Our Mission and Vision for Professional Webcasting

Our Mission Statement

The International Webcasting Association exists to advance professional webcasting through the development of industry standards, comprehensive education programs, globally recognized certifications, and meaningful collaboration among webcasting professionals worldwide. We serve as the definitive voice for the webcasting industry, representing the interests of producers, engineers, technology vendors, and organizations that rely on streaming technology to communicate with global audiences.

Our mission encompasses every aspect of professional webcasting, from the technical foundations of encoding and delivery to the creative elements of production and audience engagement. We believe that webcasting represents one of the most powerful communication tools of the digital age, and our work ensures that professionals have the knowledge, standards, and resources they need to harness this power effectively.

Central to our mission is the democratization of webcasting excellence. Whether you operate as an independent producer creating content from a home studio or as an enterprise broadcast engineer managing global town halls for Fortune 500 companies, IWA provides the frameworks and resources that enable professional-grade results. Our standards reflect the collective expertise of thousands of practitioners who have contributed their knowledge to establish best practices that benefit the entire industry.

Our Vision for the Webcasting Industry

We envision a world where every organization and individual can communicate effectively through high-quality webcasting, regardless of their technical background or resources. Our vision extends beyond technical excellence to encompass accessibility, reliability, and the meaningful connection that streaming technology enables between content creators and their audiences.

The future of webcasting represents a convergence of broadcast television quality with the accessibility and interactivity of digital platforms. IWA is positioned at the forefront of this evolution, helping shape the technologies, standards, and practices that will define professional streaming for decades to come. We see webcasting becoming as fundamental to organizational communication as email and video conferencing, with IWA-certified professionals leading this transformation.

Our vision includes a global community of webcasting professionals who share knowledge freely, collaborate on advancing the industry, and uphold the highest standards of professionalism. Through our working groups, events, and online communities, we are building connections that transcend geographic boundaries and organizational affiliations to create a unified voice for the webcasting profession.

Core Values That Guide Our Work

Excellence in Standards

We are committed to developing and maintaining webcasting standards that represent the highest levels of quality, reliability, and accessibility. Our streaming quality standards establish benchmarks that help organizations deliver consistent, professional experiences to their audiences. These standards are developed through rigorous processes involving industry experts, technology partners, and practitioners who understand the real-world challenges of webcasting.

Accessible Education

Knowledge should not be a barrier to professional excellence in webcasting. Our education programs are designed to be accessible to professionals at all stages of their careers, from newcomers learning the fundamentals to veterans seeking advanced specializations. We offer multiple learning formats including self-paced online courses, live workshops, and hands-on certification programs.

Global Collaboration

Webcasting is inherently global, and our association reflects this reality. With members across 85 countries, we facilitate connections between professionals who share common challenges and opportunities. Our annual conference and regional events create opportunities for face-to-face collaboration, while our online communities enable ongoing knowledge sharing throughout the year.

Professional Recognition

We believe that webcasting professionals deserve recognition for their expertise and commitment to excellence. Our certification programs provide industry-recognized credentials that validate competence and distinguish certified professionals in the marketplace. Employers increasingly seek IWA certification as evidence of proficiency in webcasting technologies and best practices.

Strategic Priorities for Industry Advancement

The webcasting landscape evolves rapidly, and IWA continuously adapts our priorities to address emerging challenges and opportunities. Our current strategic focus areas include low-latency streaming technologies, accessibility compliance, hybrid event integration, and sustainable streaming practices.

Low-Latency Streaming

As audiences increasingly expect real-time interaction during webcasts, reducing latency has become a critical priority. Our latency and reliability standards provide guidance on achieving sub-second latency while maintaining stream stability. We work with technology vendors to evaluate and certify solutions that meet these demanding requirements.

Accessibility Leadership

Every audience member deserves equal access to webcasted content. Our accessibility standards address captioning, audio description, sign language interpretation, and interface accessibility. We advocate for accessibility as a fundamental requirement rather than an optional enhancement, and our certification programs include comprehensive accessibility training.

Hybrid Event Excellence

The integration of in-person and virtual audiences represents one of the most significant opportunities in webcasting today. Our hybrid event best practices help organizations create experiences that engage both physical and remote audiences effectively. This includes guidance on camera placement, audio routing, interaction tools, and production workflows.

How We Measure Success

The success of IWA's mission is measured through the collective achievements of our members and the advancement of the webcasting profession as a whole. We track key indicators including certification completions, standards adoption rates, member professional outcomes, and industry recognition of IWA credentials.

Beyond quantitative metrics, we measure success through the quality of connections formed within our community, the impact of our research and publications, and the influence of our standards on webcasting practices worldwide. When organizations reference IWA standards in their procurement specifications or professional development requirements, we know our work is making a difference.

Our ultimate measure of success is a thriving webcasting industry where professionals have clear pathways for advancement, organizations can confidently deploy streaming solutions, and audiences worldwide benefit from high-quality webcasted content that informs, educates, and entertains.

Join Us in Advancing Professional Webcasting

Whether you are an experienced webcasting professional or just beginning your career in streaming, IWA welcomes your participation in our mission. Membership opens doors to our complete standards library, education programs, professional community, and career resources.

Beyond membership, we invite you to contribute to the advancement of webcasting through participation in our working groups, volunteer opportunities, and speaking programs. The collective expertise of our community drives our standards development and shapes the future of the industry.