IBC2011 by the numbers shows a return to growth and the possibility of a still stronger event in 2012, according to show organizers.

The final attendance number for this year’s event is 50,462, a 4 percent increase from the 2010 gathering, according to IBC chief executive officer Michael Crimp. But overall attendance only tells part of the story. IBC2011 saw more than 160 countries represented as attendees and 1300 exhibitors participate in the show.

This year’s event also saw the addition of new features, such as the IBC Leaders’ Summit program aimed at preparing industry leaders for the future, and an expanded look into the future of media and entertainment technology in the Future Zone.

At a press conference in Amsterdam on the last day of the event, show organizers not only expressed their pleasure with the overall success of the event, but also said they were prepared to expand the event into new space planned for the RAI Convention Center if the need should arise for next year’s event.

Show organizers also announced the dates of next year’s gathering. The IBC2012 Conference Program will be held Sept. 6-11, 2012, and the exhibition of portion of the gathering will be held Sept. 7-11.