Audio Collaborative 2022: The Agenda

Futuresource’s flagship event, Audio Collaborative, is just around the corner, taking place exclusively in person on Thursday 10th November, at London’s Ham Yard hotel. As the team, speakers and sponsors gear up for the highly anticipated event, we are giving you the lowdown on the running of the day, as well as a little more information on those exciting speakers and panels.  

Audio Collaborative’s aim is to not only inspire the new wave of audio technology but to offer a space for collaboration, opportunity and creativity with the support of industry thought leaders. We have an impressive set of sponsors for this year’s event: HARMAN, Sonarworks and DSP Concepts, who will be heavily involved in the entire day through panels, presentations and keynotes. Who will be heavily involved in the entire day through panels, presentations and keynotes. 

The Keynotes at Audio Collaborative 2022  

Opening and closing Audio Collaborative will be our keynote speakers, providing their professional insight into the future development of the audio industry.  

Opening Keynote and Fireside Chat – The Future Shape of Sound  

Kickstarting the day we have Carsten Olesen, president of HARMAN, with their opening keynote on the future shape of sound. This keynote will set the tone for the day and explore the key themes of Audio Collaborative 2022. 

HARMAN is our platinum sponsor for the event, and an impressive company to have on board, given their stellar reputation throughout the audio technology industry. The keynote - and fireside chat to follow - will delve into the evolving role of high-quality audio in our day-to-day lives, as well as the influence of new technologies on the future shape of sound. 

Closing Keynote – How can Technology be used to Harness the Music Industry? 

Thunderboom Records founder, Joost de Boo and founder and director, Max Tiel will close out Audio Collaborative 2022, with an awakening keynote on the future of technology within the music industry. We often don't gauge the overall impact of our phenomenal advances in audio technology, and this panel will take us on a journey through state-of-the-art music technology, focusing on the social implications and the impact of AI technology on artists and audiences alike.  

The Panels Will Tackle Key Themes at Audio Collaborative  

Following our opening keynote, our panels throughout the day will create the buzz that Audio Collaborative is renowned for, with our incredible guest speakers and panellists sharing their extensive knowledge and innovative ideas throughout the day. 

Panel Session – The Power of Audio: The Impact of Advanced Audio Technologies on Well-Being  

Our first panel, sponsored by DSP Concepts, and moderated by marketing manager, Matt Murray, will conduct a panel of industry-leading tech innovators with one key question in mind: how will audio technologies continue to enhance the well-being, quality of life, safety, awareness and enjoyment of people's everyday lives?  

The panel includes, Philipp Skribanowitz, CEO & founder of Mimi Hearing Technologies, Al Ganeshkumar, audio & DSP systems engineering lead at Starkey Hearing, Sebastian Scharrer, deputy head of business at Fraunhofer and Matt Marchese, senior director of automotive business at Tymphany.  

This panel will not only look at the innovations across the audio technology space but focus on how these technologies enhance a user’s experience and life. Industries this panel will look at are healthcare, automotive and consumer electronics for a well-rounded discussion on the power of audio.  

Panel Session – The Next Big Thing: Home Audio  

With a razor-sharp focus on the future of what home audio has to offer, our second-panel session will discuss the opportunities for the home audio landscape. Moderated by Futuresource Consulting's senior market analyst, Guy Hammett, the panel will include Sarah Yule, marketing director at KEF, Rob France, head of global content engineering at Dolby, Marcos Simón, CTO at Audioscenic, and Julien Bergere, global portfolio planning director at Bang & Olufsen. 

The discussions within this panel will reflect the growth across the audio tech market in recent years and what we can expect in those coming, questioning: what's driving this new wave of change in the industry and how consumers' spending habits will follow.  

Panel Session – Pushing the Boundaries of the Personal Audio Experience 

Exploring the evolution and development of the rising personal audio category, this panel will discuss the how, why, and when of this emerging key market within the audio tech space. With another exciting number of panellists, including Helmuts Bems, CEO & co-founder of Sonarworks, Jon Kiachian, VP & general manager, hearing health technologies at Knowles and Matt Windmill, sales manager at Consumer EMEA – Analog Devices, this panel will be chaired by Jonny McClintock, commercial director at Audio Codecs. The panel will undoubtedly get everyone talking about the developments across hardware, software, and content.  

Panel Session – Opportunities for the Content Creation Industry Following the Return to a “New Normal” 

James Kirby, senior analyst at Futuresource Consulting, Phil Cummings, sales manager tour audio & artist relations at Harman, and Andy Allen, marketing director for Audient will sit down for this impressive panel to talk about the exciting and ever-evolving content creator space.  

