38th International Feature Conference

European Broadcasting Union
Union Europenne de Radio-Tlvision
Radio Department
DR/ 11024
Dpartement Radio
23 January 2012
38th International Feature Conference, IFC 2012

London, 13-17 May 2012
Dear Colleagues,
The 38th International Feature Conference will be held in London at the kind invitation of the BBC
(United Kingdom) on 13-17 May 2012.
Please find attached the official invitation with practical information on the Conference
(accommodation, location, transport) and important deadlines.
You are kindly requested to fill in the attached attendance and hotel booking forms and return
them by 1 April as below:
- attendance form to Simon Elmes, BBC (simon.elmes@bbc.co.uk), with a copy to
Krystyna Kabat, EBU (kabat@ebu.ch).
- hotel booking form to the BBCS hotel contractor HOTELSCENE
Best regards,
Laurent Marceau
EBU Radio
Head of Eurosonic/Radio Plus
Distribution:
International Relations - EBU Active and Associate Members
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Radio Department
DR/ 11024
Dpartement Radio
23 January 2012
38th INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

CONFERENCE
LONDON 2012
http://ifc.posterous.com/2012-38th-ifc-london-home
13th 17th May 2012

BBC Broadcasting House
Portland Place
London
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Radio Department
DR/ 11024
Dpartement Radio
23 January 2012
Dear friends and colleagues,

Welcome to London and to the 38th edition of the International Feature Conference.
2012 is Olympic year in London, and the BBC, as host broadcaster of the Olympic Games,
is delighted and proud to invite the worldwide community of radio documentary and
feature makers to its home in the heart of the UKs capital.
The International Feature Conference 2012 will take place at the BBC headquarters
building, Broadcasting House, London, from Sunday 13th May Thursday 17th May
2012.
The International Feature Conference is a forum for programme-makers, young and old,
who love the art and the craft of the radio feature to come together once a year from
all corners of the globe to celebrate the highest form of factual radio. Its an opportunity
first and foremost to listen to and discuss programmes. On show in London will be the
very best features made by some of the best producers and directors working today in
radio and in the new digital spaces online.
But the IFC is above all also a place for innovation and originality, for newcomers who are
only just taking their first steps in the genre, or who are experimenting with sound stories
in different forms, on different platforms and with different resources. At the IFC, you can
meet legendary producers, learn new skills, and sit back and enjoy or engage in heated
discussion about the cream of this years feature crop.
Also at IFC London 2012, there will be major presentations by programme makers and
personalities of worldwide renown, brought together by the magic of radio feature. And in
(optional) breakfast workshops theres a chance to learn from masters of their craft some
of the tips and techniques theyve acquired over the years; plus a chance too to explore
BBC radio and its history.
To guarantee the high quality of programmes presented and a wide range of entries,
there will be a pre-selection process. We would ask you to pay particular attention to the
accompanying documentation, which outlines how to participate and contribute
programmes, plus all the relevant deadlines in one case very imminent and other
details.
No medals will be awarded, but we hope you all young and old, beginners and veterans
will want to be IFC Olympians in London in May 2012.
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Radio Department
DR/ 11024
Dpartement Radio
23 January 2012
Graham Ellis
Controller, Production
BBC Audio & Music
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Simon Elmes
Co-ordinator
IFC London 2012
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ATTENDANCE FORM
This form should be returned by
Mrs
1st April 2012
Mr
Name :
Surname:
Complete address :
City :
Country :
Telephone :
E-mail / Fax :
Arrival date :
Departure date :
Please send to:
with a copy to:

Simon Elmes
Radio Documentaries Unit,

BBC, Broadcasting House,
Portland Place,
London, W1A 1AA
United Kingdom
simon.elmes@bbc.co.uk
tel. +44 (20) 7765 5891
mob. +44 (7769) 660 704
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Krystyna Kabat
EBU, Switzerland
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HOTEL BOOKING FORM

This form should be returned by
Mrs
1st April 2012
Mr
NAME :
SURNAME:
Telephone :
E-mail / Fax :
Arrival date :
Departure date :
FIRST CHOICE HOTEL

SECOND CHOICE HOTEL
AVAILABLE HOTELS: please refer to pages 9-10 of this circular

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you select the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, the
deadline for booking is 28 February 2012
Please send to:

BBCs hotel contractor HOTELSCENE
bbcfeaturesconference@hotelscene.co.uk
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IMPORTANT DEADLINES
(in date order)
Please read carefully

