First LA Edition Showcased Convergence of Mobile with Content, Media and EntertainmentLos Angeles: The GSMA today reported the highlights of the 2018 Mobile World Congress Americas, which was held September 12-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC). Over 55 percent of this year's nearly 22,000 Mobile World Congress Americas attendees held senior-level positions, including more than 2,500 CEOs. An additional 6,500 students attended the first Youth Mobile Festival (YoMo) held at Mobile World Congress Americas.
Under the theme Imagine a Better Future, Mobile World Congress Americas illustrated the positive impact of mobile on consumers and businesses across North America and Latin America. Over three days, attendees from 110 countries gathered to debate and discuss the key trends shaping the mobile industry, including nearly 220 media and industry analysts who were on hand to report on the many developments coming out of the event. Approximately five percent of this year's attendees held roles in the media and entertainment sector, while more than 4,800 attendees, or 22 percent, were female.
This year's show builds on the success of last year's inaugural event, with a higher number of senior-level attendees from the mobile ecosystem, as well as adjacent industries such as media and entertainment, said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. Feedback from participating companies indicates that Mobile World Congress Americas delivered on their goals of developing new business, promoting new technologies and products and building visibility amongst industry influencers. We are really pleased with our first event here in LA and look forward to extending this in 2019.
Industry Leaders Took to the Stage
With nearly 75 hours of program content and over 400 speakers participating in the keynotes and track sessions, 4YFN and Summits, the Mobile World Congress Americas conference program highlighted themes including the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Government and Public Policy, Innovation, Media and Entertainment, and Networks. Keynote sessions featured CEOs and senior executives from a range of leading organizations including AEG, AT&T Mobility & Entertainment, Bharti Enterprises, Boingo Wireless, CTIA, HBO, Idealab, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Nokia, Pandora, Samsung Electronics North America, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Vice International, VUBIQUITY and WURL.
Showcasing the Latest in Mobile
Nearly 1,000 participating companies showcased the latest in mobile technology, including Accenture, Amazon, American Express OPEN, ARM, BMW, Cisco, Dell, Ericsson, Gemalto, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Infosys, Mastercard, McAfee, NBC Universal, Nokia Solutions, Samsung Networks, Sprint, Synchronoss, Syniverse, T-Mobile USA, TELUS, Verizon Wireless, VMware and Vodafone America, amongst others. The expanded exhibition floor also featured 13 country and regional pavilions, representing Canada, China, Finland, France, India, Ireland, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Innovation City returned to the Americas, featuring industry leaders such as BMW, Google and KT Corporation, with a range of exciting demonstrations that highlighted the impact of intelligent connectivity - which combines 5G and the Internet of Things with artificial intelligence and big data - in our everyday lives. The Innovation City also showcased the GSMA's work supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
4YFN Convened Today's Brightest Innovators
A highlight of Mobile World Congress Americas, the 4YFN Startup Event brought together more than 130 startups, investors, corporations and public institutions to connect and launch new ventures together. Startups attended the event from countries such as Colombia, Honduras, India, Israel, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. 4YFN featured a competition between five startup finalists, with OpenAsApp winning the 2018 4YFN Americas Award.
YoMo Attended by 6,500 Students
The Youth Mobile Festival (YoMo) debuted in the Americas after its success at Mobile World Congress Barcelona, inspiring youth from underserved communities in Southern California to pursue careers in STEAM fields through unique hands-on learning activities. More than 6,500 students participated in the three-day program, which featured interactive learning opportunities and workshops from hundreds of educators and area organizations.
Women4Tech: Closing the Gender Gap
Women4Tech, a program designed to address the persistent gender gap in female representation in the mobile industry, offered attendees the Women4Tech Summit, speed coaching and networking events, and a discussion panel at 4YFN. Women4Tech Summit speakers hailed from companies including Accenture, AT&T, Cisco, the City of Los Angeles, Deloitte, EY, Facebook, Millicom, NBA, NBC Universal, Nokia, Oath, Reuters and the Volvo Tech Fund, amongst others.
Mobile World Congress Americas Confirms LA Commitment
The GSMA confirmed that Mobile World Congress Americas will be held in Los Angeles at the LACC for the next two years. The 2019 Mobile World Congress Americas is scheduled to take place October 22-24, 2019.
We're particularly gratified with the response we've seen from the LA creative community to our first Mobile World Congress Americas. I would like to thank CTIA for their partnership and contributions to our success this year, and also extend our gratitude to all of our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, partners, the LACC and the City of Los Angeles for their outstanding support. We look forward to even bigger and better things in LA in 2019, concluded Hoffman.
For more information on the 2018 Mobile World Congress Americas, please visit www.mwcamericas.com.
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