John Murphy - Design Director BBC Sport

Steve Ackein - Project Manager at Faber

As a graduated electromechanical engineer, Steve Ackein started his professional career in product development for an air conditioning manufacturer. Making a significant career shift, he joined XLVideo and became part of Kristof Soreyn’s team. Leveraging his engineering background, focusing on developing solutions for touring LED, he also developed his skills as a project manager, gaining valuable experience on numerous international productions for touring, live events, TV, and corporate projects. Joining Faber Audiovisuals as a project manager, he has played a vital role in helping the company grow into the internationally respected rental company it is today.

Chris Izatt - Director of Innovation & Virtual at AE Live

Chris Izatt, Director of Innovation and Virtual, has been with AE Live for almost 12 years and has held a variety of creative and technical roles during that time. His career in real-time graphics spans over 24 years, starting out as a computer games artist. During his time at AE Live he has utilised his extensive experience in both art and programming to provide unique and innovative solutions to ensure AE Live continues to be at the forefront of technical and creative accomplishments within the broadcast graphics industry.

Olaf Sperwer - Business Development Virtual Production at ROE Visual

Olaf Sperwer serves as Business Development for Virtual Production and Broadcast at ROE Visual. He studied media economics and media psychology in Bonn, Germany, and began his career at RTL/CLT Media Group. He later held a leading management role at RTL/CLT Media Holding, where he oversaw the creation of Europe's largest film and TV studio, MMC Studios in Cologne. With a keen interest in new technologies, Sperwer implemented RTL's first virtual studio for news broadcasts RTL NEWS. He has extensive experience as a senior consultant and supervisor on high-end film and TV productions across the USA and EMEA, focusing on supporting film and broadcast teams with premium real-time immersive technology solutions.

Fadi Radi - Chief Creative Officer at Blinx

Fadi Radi is Chief Creative Officer at Blinx. Blinx is the First Digital Native Storytelling Hub in MENA, utilizing Vizrt’s XR workflow, delivering engaging content to Gen Z and Millennials. This approach offers a blend of entertainment and insightful inspiration that transcends traditional storytelling, pushing the boundaries of innovation, news, sports and infotainment.

Lewis Smithingham - EVP of Strategic Industries at Monks

Lewis Smithingham is the EVP of Strategic Industries (Media, Entertainment, Gaming & Sports) at Monks. A problem-solver who identifies innovative digital opportunities, Smithingham helps usher brands and partners into the future with creative and technical expertise at the forefront of digital transformation and virtualization. Smithingham is a Lumière award winner, a Guinness World Record holder, has been profiled in The New York Times and Campaign, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Business Insider, Sports Video Group, Ad Age, and Fast Company among many others. Smithingham sits on the World Economic Forum working group on AI Governance & Value Creation in the Metaverse.

Alessandro Reitano - SVP Continental Production Operations at SKY Sports

Alessandro Reitano joined Sky Deutschland in 2008 and took overall responsibility for sports production in 2015 and Continental Production Operations in 2021. From the introduction of the first 3D broadcast to the successful first E2E 5G multicamera operations in Europe, he is one of the main driving forces behind the development of new workflows and innovations in the field of sports production. He led the construction of the new Sky Sport HQ broadcasting center in Unterföhring near Munich, setting new standards in studio technology effective production processes. In addition to his role at SKY he also acts as Chairman of the SVG Europe Advisory Board.

John Murphy - Design Director BBC Sport

Steve Giralt, Director at The Garage

Steve Giralt is a Director, DP, Photographer, and the creative force behind the innovation focused production company The Garage. He is driven by a perpetual quest for knowledge fuelled by an unquenchable thirst for visual innovation and creative exploration. Steve's visionary approach to image-making is a symphony of leveraging cutting-edge tools and boundless imagination. From motion control robotics and virtual production to Phantom slow-motion cameras, his repertoire is as diverse as it is revolutionary. At the heart of his work lies a commitment to storytelling, weaving narratives that resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.

Lewis Smithingham - EVP of Strategic Industries at Monks

Lewis Smithingham is the EVP of Strategic Industries (Media, Entertainment, Gaming & Sports) at Monks. A problem-solver who identifies innovative digital opportunities, Smithingham helps usher brands and partners into the future with creative and technical expertise at the forefront of digital transformation and virtualization. Smithingham is a Lumière award winner, a Guinness World Record holder, has been profiled in The New York Times and Campaign, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Business Insider, Sports Video Group, Ad Age, and Fast Company among many others. Smithingham sits on the World Economic Forum working group on AI Governance & Value Creation in the Metaverse.

Chris Bird - Head of Business at Cuebric

Andre Rittner - Business Development Manager Solutions EMEAI ​at ARRI

With his knowledge of planning studies, film and advertising production, and software development, André supports customers exploring the field of virtual production for film and commercial content development. In his previous role as Head of Creative Media Solutions at ARRI Media, his team received the Audience Award for Best Show for their implementation at the Paris Motor Show in 2018.

Alex Mohamed - Founder at I-Want-IT

With long expertise in the Media and Entertainment sector (Post-Production and localization businesses) overseeing management positions and roles in different departments as Audio, Color Grading, VFX or as Director of Technology, Alex helps companies and entities to develop their strategic and growth plans and provide guidance to achieve their goals.

Lauren Paul - Director of Business Development at Lux Machina

Arthur Paprocki - CEO at Veles Production

Artur Paprocki is the CEO of Veles Production, a company that collaborates closely with ZPR Media to develop advanced augmented reality infrastructure and virtual production installations. The company uses real-time engines like Unreal and Vizrt to execute projects related to the metaverse for the film and entertainment industry. Paprocki has nearly two decades of experience in video production, including; Telewizja Polska, where he served as a lead artist, TVN in the TVN24 self-promotion department, and as producer at Platige Image, co-founding the Platige Broadcast department, specializing in extended reality (XR) graphics. Artur worked with several international broadcasters, like Sky Italy, Canal+ France, HRT Croatia, and Grupo Imagen.

David Jorba - VP Broadcast BusDev at Disguise

David Jorba has held various executive roles in the broadcast graphics and content production software industry. He started his career as a Creative Director at CNN+, before moving on to Vizrt where he became SVP and later President of their Americas division, then joined TVU Networks as EVP & GM for Europe. David was also a partner at Polygon Labs where he held the Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer role before the company joined Disguise in 2022. Today, David drives commercial and business development efforts for the Disguise Broadcast division.

Chris Black - Global Head of Brand and Communications at Vizrt

Chris Black is a media professional with over 25 years of experience. As Global Head of Brand and Communications at Vizrt he shapes innovative marketing and storytelling strategies. His deep industry knowledge and creative approach make him a key influencer in the media tech space.