GSMA Reveals First Details for MWS Barcelona 2020

Ceos from Companies Including Airbus, Nokia, Novartis, NTT Docomo, Orange, Telefónica and Viacom, Speaking in MWC Keynote Programme

The GSMA announced the first details of MWC Barcelona 2020, including keynote speakers, prominent participating companies, programmes and events. MWC Barcelona will take place 24-27 February 2020, with events also staged at Fira Gran Via, Fira Montjuïc and La Farga L’Hospitalet. Under the theme of ‘Limitless Intelligent Connectivity’, MWC Barcelona will outline the convergence of AI, Big Data, and IoT, all powered by 5G.

“Supported by 5G, Limitless Intelligent Connectivity will shape a new digitally-driven industrial revolution”

“Supported by 5G, Limitless Intelligent Connectivity will shape a new digitally-driven industrial revolution,” said John Hoffman, CEO GSMA Ltd. “Attendees will be able to experience and shape how mobile will help their industries to work smarter and use finite resources more efficiently. Also, by connecting everyone to everything, across every industry, these opportunities are without limits.”

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Execs from Across the Mobile Ecosystem to Keynote

The GSMA revealed the first confirmed keynote speakers for MWC Barcelona, with executives representing a wide range of industries including mobile, e-commerce, financial services and media and entertainment. Executives scheduled to headline the four-day Barcelona conference programme include:

• Marc Fontaine, Digital Transformation Officer, Airbus
• Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA
• John Chambers, CEO and Founder, JC2 Ventures
• Rajiv Suri, President and CEO, Nokia
• Vas Narasimhan, CEO, Novartis
• Kazuhiro Yoshizawa, President and CEO, NTT Docomo
• Stéphane Richard, Chairman and CEO, Orange SA, Chairman GSMA
• Dr. Sara Spangelo, Co-Founder and CEO, Swarm
• CP Gurnani, CEO and Managing Director, Tech Mahindra
• José María Álvarez-Pallete López, Chairman and CEO, Telefónica S.A.
• Robert Bakish, President and CEO, Viacom

More Than 2,400 Leading Companies to Participate at MWC Barcelona

MWC Barcelona will bring together leading players from across the mobile ecosystem, as well as adjacent industry sectors such as automotive and consumer electronics, highlighting the latest technologies, products and services. More than 2,400 companies will participate at the event, including major brands such as Accenture, Alibaba Cloud, ARM, AT&T, BMW, Cisco Systems, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Facebook, Google, HTC, Huawei, Intel, Lenovo, LG, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, NTT DOCOMO, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Ooredoo, Oracle, Orange, Qualcomm Incorporated, SAP, SEAT, SK Telecom, Telefónica, Verizon, Vodafone, Xiaomi and ZTE. The show floor will also include more than 40 country and regional pavilions.

As one of the key destinations at MWC, the GSMA Innovation City will return with yet more innovations in the area of intelligent connectivity – 5G, IoT, AI and big data. Highlighting how mobile products and services are transforming how we live, work and play. Sectors including entertainment, retail, transportation, public services and industry, will be showcased through interactive demonstrations from partners Google, Huawei, KT Corporation, Sierra Wireless and Turkcell, as well as GSMA industry and advocacy programmes. For more information, visit www.mwcbarcelona.com/exhibition/gsma-innovation-city/.

The GSMA also announced sponsors for MWC Barcelona. Citi and Deloitte have joined as Event Theme Sponsors: with Citi confirmed as ‘Industry X’ Event Theme Sponsor and Deloitte as the ‘Connectivity: The 5G Era’ Event Theme Sponsor. freenet Digital join returning Networking Garden Sponsors Android, Salesforce, SES Networks and Wipro. Accenture also continues its support for the Women4Tech Programme as the Official Summit Sponsor, with Synchronoss announced as Summit Supporting Sponsor. Additional sponsors include DarkMatter as VIP Lounge and Registration sponsor, Huawei as Lanyard Sponsor, Saudi Telecom as Badge Sponsor and Kochava will be sponsoring The Connections Lounge (formerly Digital Planet Lounge). For more information on the exhibition, including exhibitors and sponsors, visit www.mwcbarcelona.com/exhibition/.

4YFN20 Doubles Footprint and Expands International Presence

4YFN is back for its seventh edition and this year has more than doubled its footprint, moving from Hall 8 to Halls 1 and 2 of Fira Montjuic. This year 4YFN will host the new xside experience, which brings Sónar into MWC Barcelona for the first time to connect creative content, art and performances to the entrepreneurial hub. Banco Sabadell, having supported 4YFN since its inception, is back for the seventh year running as a Gold Sponsor. ESADE Business School, ranked in the FT’s top 20 business schools globally, returns as 4YFN’s official academic sponsor.

