The Big Digital Meet-Up 2025

The second edition of the Big Digital Meet-up was held in Vienna on 1-2 October, hosted by ORF. Over 230 participants from 26 countries joined EBU's largest digital community gathering. The event featured 7 dynamic sessions, including 5 keynotes, and brought together 37 inspiring speakers from 13 countries.

This year's theme, Connected with the Future, explored how public service media can adapt and thrive amid rapid change. Topics included the rise of AI agents, the next wave of disruption, platform and social media strategies, storytelling for the digital age, and branding in a platform-driven world.

Presentations and video talks from the event are accessible only to Members who attended the event.

Venue

ORF Mediencampus

Hugo-Portisch-Gasse 1
1136 Vienna
Austria

Programme

Tuesday 30 September

19:00

Welcome Reception

Join us on Tuesday for an evening of connection and networking in a great location.

Venue: Summerstage by the Danube (Rossauer Lände 17, Vienna)

Day 1 – Wednesday 1 October (10:00 – 18:00)

10:00

Welcome to the Big Digital Meet-Up 2025

Join us as we kick off the Big Digital Meetup ‘25 with a warm welcome and introduction from our host.

Wouter Quartier, Head of Digital, EBU & Host

10:10

Setting the Scene: Opening words from ORF and EBU

Welcome and setting the scene on PSM challenges from our hosts & EBU.

Harald Kräuter, Technical Director, ORF
Stefan Pollach, Head of Digital Media, ORF
Jean Philip De Tender, Deputy Director General & Media Director, EBU

Moderated by Shin Chang, Reporter, ORF

10:40

Keynote: Navigating What’s Next

A fast-paced look at the key forces shaping the digital future of public service media - including shifting audience habits and the rise of recommendation engines, AI assistants and Agents as the new middlemen that now stand between content and audiences.

Keynote: Broadcasting in 2030: Reengaging the audience in the era of middlemen
Jamie MacEwan, Senior Media Analyst, Enders Analysis
Gareth Sutcliffe, Head of Media and Technology, Enders Analysis

Keynote: Audience Strategies: From Having Impact to Creating Impact - Yle’s quest to engage audiences
Jaakko Lempinen, Chief Customer and Portfolio Officer, Yle

Fireside chat: EBU Transformation Services
Dr Sasha Scott, Head of Transformation Services, EBU

12:00

Lunch

13:00

Digital-First, Brand-Strong: What PSMs are doing right

The EBU Connect steering group will curate a dynamic session on how public service media is using design and data to sharpen brands, connect with audience, and lead in the age of AI and platforms.

Session Hosts:

Vitold Grand’henry, Image & Positioning Manager - Marketing, RTBF
Daragh Hennessy, Senior Brand Strategy Manager, RTÉ

Rebranding for the Digital Age
Cecilie Lyng, Head of Brand, NRK
Ken Dekeyser, Head of Branding and Design, VRT

Motherbrain: How SVT Succeeds with Insight Democratization
Emma Petersson, Content Specialist, SVT

SWR’s Early Learnings: Smarter with persona-based Marketing
Julian Schmitt, Head of Marketing, SWR

Paris 2024: The Art of Brand Storytelling on A Global Stage
Emmanuelle Lacaze, President, Gédéon

The "Von Fock" Campaign: A Viral Historical Trend
Kadi Kivirand, Head of Marketing, ERR

Digital Promo & Campaign Highlights from the EBU Connect Steering Group
Kristel Maran, Head of HR & Training, ERR

15:00

Coffee Break

15:30

Platform & Social Media Strategies

In this session, learn the strategies to manage audience journeys across platforms, from segmentation to reclaiming traffic from third-party platforms.

Session Host: Grace Zakka, Platform Strategy Lead, EBU

Reaching new audiences with YouTube
Thomas Kluge, Senior Partner Engineer, YouTube, Google
Simone Steurer, Strategic Partnerships Lead, Media Companies & Podcasts, YouTube

Social, Search & AI – What users search for, where and how
Andreas Boehmer, ARD Partnermanagement Social Media, ARD

Little Dot Studios: Getting to know one of the leading agencies in digital video production, distribution and monetisation.
Alex Hryniewicz, Managing Director, Network Social Platforms, Little Dot Studios

Visualised Podcasts on BBC iPlayer
Beatrice Cooke, Service Executive, BBC iPlayer

18:00

Social Event: A taste of Austria

Join us for a traditional 'Heuriger' experience with local food and wine – a true Viennese evening hosted by ORF.

ORF Guided Tours
19:00 ORF guided tour 1 (3 groups of 30 people - first come first served)
19:45 ORF guided tour 2 (3 groups of 30 people - first come first served)

Venue: ORF Mediencampus

Day 2 – Thursday 2 October (09:30 – 15:30)

09:30

Welcome to Day 2: Connection strategies

Recap day 1 and preview of day 2
Wouter Quartier, Head of Digital, EBU & Host

09:35

Campfire Media: Light the fire for PSM

This session explores how public service media can ignite new campfires - digital-first experiences that spark emotion, trust, and community. We’ll share inspiring examples of how PSMs are experimenting with virtual concerts and digital spaces that bring people together in meaningful ways.

Keynote: From Stage to Stream: How the BBC Turns Live Shows into Immersive Digital Concerts
Phil Rich, Partnerships and Innovation, BBC

Keynote: Evolving IOC Partnerships: Innovating Together as an Olympic Standard
Srinath Sripath, Senior Manager Digital Partnerships & Innovation, IOC

Fireside chat: The Olympics & the EBU – starting the fire for 2028?
Srinath Sripath interviewed by Grace Zakka

11:00

Coffee Break

11:30

Wanna Play? Get in the Game!

