media Marketing, Analytics & Insight, IT Platforms & Proprietary Tool Development, Creative, Events, Sponsorship, Branded Content and TV production.
Karen Pearman
Many hats, one voice. Whether Karen is designing and building amazing spaces, interviewing clients on podcasts, being a VOG, or envisioning the next generation of events around the world she does it for one reason. Karen loves people and loves creating truly memorable experiences for clients and event visitors.
Leo Verdonck
Leo Verdonck is an experienced Brand builder with a demonstrated history in Concept Development, Design, Brand and Marketing Strategy, Social Media and Social commerce.
Leo creates strong valued brands. Leo “Thinks for” brands that don’t exist yet, to brands that are around for more than 100 years. Ranging from Local to Global from Airline, Yacht building, Automotive, Broadcast, Hospitality to Fashion.
Partner to C-level executives and Boards of Directors on Brand and Marketing Strategy of Luxury and Challenger brands Leo has been a member of the IBC Stand Design Awards jury since 2010.
Rob Minderman
Rob is educated as an interior architect and masters in painting, sculpting and drawing. He is specialized in 3D (exhibition) design and conceptual design and he has special interest and skills in graphic design.
Rob has been active in the exhibit industry for more than 20 years. In that time Rob designed exhibition stands for many different clients such as TEVA Pharmachemie, DSM and Philips, who made presentations all over the world, from Amsterdam to HongKong.
For over 10 years Rob has been creative director at kubik Amsterdam and his specialty is concept development and design for events, exhibitions, interiors and environments.
Rob is also a member of the IBC exhibition award jury for several years now.
Matthew Williams-Neale
Matthew is Vice President, Marketing at Appear, with responsibility for marketing programmes, brand management and corporate communications. Matt has been exhibiting at IBC for many years, with 20 years’ experience working within the broadcast, media technology and telecommunications industries. Prior to Appear, Matt held various B2B marketing positions at Arqiva, ITV, Red Bee Media and the BBC.
Russell Trafford-Jones
Russell Trafford-Jones is a writer and technology evangelist with a background in contribution, compression and live sports production. As vice-chair of the IET Media Technical Network, Russell works to promote education and diversity within the broadcast industry. His website, The Broadcast Knowledge, educates by bringing together all the industry’s explanatory videos in to once place.
Russell has worked for a number of years at Techex, cloud and video over IP specialists in the UK, and leads their collaboration with industry bodies to create and test new technologies.
Polly Hickling
Working in academia since 2009, Polly has spent the majority of her career delivering Media Technology graduates to the industry whilst working as the course leader for Solent Universities Media Technology programme. Since Sept 2022 she has been working as the Learning and Development Lead for Media at Eviden. During the last few years her focus on resolving issues surrounding the educational pipeline and diversity and inclusivity has seen her sit on boards for several organisations as a SMPTE Education Director, a SMPTE UK Manager, a IET Media Network Committee member and the Head of Education for Women in Streaming Media.
Laura Christmas
Laura is a Programme & Project Management professional specialising in the broadcast industry. Currently working with FIA Formula E she is delivering innovate projects within the world of motorsport.
With 14+ years of experience managing programmes and projects within Broadcasting and the Creative Industries Laura has a unique set of skills that helps bridge the gap between technical and creative teams.