MUMBAI: A showcase featuring the latest applications of IPTV from across the globe will be one of the highlights of Europe's leading dedicated IPTV event, IPTV World Forum. The forum will be held in London, 6 to 8 March, 2006.

Representing the Indian subcontinent will be Reliance Entertainment and Bharati Tele-Ventures. According to an official release from the organisers, Reliance Entertainment chairman Amit Khanna and Bharti Tele-Ventures technical head Sreeram Chakravarthy Gomadam will be speaking at the forum.

The forum is aimed at the industries supporting the market's rapid growth from telcos and broadband providers to broadcasters. The applications showcase will feature state-of-the-art demonstrations from IPTV providers around the world. Visitors to the show will be able to see, first-hand, the full capabilities and the provision of live and on-demand video over Internet Protocol. There will be a demo lounge dedicated to showcasing live and simulated services from commercially available IPTV packages, states the release.

"This is the largest of our series of dedicated IPTV events around the world," said organiser Ian Johnson. "IPTV is a big talking point in the telecoms market - at a time when increased ARPU and reduced churn are key to operator success. Triple-Play is to play a major role in the development of the market in the very near future."

Top level executive speakers from Europe, America, and Asia will be participating in the forum. Some of the key speakers include MTV Networks Europe CEO Simon Guild, Sony Pictures Television International SVP European distribution Stuart Baxter, China Netcom chief technology advisor Hou Ziqiang, Walt Disney Internet Group Europe MD Attila Gazdag, Playboy TV MD Jermey Yates and MITV Malaysia VP Broadband Iman Shah bin Ismail.

Another attraction of the event will be the prestigious industry party, organised by Fashion TV, one of the four most distributed channels worldwide.

The forum's exhibition zone will feature over 60 companies from around the world, see the latest technologies and developments, meet old friends and make new contacts - it's the ideal opportunity to speak to exhibitors face-to-face. No time to attend the conference? That's fine; the organisers are releasing 1000 exhibition-only tickets, the release adds.

Event information: IPTV World Forum, 6th - 8th March, 2006, Olympia, London Web site www.iptv-forum.com