Keynote: The ARD Twitched-on

This keynote shares insights from ARD’s journey on Twitch: why they joined Twitch, what worked (and didn’t), and what public media can learn from their experiments.
Sebastian Krumdieck, Partner Manager / Twitch Coordinator, ARD

Fireside chat: Eurovision Song Contest Roblox Project
Hamdhoon Rashad, Media Project Manager, EBU (Moderator)
Erik Londré, Founder & CEO, Karta

12:30

Lunch

13:30

Breaking the Code: Bold new ideas for youth content

How are broadcasters rethinking content to truly connect with youth? Hear how our Members are breaking conventions, testing new formats, and reimagining how to serve young audiences in a fast-moving digital world. Whether you're building trust, chasing trends, or creating safe spaces, this session is packed with valuable insights and inspiration.

Session Host: Evelyn Sequeira, Project Manager, EBU

Guto Rhun, Young Audiences Commissioner, S4C
Elena Defaee, Head of New Generations, RTBF
Lasse Kjær Christiansen, Head of Editorial, DR
Maja Fister, Head of Kids and Youth, HRT
Robert Amlung, Head of Digital Strategy & Stefanie Jellen, Project Manager Interactive and Digital Media, ZDF
Simone Grössing, Product Owner/Content Development, ORF
Maria Karlsson Thörnqvist, Project Manager, SVT

15:30

Closing Remarks and Goodbyes

Wouter Quartier, Head of Digital, EBU & Host

Fees

Ticket price (covers access to both days):

Early bird rate - EBU Member (EUR 190.00) - SOLD OUT!
Standard rate - EBU Member (EUR 250.00)

Payment by bank transfer is possible (registration will only be confirmed once payment has been received)

Accommodation

Below is a list of recommended hotels for you to book your stay in Vienna near ORF center and Schönbrunn Palace.

Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn Wien **** - 30 minutes walk or 10 minutes by bus
Hietzinger Hauptstraße 10-14, 1130 Wien

Austria Trend Hotel Maximilian **** - 30 minutes walk or 10 minutes by bus
Hietzinger Hauptstraßee 16, 1130 Wien

Hotel Viktoria Schönbrunn *** - 35 minutes walk or 15 minutes by bus
Eduard-Klein-Gasse 9, 1130 Wien

Renaissance Wien Hotel **** - 25 minutes by bus
Linke Wienzeile/Ullmannstraße 71, 15. Rudolfsheim-Fünfh, 1150 Wien

For other hotel recommendations, please take a look at the extended list sent by ORF or at the list of accommodations on the Vienna Tourist website.

Photo Gallery

Speakers

Wouter Quartier

Host

Head of Radio, EBU

Jamie MacEwan

Keynote

Senior Media Analyst, Enders Analysis (United Kingdom)

Topics

Resources

About

Languages

Contact us

Venue

ORF Mediencampus

Programme

Fees

Accommodation

Photo Gallery

Speakers

Wouter Quartier

Jamie MacEwan

Gareth Sutcliffe

Jean Philip De Tender

Harald Kräuter

Stefan Pollach

Emma Pettersson

Beatrice Cooke

Cecilie Lyng

Kadi Kivirand

Jaakko Lempinen

Guto Rhun

Grace Zakka

Daragh Hennessy

Julian Schmitt

Srinath Sripath

Emmanuelle Lacaze

Sebastian Krumdieck

Evelyn Sequeira

Thomas Kluge

Phil Rich

Andreas Böhmer

Elena Defaee

Simone Steurer

Alex Hryniewicz

Maja Fister

Hamdhoon Rashad

Ken De Keyser

Erik Londre

Lasse Kjær Christiansen

Vitold Grand’henry

Robert Amlung

Maria Karlsson Thörnqvist

Stefanie Jellen

Simone Grössing

Shin Chang

Dr Sasha Scott

Video Talks

Setting The Scene: Opening words from ORF and EBUMembers Only

Broadcasting in 2030: Reengaging the audience in the era of middlemenMembers Only

Audience Strategies: From having impact to creating impact - Yle’s quest to engage audiencesMembers Only

Rebranding for the Digital AgeMembers Only

Motherbrain: How SVT succeeds with insight democratizationMembers Only

SWR’s Early Learnings: Smarter with persona-based marketingMembers Only

Paris 2024: The art of brand storytelling on a global stageMembers Only

The "Von Fock" Campaign: A viral historical trendMembers Only

Social, Search & AI – What users search for, where and howMembers Only

Public Broadcasting Digital FandomMembers Only

Visualised Podcasts on BBC iPlayerMembers Only

From Stage to Stream: How the BBC turns live shows into immersive digital concertsMembers Only

Evolving IOC Partnerships: Innovating together as an Olympic standard.Members Only

The ARD Twitched-onMembers Only

Breaking the code - Reaching youth audiences in a minority languageMembers Only

How rtbf.be Connect With New GenerationsMembers Only

Engaging Young Audiences – Lessons from going all in on YouTubeMembers Only

Fostering Civic Discourse: The Public Spaces Incubator Members Only

MEETING: Youth format for HRTMembers Only

Sagsmulti on TikTok: Why every language deserves a voiceMembers Only

Bara Sex - Youth format from SVT Members Only

Presentations