Saturday 18
th
February 2012
Deadline for reservation of rooms at:
Millennium Gloucester Hotel [40 rooms available see below for details]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONTRIBUTING PROGRAMMES
The main business of the International Feature Conference is listening and discussing
some of the latest and best documentary productions from around the world. Its not
a competition, so no prizes are awarded, simply an opportunity to share some great
stories and wonderful programme making.
Each year, the number of features suggested for inclusion in the IFC considerably
exceeds the time available to listen to them, so, regretfully, we have to make a
choice.
If you want your feature to be considered for inclusion in the conference programme,
you will need to send us your suggestion before the deadline of
Friday 24th February 2012
Please include:
1 ten-minute audio excerpt

An exact English language translation of the excerpt provided
A synopsis of the production
The excerpt may be sent by one of these methods:
By sending an audio file via WeTransfer or YouSendit to:
Simon Elmes (simon.elmes@bbc.co.uk)
By sending a CD (no DAT please) to:
Simon Elmes
BBC,
Broadcasting House,
London,
W1A 1AA
United Kingdom.
Please send the relevant English translation and synopsis by email to
simon.elmes@bbc.co.uk
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The EBU Features Group will meet in London on 5 th & 6th March 2012 to select the
productions which will be played at the IFC. All entrants will be notified by email of
the outcome of the pre-selection process immediately after this meeting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sunday 1st April 2012
Deadline for reservation of rooms at:
Langham Court Hotel [20 rooms available see below for details]
Grange Hotel Fitzrovia [20 rooms available see below for details]
Ramada Hyde Park [40 rooms available see below for details]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sunday 1st April 2012