Last year’s 4YFN was the most international edition yet and 4YFN20 looks set to break that record. KPMG will be back representing the best of British start-ups and SK Telecom will return, hosting a delegation of Korean start-ups dedicated to mobile technologies. Other international delegations will include Actua (Andorra), Agence Bruxelloise pour l’Accompagnement de l’Entreprise (Belgium), the Great Britain Pavilion/Trade Fair Ltd., JETRO (Japan), Korea Institute of Start-ups and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), the Netherlands Business Support Offices (NBSO), Silicon Castles (Austria) and Venturelab (Switzerland).

Partner Programmes at MWC Barcelona

For over a decade, companies from across the mobile ecosystem have delivered programmes at MWC Barcelona. Offering attendees the opportunity to engage with, and gain insights from, some of the top thought-leaders in the industry as they share their vision on a variety of complex ecosystem challenges. Companies confirmed to host Partner Programmes include 5G Automotive Association, Alibaba, Deloitte, Flutter, Global UTM Association, Holland Pavilion, Huawei, Hyundai Motor Group, McCann Worldgroup, Mobile Ecosystem Forum, Netcracker, Samsung and ZTE. Analog Devices, Automotive Edge Computing, and Xilinx will hold Power Hour sessions. For more information on how to host a partner event, please visit: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/become-a-partner/.

Women4Tech Expands Programme of Activities

The Women4Tech Programme returns for a fourth year with an expanded set of activities and events. Women4Tech is designed to reduce the gender gap in the mobile industry, with the ultimate goal of influencing all industries. A central element is the Women4Tech Summit, with keynote presentations and panel discussions exploring topics such as gender equality and career development; mentorship and education; and women as entrepreneurs and innovators. The invitation-only Women4Tech Roundtable (sponsored by RedHat) will convene influential leaders in a candid dialogue that will explore issues surrounding female development in technology and telecoms.

In addition to the Summit, the Women4Tech Programme includes the Women4Tech Equality Tour; Women4Tech GLOMO award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Mobile Industry Leadership’; a Women4Tech panel on Mobile World Live TV; and Women4Tech activities at 4YFN. For more information, visit: www.mwcbarcelona.com/experiences/gsma-women4tech/.

Over 30,000 Attendees to Visit YoMo

The Youth Mobile (YoMo) Festival returns to Barcelona for its fourth year, leading STEAM and education in Spain for young people, teachers and families. The event expects to welcome over 30,000 attendees on-site across the five days, 25-29 February 2020, including 22,000 school students, aged 8-16 with their educators. After a highly successful launch in 2019, YoMo Family Day returns to welcome over 7,000 members of the public on Saturday 29 February, made up of young people from three years onwards and their families.

GSMA is also proud to announce that YoMo Barcelona 2020 will be collaborating with European Schoolnet and their STEM School Label program, please see www.stemschoollabel.eu/. Attending schools will have the opportunity to join this program and benefit from the numerous activities connected to the STEM School Label all year round. For more information, visit: www.yomobcn.com.

YoMo will present over 2,500 hours of content showcasing science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics and the professional careers connected to these subjects. YoMo aims to help bridge the skills gap through various engagement programmes such as ‘Choose your Crew’ – offering immersive careers information, advice and guidance programme; ‘Tech4Girls’ – empowering young women in STEAM sectors and ‘Teacher Track’ – the educator symposium, exploring digital transformation in the classroom.

The World’s Largest Carbon Neutral Tradeshow

The 2019 edition of MWC was officially certified as carbon neutral by AENOR International, which secures MWC Barcelona’s position as the world’s largest carbon-neutral tradeshow. Since 2016 the ‘Donation Room’ programme, through which MWC exhibitors donate used materials to Barcelona citizens at the end of the event, has collected 44.6 tonnes of furniture items and 55.1 tonnes of building materials and worked with the city councils of Barcelona and Hospitalet to provide them to more than 20 local socially responsible entities. For MWC Barcelona 2020, the GSMA is focused on further reducing the environmental impact and carbon footprint of the event, offsetting any outstanding emissions as necessary. For more information, visit www.mwcbarcelona.com/about/about-the-gsma/environmental-programme/.

Get Involved at MWC Barcelona 2020

For more information on MWC Barcelona, including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, visit www.mwcbarcelona.com. Follow developments and updates on MWC Barcelona on Twitter @GSMAEvents using #MWC20, on our LinkedIn MWC page https://www.linkedin.com/company/gsma-mobile-world-congress or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mobileworldcongress/. Follow other GSMA news and activity on Twitter @GSMA.

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