Annual Mobile Event Attracted 7,700 CEOs, Up From 6,100 in 2017;2018 GSMA Ministerial Programme Hosted Record 181 Delegations
Barcelona: The GSMA today reported that more than 107,000* visitors from 205 countries and territories attended the 2018 Mobile World Congress, the mobile industry's premier event. Over 55 per cent of this year's Mobile World Congress attendees held senior-level positions, including more than 7,700 CEOs, up from more than 6,100 CEOs in 2017. Approximately 24 per cent of attendees were female, an increase from 23 per cent at Mobile World Congress 2017; additionally, 28 per cent of speakers in the conference programme were female, compared with 21 per cent in 2017.
We had another highly successful Mobile World Congress, across so many fronts, said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. We are gratified with the number of senior-level attendees, particularly the number of CEOs, as well as the continued strong attendance of government ministers and regulators. However, we are not focused on necessarily having the biggest event - we continually strive to convene the right audience and deliver a high-quality experience across all aspects of the event, the conference, the exhibition, and the many other programmes and events at Mobile World Congress.
More than 2,400 companies showcased cutting-edge products and services across 120,000 net square metres of exhibition and hospitality space at Fira Gran Via, including the new South Village, compared with more than 2,300 in 2017. More than 3,500 international media and industry analysts attended the event to report on the many significant industry announcements made at the Congress. Preliminary independent economic analysis indicates that the 2018 Mobile World Congress will have contributed approximately 471 million and over 13,000 part-time jobs to the local economy.
MWC Conference: 5G, Artificial Intelligence, IoT and Beyond
Over four days, the Mobile World Congress conference programme delved into topics such as 5G, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), content and media, drones, blockchain, policy and regulation, and many others. The keynote sessions featured leaders from established players and industry upstarts, as well government agencies and the development community.
Keynote speakers represented organisations including Airobotics, Atrium TV, Bharti Enterprises, BT Group, China Mobile, CNN Worldwide, Ericsson, European Commission, Formula 1 Driver Fernando Alonso, GE, Go Beyond Investing, HTC, Hyperledger, McAfee, McLaren Technology Group, NTT DOCOMO, PullString, Rakuten, Red Hat, SheWorx, Government of Spain, SoftBank Vision Fund, Sprint, Synchronoss, Tata Communications, Telef nica, Telenor, Telia, Teralytics, United Nations Foundation, United States Federal Communications Commission, Vodafone, World Bank Group, World Food Programme and W20 Argentina Group.
Ministerial Programme: Platform for Critical Policy Dialogue
An integral element of Mobile World Congress, the Ministerial Programme offers a unique forum for ministers, regulators, international organisations and CEOs from around the world to discuss key developments and policy trends in the mobile sector. This year's programme highlighted topics including the evolution to 5G and the increasing need for spectrum; privacy and cross-border data flows; sustainability and mobile for social good; and mobile in education and healthcare, among others. The 2018 Ministerial Programme hosted delegations from 181 countries and international organisations, including 71 ministers and 85 regulatory authority heads, with total attendance exceeding 2,000 delegates.
Showcasing the Future of Mobile
As always, Mobile World Congress showcased the technologies, products and services that are shaping the future of mobile. More than 2,300 companies participated at Mobile World Congress 2018, including major brands such as Accenture, Alibaba, AT&T, BMW, China Mobile, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Facebook, Formula 1, Fujitsu, Google, HTC, Huawei, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, LG, Mercedes-Benz, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Orange, PwC, Qualcomm, Samsung, SAP, SEAT, SK Telecom, Sony Mobile, Telef nica, Toyota, VMware, Vodafone, Xiaomi and ZTE, among others.
Located again in Hall 4, the GSMA Innovation City was visited by nearly one-third of Mobile World Congress attendees, who experienced how mobile-connected products and services are creating a better future for citizens and businesses around the world, in diverse areas such as home, automotive, health, agriculture, utilities, industrial and more. The City featured leading-edge demonstrations of technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, drones and the IoT, among many others, from City partners Cisco IoT, Huawei, KT Corporation, Sierra Wireless and Turkcell / Lifecell Ventures, as well as key GSMA programmes.
NEXTech in Hall 8.0 put the spotlight on disruptive technologies from virtual reality/augmented reality and robotics, to cognitive computing, artificial intelligence, graphene and more. In the NEXTech Theatres, the GSMA hosted 34 Partner Programme sessions over the four days of Mobile World Congress.
Focus on Startups at 4YFN
More than 20,000 attendees, including 600 investors, participated in 4 Years From Now (4YFN) at Fira Montju c. The fifth edition of 4YFN offered inspirational talks, workshops and interactive discussions, 1:1 investor meetings, pitching competitions, pitch the press sessions, networking activities and more. The Innovation Market showcased 600 exhibitors from more than 45 countries and 12 international delegations, while the event offered attendees 110 hours of content on topics such as AI, blockchain, IoT, technology transfer and corporate venturing, among others.
Women4Tech: Reducing the Gender Gap, Championing Diversity
Now in its second year, the Women4Tech Programm