Last date for Registration for IFC London 2012
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Friday 28th April 2012
Deadline for sending the programmes selected for the listening sessions to BBC
Radio.
Programmes, accompanied by one copy of the English language translation, should
be sent on CD to
Simon Elmes
Radio Documentaries Unit,
BBC,
Broadcasting House,
Portland Place,
London,
W1A 1AA
United Kingdom
Your programme or programme excerpt should not exceed 25 minutes duration.
Each participant will have 3 minutes in which to introduce the production.
Please bring with you to the IFC 120 copies of the programme transcript in the
original language and in English, preferably arranged with original language on the
left-hand page and English language on the right.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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THE CONFERENCE
IFC London 2012 will be held in the historic 1932 home of the BBC, Broadcasting
House
Listening sessions and plenary presentations will take place in the art-deco Radio
Theatre.
A detailed timetable will follow, but IFC London 2012 will open on Sunday 13th May
at 6pm with a reception offered by Graham Ellis, Controller BBC Radio Production,
in the Council Chamber of the BBC. The Council Chamber is an elegant saloon where
the senior members of the BBC would regularly gather for important meetings and is
today still from time to time used for such gatherings. It retains the original wooden
panelling and 1930s style which were features of the executive rooms of the UKs
oldest dedicated broadcasting centre.
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The programme of listening and review sessions, craft workshops and plenary
presentations by guest speakers will begin from 9am on Monday 14th May and end
at 1pm on Thursday 17th May.
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10
ACCOMMODATION
The BBCs headquarters building, Broadcasting House, is located at the very heart of
Londons West End, close to theatreland, the fashion district and Soho, hub of film
production. The principal shopping areas of Oxford Street and Regent Street are very
close by. In consequence, its a very busy area for people who work locally, who come
to shop and for tourists. The nearest underground station is Oxford Circus, served by
the Central Line (red), Victoria Line (pale blue) and Bakerloo Line (brown), and which
handles 70 million passengers each year.
We have pre-arranged accommodation at four hotels in the West End / central area.
But, in order to keep costs as low as we can for you, only one of these is directly
adjacent to Broadcasting House. As a result, you should be prepared for a short walk
or in some cases take a short underground or bus journey to travel from your hotel to
the BBC.
Also, as 2012 is the year of the Olympic Games in London, we are aware that many
hotels have raised their prices already ahead of the July event. You may be able to
find less expensive deals on accommodation near the BBC via one of the reputable
online budget hotel-booking sites.
Please note that there are two large hotels immediately facing the BBC (The Langham
and The St Georges) but both of these offer only luxury or upper-price-bracket
accommodation and therefore we have not made pre-bookings there for the IFC. You
are of course welcome to reserve rooms at one of these hotels if you wish.
PRE-BOOKED HOTEL ACCOMMODATION
Option 1
Langham Court Hotel
31-35 Langham Street
London W1W 6BU
Tel: 020 7436 6622
130 incl. VAT per night per person
20 x superior rooms available
Reservation deadline 01/04/2012
[located very close to BBC]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Option 2
Grange Hotel Fitzrovia
20-28 Bolsover Street
London W1W 5NB
Tel: 020 7467 7000
138.80 incl. VAT per night per person
20 x superior rooms available
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11
[Bolsover St is a 4 minute walk from BBC]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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12
Option 3
Ramada Hyde Park
Bayswater Road
London W2 4RT
Tel: 020 7229 1212
40 double rooms - single occupancy
[The hotel is situated very close to Queensway underground station, an easy journey
of four stops / six minutes from Oxford Circus allow 20 minutes total to reach BBC. It
is also on a major bus route that goes directly to Oxford Circus]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Option 4
Millennium Gloucester Hotel
4 18 Harrington Gardens,
London SW7 4LH
Tele: 020 7373 6030
40 double rooms - single occupancy
PLEASE NOTE VERY EARLY RESERVATION DEADLINE: 18/02/2012
[This hotel is situated in the Gloucester Road area, about 30 minutes from the BBC by
underground five stations, with one change of line]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------All the pre-reserved bookings are being handled by the BBCs hotel contractor,
Hotelscene.
To reserve a room(s) for the conference, all you need to do is to email the following
details to bbcfeaturesconference@hotelscene.co.uk (please refer to page 5 of this
circular)
If you are looking for very low-cost accommodation near the BBC, the YHA (Youth
Hostel Association) building at 104 Bolsover Street, London, W1W 5NU is situated 4
minutes walk away from the conference venue. Hostel accommodation is not prebooked by the BBC and is the individual responsibility of the delegate. Please note
that the YHA offers dormitory-style (shared) accommodation.
YHA London Central
104 Bolsover Street
London
W1W 5NU
Tel: 0845 371 9154
Fax no: 0845 371 9155
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13
Email: londoncentral@yha.org.uk
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14
TRAVEL
Further details about getting around London will follow, but here are some basics:
Airports
London is served by five airports: London Heathrow (LHR), London Gatwick (LGW),
London City (LCY), London Stansted (STN) and Luton (LTN). All have good train links to
central London. London Heathrow is also served by Underground, and London City by
the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
Stansted and Luton are situated at some distance to the north of London, Gatwick to
the south. The train services from Heathrow and Gatwick are fast, frequent and
reliable. Travel from the more distant hubs of Luton and Stansted takes longer. The
fastest way to the centre of town may well be via London City airport.
Taxis, trains, underground & buses
For details on all underground, overground and bus transportation in the capital, go
online to the Transport for London (TfL) website at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
Official London taxis (black cabs) are excellent, fast and drivers always know the
best way to your destination (they have to pass a very tough exam), but are
relatively expensive. Youre advised not to travel from your arrival airport by taxi as
the journey may easily cost as much as 50 or more.
The London Underground (the tube) is the easiest and quickest way to travel
round the city; but be aware it carries a staggering 3.4 billion passengers equivalent
to half the worlds population each year and is usually very busy. You may not get a
seat, even from the terminus at Heathrow, and at peak times the trains become very
crowded.
In addition, there are major upgrades still in progress on the tube ahead of the
Olympic Games, and at weekends there are service suspensions on some lines to
allow for engineering work. Be aware that this may affect your travel on Sunday May
13th. The TfL website gives full details of weekend engineering work and we strongly
advise you to check on current line conditions before you fly.
As Broadcasting House is so central, you are unlikely to need to travel too far, except
from the Millennium Gloucester Hotel which is not close by.
Londons famous red buses are plentiful, frequent and often far less crowded than
the tube. The bus network is hugely dense with hundreds of lines that operate across
the whole city, day and night. If you choose to stay at the Ramada Hyde Park, you
may prefer to catch a bus (routes 94 and 390) from Queensway along Bayswater
Road direct to Oxford Circus, rather than travel underground. Its an enjoyable short
ride.
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15
ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATION and EXTRAS

Evenings at the IFC are always among the most enjoyable and useful elements of
the conference and on the evening of Tuesday 15 th May the Director of BBC Audio and
Music, Tim Davie will host a gala dinner for delegates. Details to follow.
Additionally this year there will again be a chance to share your own favourite feature
moments with other delegates in the relaxed atmosphere of a typical London pub.
The IFC Jam Session will probably take place on the Wednesday evening of the
conference.
On the mornings of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we are planning to offer
optional drop-in breakfast sessions on key craft subjects.
Lunch at the conference will be served in the BBCs new building adjacent to the
Radio Theatre and we shall be issuing details of how to order these in a later
communication.
For those who are interested, during lunchtimes were hoping to be able to offer short
tours of the BBCs brand new state-of-the-art broadcasting building which is next door
to our 1932 home, and which will be from later this year the location of all TV and
radio news and the BBC World Service.
And finally
If you are intending to arrive early or stay after the IFC closes on Thursday at 1pm,
our central London location is amply supplied with restaurants, pubs and bars, is very
close to the capitals main shopping streets, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond
Street, as well as to the peace of Regents Park, just 5 minutes walk away from us
here. The British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Wallace
Collection and the Royal Academy of Arts are all also within manageable walking
distance of Broadcasting House.
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16

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