SMPTE Reveals VIBE Conference And ST 2110 Roadshow

SMPTE® has announced its education line-up for the 2026 NAB Show, unveiling the Visual Innovation and Brilliant Engineering (VIBE) Conference as the successor to the Future of Cinema Conference (FOCC).

The Society will also debut the SMPTE ST 2110 IP Media Roadshow, a hands-on, full-day training programme designed to support the transition from SDI to IP-based production. Attendees can visit SMPTE at Booth #NL3.

"SMPTE remains the bridge between visionary storytelling and the engineering that makes it possible," said SMPTE Director of Education, Programming, Laquie TN Campbell. "By introducing VIBE, we are showcasing a massive spectrum of innovation. We are exploring everything from robotic cameras operating from Earth to space, to the frontier of agentic AI, to the intricate engineering redefining the audience experience. It’s the kind of cross-disciplinary exploration that ensures the media technology story evolves as boldly as the stories it helps tell."

On Saturday, 18 April (10 a.m. PDT – 5 p.m. PDT) in room N259, SMPTE VIBE will examine how story-led productions shape technology across end-to-end workflows, from robotic systems delivering otherwise impossible camera moves, to challenges around content authenticity and provenance, and new pipelines that address shifting creative requirements. The day opens with a 9:50 a.m. – 10 a.m. welcome from SMPTE leadership, followed by a 10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. keynote with Carolyn Giardina. Sessions include Imaging at Unprecedented Scale for Sphere (10:40 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.); Robotic Cameras from Earth to Space (11:20 a.m. – 12 p.m.); The Engineering Case for Content Authenticity (12 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.); Open Source is Ready for Prime Time (2 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.); Ograf – Making Broadcast Graphics Open and Interoperable (2:55 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.); From Build to Broadcast to Fan Experience in Live Sports Systems (3:10 p.m. – 4:05 p.m.); and The Global Translation Layer for OTT Accessibility and Scale (4:05 p.m. – 5 p.m.).

On Tuesday, 21 April (10 a.m. PDT – 5 p.m. PDT) in room N252, the SMPTE ST 2110 IP Media Roadshow offers a practical bootcamp covering: ST 2110 Foundations and Systems Architecture; Precision Time Protocol (ST 2059) for Live Production; Audio over IP in ST 2110 Environments; Network Fabric Design for Media; Deployment and Operational Failure Points; and a Team Practicum focused on a sample RFP and system design. Also on Tuesday, from 3:30 p.m. PDT – 4:30 p.m. in N261, SMPTE will present Securing and Scaling Agentic AI: Safe Conversational Control for Media Workflows.

"The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has been coordinating innovation and partnering with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) for over 100 years," said SMPTE Governor and 2026 NAB Conference Program Co-Chair, Marc Zorn. "SMPTE will host Visual Innovation and Brilliant Engineering (VIBE) during NAB with compelling industry visionaries on Saturday, April 18th in the LVCC North Hall meeting rooms. Please join us at this year's conference to explore new challenges ranging from technologies in exhibition spaces, content authenticity, management of streaming, AI, and even robotics."

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