Building communities with the Institute of Professional Sound

The Institute of Professional Sound (IPS) is turning up the volume on its Pro-Audio Show 2023 at Greenford Hall in west London on Saturday Oct. 14.

With debuts in the United Kingdom of a number of technology products, live Q&A sessions and over 30 international exhibitors representing more than 70 brands, the free one-day event is the only one in the UK totally dedicated to sound professionals.

But according to show coordinator Ian Sands, the IPS-organized event has a secondary focus.

“Depending on working genre, the nature of sound work can be quite solitary from a craft point-of-view, and the IPS Pro-Audio Show is about redressing that balance,” he says. “While the show serves the entire sound community across TV, radio, film, production, post, live events, games, music recording and education, it is not just an industry sound show; it is also about building communities and bringing people together.

“With the majority of sound people working in freelance roles, shows like the IPS Pro-Audio show are vital because they provide opportunities for freelancers to gather and to build networks. It is as much about inclusivity and community as it is about the equipment.”

A series of free live presentations includes BAFTA nominated Dubbing Mixer and Head of Sound at Directors Cut Films, Kate Davies, who will lead a session on post production. Production Sound Mixer Stuart Piggot will talk about overcoming challenges on Apple TV+’s Hijack, while BBC R&D’s Chris Baume will unveil some of the BBC’s recent sound innovations and provide a glimpse into the future.

Sands adds: “A big part of why people attend is the opportunity to talk about product, technique, and user-experience in a friendly and relaxed environment, as well as being able to extend their network of end users and technology providers.”

The IPS Pro-Audio Show 23 is at Greenford Hall in west London, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 14. Register for free here.