The broadcast and media production industry is at a turning point: production processes are becoming more networked, content more cross-platform and technologies more intelligent. At the same time, companies are expanding their in-house moving image production for use in corporate TV and social media and professionalising themselves and their equipment. At the start of the year, HAMBURG OPEN 2026 highlighted the speed with which the industry and users of modern media technologies have already realigned themselves – in a practical, collaborative manner and clearly oriented towards the requirements of real workflows.
With around 200 exhibitors and 2,700 trade visitors, HAMBURG OPEN became the central meeting place for professionals from broadcast, streaming, content creation and professional media production. As the most important platform in the DACH region, the event confirmed its role as the first point of reference of the year for an industry that operates between the need for innovation, new business models and increasing efficiency requirements. “HAMBURG OPEN is particularly relevant where concrete solutions are needed,” says Daniel Schmitt, VP Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress. ‘It brings together players who not only talk about trends, but also make them usable in concrete terms.’
The stage programme on three stages – Vision Stage presented by Microsoft, OPEN Stage and Media Tec Stage – provided strong impetus. ‘The response to the content was exceptionally positive – many visitors told us that they got exactly the information they needed for their 2026 projects,’ said Schmitt.
From AI to the cloud: technologies are becoming a strategic factor
Artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructures, hybrid production models and cyber security were the main topics at HAMBURG OPEN 2026. In panels, lectures and masterclasses, experts discussed how production chains can be reorganised – and what role technological sovereignty will play in the future. One thing became particularly clear: AI is no longer a topic for the future, but an integral part of modern media production – from automation and distribution to new revenue models. The increasing convergence of the AV, IT and broadcast worlds shows that professional media production today is conceived in flexible ecosystems – with workflows ranging from recording to post-production and storage to playback. “The industry is facing opportunities in transformation – and HAMBURG OPEN provides space for these topics and delivers concrete approaches,” says Maximilian Below, Managing Director of Studio Hamburg MCI. “The strong participation in the sessions and the many discussions afterwards show how great the need for exchange and actionable answers is.”
New formats address important areas of development in the industry
With the guided tours for corporate video offered for the first time and the premiere of the LIVE LAB by creators and streamers BudiBros, the trade fair placed additional emphasis on growth areas – and thus clearly met the needs of the market: both formats were in high demand among participants. The guided tours led by Studio Hamburg MCI offered structured insights into specific application scenarios and highlighted the demands that corporate video places on technology, workflows and teams today. The LIVE LAB, on the other hand, created a space for direct exchange between content creators, technology manufacturers and a specialist audience – practical, interactive and close to the community. Twitch live streams extended content and discussions directly from the trade fair to the digital community, achieving additional reach.
Exchange that moves things forward
In addition to more than 60 sessions and the new formats, personal exchange once again proved to be a significant added value of the event. The high presence of leading market players, the intensive networking in the exhibition and the get-together underlined the importance of the industry event as a fixture in the annual calendar: “HAMBURG OPEN thrives on the personal exchange of a wide variety of perspectives – and that is precisely why we are deliberately opening up the event beyond the broadcasting sector, thus enabling cross-industry networking,” sums up Heiko M. Stutzinger, CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress. “Corporate video and content creator formats show how broad professional media production is today – and in which areas concrete solutions are needed.”
The HAMBURG OPEN is organised by Hamburg Messe und Congress in close cooperation with Studio Hamburg MCI. The next HAMBURG OPEN will take place on 20 and 21 January 2027 in Hamburg. Further information is available at www.hamburg-open.de.