With the pandemic giving way to a sharp rise in home content creators, the industry saw phenomenal growth and development in the technology that now serves an opportunistic market. The market may have steadied to a “new normal”, but this panel will discuss why and how that initial boom in the market happened, alongside what we can expect to see moving forward, throughout the content creator industry.  

Panel Session – Sounding Out on Sustainability  

Alongside Althea Rickett’s highly anticipated solo presentation, an aptly named panel will take place with a focus on what sustainability looks like within the audio space. 

As concerns grow over the longevity of our planet, it is in companies' interests to reach a goal of creating sustainable products and practices throughout their entire supply chain. With a host of industry leaders, we can expect thought-provoking discussions from Althea Ricketts, associate vice president corporate initiatives at Shure, Dom Robinson, co-founder at Greening of Streaming, and Andy Dowell, head of licensing at MQA. The panel will be led by Chris Carey, head of music, media and entertainment at Opinium, who will explore with all panellists the growing focus on sustainability throughout the industry.  

Panel Session – Making more of Audio in Gaming 

Gaming and audio tech go hand in hand. With a focus across the gaming industry on enhancing gameplay and overall user experience, this panel will discuss the lucrative nature of how audio can improve and implement itself in this advantageous market. On the panel is Simon Byron, director of publishing at Yogscast Gaming, and Michael Kelly, senior director of consumer electronics engineering at DTS. Together, they offer industry insight on the steps taken to maximise opportunities for audio in gaming.  

Presentations to Highlight the Industry and Establish Goals and Opportunities for the Future  

Our presentations throughout the day will reflect on the audio tech industry as well as give an overview of the market and overarching themes that will be presented throughout the day. Gain an in-depth industry overview from some of the leading professionals at any one of the presentations happening throughout the day.  

Presentation – Addressing the Headwinds  

During this presentation, Futuresource’s lead market analyst Chris Bull will present our next key theme: addressing the headwinds. Chris’ presentation will address the challenges of the audio tech industry, with a focus on how the industry is reacting and the wealth of opportunities within this field.  

Presentation – The Audio Industry in Numbers  

Market analyst for Futuresource, Arian Bassari, will give an insightful presentation on the audio industry. Focusing on how the industry has developed and grown, this presentation will investigate the data surrounding the audio market.  

Presentation – A Data-Driven Search for The Ultimate Headphone Sound 

Led by one of our sponsors Sonarworks, CEO & co-founder, Helmuts Bems, will give a presentation on the data-led search for achieving the ultimate headphone sound. Sonarworks is an award-winning audio technology innovator in this market -leading this presentation to be one of high anticipation.  

Presentation – Sustainability…What’s in it for the Audio Industry? 

Althea Ricketts, associate vice president corporate initiatives at Shure will deliver the next presentation on the theme of sustainability. We’ve heard it from all corners of the tech industry in recent years, with many companies proposing a sustainability goal for the future.  

Presentation – Voice Update | Look Who’s Talking  

Simon Forrest, principal technology analyst here at Futuresource Consulting, will engage the audience in the rise and advancement of virtual assistant technology. Discussing this topic concerning AI/ML, edge versus device processing, and brand-specific services, Simon will be looking to pinpoint the opportunities for this market as well as highlighting some key features and market insights.  

Don’t Miss Audio Collaborative’s In-Person Return!

There is still time to grab those last few remaining tickets before Audio Collaborative begins on 10th November. If you would like to purchase a ticket or to find out more about the event, get in touch today by clicking here. 

Secure your seat, today! 

Official Event Sponsors

HARMAN - Platinum Sponsor
As trailblazers in audio tech, HARMAN's suite of products provide unmatched listening experiences for both work and leisure. Explore their work-from-home offerings and more.
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DSP Concepts
DSP Concepts is the Silicon Valley based leader in the Audio of Things (AoT) market and the creator of Audio Weaver, the audio experience design platform that makes audio innovation easy.
Find out more

Sonarworks
Sonarworks is an award-winning audio technology innovator delivering an individually perfected sound experience to every music creator and lover.
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About the author

Carl Hibbert

Heading the Consumer Media & Technology Research team, with over 20 years industry analyst experience. Carl maintains & develops Futuresource's services across all forms of entertainment & consumer electronics, ensuring unrivaled insight & knowledge in sector dynamics and future industry direction. A regular presenter at industry conferences across USA, Europe and Asia and frequent contributor to press and trade journals.