May 25, 2021

HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2021: Call for Speakers

Geneva, May 25, 2021 – The 9^th HbbTV Symposium and Awards, taking place on November 25-26, 2021 in Paris, France, will offer a unique platform to reach top-level players from the broadcast and broadband industry. The HbbTV Association, which co-hosts the event with French TV platform SALTO, is inviting leading industry executives and experts to speak at the annual key summit of the connected TV world.

“The HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2021 provides a great opportunity for speakers to reach and influence a large number of high-profile executives, addressing and discussing the latest developments and trends in the global broadcast and broadband industry. We would like to invite passionate and prominent industry executives and experts to submit their proposals for presentations focusing on current topics, first-hand experiences, upscaling of their HbbTV services in the day-to-day business as well as future developments,” said Vincent Grivet, Chair of the HbbTV Association.

The HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2021 is open for speakers on the following issues, particularly when supported by experiences gained from providing live services. The submission of additional topics will also be considered.

• Reviews of new and existing HbbTV deployments in different markets and countries
• Using hybrid broadcast and broadband to improve television for viewers from the perspectives of:
  • Consumers and/or consumer organisations
  • TV and other device manufacturers (e.g. supporting multiscreen services, companion/second screen)
  • Operators and Service Providers
  • Broadcasters (both public service and commercial)
  • National government and/or EU administration and regulation
• Advertising and other means of monetising the hybrid broadcast and broadband approach to television (e.g. addressable TV ads)
  • Targeted Advertising (TA): Broadcast ad substitution
    • Client side and server side substitution
    • Watermarking-based substitution
  • Targeted Advertising: implementations, use case examples, experiences, future developments, challenges
  • Benefits of standards-based TA (opposed to proprietary solutions)
• HbbTV Operator Application (HbbTV OpApp)
  • Explanation, implementations, best practices, specification updates,
• Experiences in promoting and marketing HbbTV
  • From a technology perspective
  • From a Business Development perspective
• GDPR & ePrivacy – experiences in an HbbTV-enabled world
  • Audience measurements, viewer behaviour and other in GDPR compliancy
• Content Media Security, rights management and content protection in hybrid TV services.
• HbbTV best practices:
  • OTT, on demand/catch-up streaming services
  • Companion screen applications
  • Voice-Control with HbbTV
  • 360° VR – increase viewer engagement
  • Experiences with Operator Application
  • Content discovery services
  • Accessibility (Spoken subtitles, Audio descriptions, Sign language)
• Delivering advanced viewing experiences including:
  • Ultra-High Definition
  • High-Dynamic Range
  • Next Generation Audio
  • Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality/AI
• Cutting edge innovations and technology in the deployment of HbbTV-enabled services and devices
• Tools and techniques for developing and testing HbbTV applications and services
• HbbTV and other standards – DVB, ATSC 3.0, etc. – What can we learn from one another and how can we work together effectively? A few examples can be:
  • 3GPP 5G Technology/5G Broadcast
  • DVB-I: role/involvement of HbbTV, new specifications
  • IP-Broadcasting
  • ATSC 3.0 watermarking
• Update from US market, e.g. inspiration for European market: ATSC 3 datacast applications, new applications, trends (local news, education)
• Inside HbbTV: how the organisation works, Working Groups, Task Forces, participation, involvement, benefits of membership
• HbbTV Conformance Regimes: why it is needed, country best practices, implementation, stakeholder education
• Key TV and OTT market trends and future directions
• Lessons learned by service providers in deploying HbbTV services and doing business with HbbTV. What could be improved?

If you would like to speak at the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2021, you are welcome to send us an outline of your proposed presentation through this online form by July 15, 2021. Please provide the title, an abstract (max. 200 words), a speaker’s biography (max. 150 words) and a speaker’s photo.

The HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2021 targets platform operators, broadcasters, advertisers and adtechs, standards organisations and technology companies, offering first-hand insights into the latest and most innovative services available to viewers, operators and advertisers. The event will also host the 4^th edition of the HbbTV Awards, featuring a wide range of categories designed to acclaim best practice and excellence in the HbbTV community.

To be prepared for all possible scenarios, the HbbTV Association is working on a hybrid event which includes an in-person gathering, the size depending on the situation and local regulation, and the possibility to participate online.