GSMA Outlines Additional Keynote Speakers, Programme and Event UpdatesLondon: The GSMA today announced further details of MWC Barcelona 2020 activity, including additional keynote speakers, participating companies, programmes and events. MWC Barcelona will take place 24-27 February 2020, with events across Fira Gran Via, Fira Montju c and La Farga L'Hospitalet.
Our vision at the GSMA is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive. The MWC20 theme of Limitless Intelligent Connectivity' features how 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Big Data are doing just that, said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. MWC Barcelona continues to lead as the world's must-attend' industry event where over 100,000 participants will explore and experience how the mobile industry will continue to transform our everyday lives.
Additional Keynote Speakers Confirmed
The GSMA announced several new keynote speakers for the four-day conference programme, representing companies across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industry sectors. Newly confirmed speakers include:
Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, Air Asia Group
Poppy Gustafsson OBE, Co-CEO, Darktrace
Maria Teixidor i Jufresa, Director, FC Barcelona Femen
Eugene Kaspersky, CEO, Kaspersky
Rosa Whitaker, President, Mercy Ships
Katica Roy, CEO & Founder, Pipeline
Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO, Red Hat
Kurt Azarbarzin, President and CEO, Verb Surgical Inc.
Pat Gelsinger, CEO, VMware
For more information on the conference, visit www.mwcbarcelona.com/conference-programmes/.
Women4Tech Summit Speakers
Back for its fourth year with a renewed and expanded focus, Women4Tech Summit will showcase the trailblazing individuals and organisations who are advocating for making diversity and inclusion a business imperative. The Women4Tech Summit will provide hope for under-represented individuals equality and a series of inspiring case studies in workplace equality diversity and authentic leadership. We are excited to announce some of the first confirmed Women4Tech speakers including:
Dana Eaton, Senior Managing Director for Communications, Media and Technology Europe, Accenture
Isabel Ferrer de Casacuberta, EMEA Marketing Director, Dolls Portfolio and Barbie Franchise, Mattel
Kirti Lad, Executive Director, Meraki Executive Search and Consulting Limited
Peko Wan, Chief Ecosystem Officer, Pundi X
Vicki Mealer-Burke, Chief Diversity Officer, Qualcomm
Mary Clark, CMO, Synchronoss
Aparna Khurjekar, SVP Customer Experience and Transformation, Verizon Wireless
Discover the Power of Diverse Thought
We are proud to premiere a brand new set of topics on the Summit agenda this year where a set of exciting additions of inclusion topics are added:
Calling out Unconscious Bias in Business;
Understanding the Business Imperative for LGBTQ Equality in the Workplace;
Realising the Benefits of Incorporating Neurodiversity and Disability Into The Talent Pool;
Authentic Leadership Lessons to Inspire and Empower Underrepresented Groups;
Addressing the AI Diversity Crisis; and
Fairer Funding for Female-Led Start-Ups and The Rise of Femtech In the Fight for Equality.
Joining Official Summit Sponsor Accenture and Supporting Summit Sponsor Synchronoss, is Roundtable Sponsor Red Hat and partner CBS Interactive Tech. For more information, visit www.mwcbarcelona.com/experiences/gsma-women4tech/.
GSMA Leading the Way
In addition to the 2019 edition of MWC being officially certified as carbon neutral by AENOR International, which secured MWC Barcelona's position as the world's largest carbon-neutral tradeshow, the event has now been recognised, for a fourth time, as the Guinness World Record holder for the Largest Carbon Neutral Trade Show. 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/.
The GSMA's successful BREEZ (Biometric Recognition Easy Entry Zone) contactless entry solution returns for a second year. The opt-in enrolment service provides attendees with frictionless access to the event through any BREEZ perimeter access lanes and eliminates the need to show identification or have badges scanned in order to enter the event. In its first year, more than 40 per cent of attendees used the service to enter MWC19.
4YFN20
4YFN has launched a series of vertical hubs that each include a start-up showcase, targeted networking and a one-day summit to help investors, corporations and entrepreneurs to navigate and benefit from 4YFN. The hubs include the Fintech Hub sponsored by Mastercard, the Health and Wellness Hub with partner ECHAlliance and the Intelligent Connectivity Hub, sponsored by Telefonica.
The first speakers at 4YFN are announced as:
David Siegel, CEO, Meetup
Valentin Stalf, Co-founder and CEO, N26
Anne Boden, CEO, Starling Bank
xside Presents Internationally Acclaimed Musicians
The new xside experience, a collaboration between 4YFN, S nar and MWC to explore the role that technology, design and innovation play in the future of creativity, cultures, and business presents artists as both speakers and performers for its first event. Internationally acclaimed DJ, producer and technologist, Richie Hawtin, will deliver a keynote exploring the boundaries of creativity and technology, while acclaimed house music artist and fashion designer, Honey Dijon will be among the DJs performing at xside Night from 18:00 at Fira Montjuic each evening. Other recently confirmed artists include French house sensation Folamour and the UK's urban music trendsetter Jamz Supernova, among many other names.
New Partners and Sponsors Announced
For over a decade, companies from acr
