The GSMA has announced further details for MWC19 Barcelona (formerly Mobile World Congress), including additional keynote speakers, participating companies, programmes and events.
Taking place 25-28 February 2019, with events being staged at Fira Gran Via, Fira Montjuïc and La Farga L’Hospitalet, MWC19 Barcelona is set to attract more than 107,000 professionals from over 200 countries and territories.
“We have an amazing show lined up for February, with more than 2,400 companies participating across the exhibition, four days of conference programming and so many other events and activities taking place at MWC19,” said a GSMA spokesperson. “With in-depth examination of topics such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, content, security and many others, MWC Barcelona, now more than ever, is the “must-attend” industry event.”
Execs from ARM, Huawei, KT and Orange confirmed for keynotes
The GSMA announced several newly confirmed keynote speakers for MWC19 Barcelona, with executives representing mobile operators, technology providers, internet players and marketing technology companies, among others. New speakers include:
- Simon Segars, CEO, ARM
- Ping Guo, Rotating chairman, Huawei
- Chang-Gyu Hwang, chairman and CEO, KT Corporation
- Dave Grannan, co-founder and CEO, Light
- Stéphane Richard, chairman and CEO, Orange Group
- Anastasia Leng, founder and CEO, Picasso Labs
- Vivian Chan, CEO and co-founder, Sparrho
These executives join previously announced speakers including:
- James Forese, president, Citi
- Blythe Masters, CEO, Digital Asset Holdings
- Rich Williams, CEO, Groupon
- Mats Granryd, director general, GSMA
- Cher Wang, founder and CEO, HTC
- Anjali Sud, CEO, Vimeo
- Nick Read, CEO, Vodafone Group
For more information on the conference, including the agenda and keynote speakers, click here.
Exhibition showcases latest in mobile innovation
The GSMA announced several new exhibitors for MWC Barcelona, including CloudMinds, EY, Ford, Kazakhtelecom, Rakuten, Remade, Royole, Volkswagen and Wings Mobile. These companies will be among the more than 2,400 organisations participating at MWC19, including previously announced brands such as Accenture, Alibaba Cloud, ARM, AT&T, BMW, Cisco Systems, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Facebook, Google, HTC, Huawei, Intel, KT Corporation, Lenovo, LG, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, Nokia Solutions and Networks, NTT DOCOMO, Ooredoo, Oracle, Orange, Qualcomm Incorporated, SAP, SEAT, SK Telecom, Telefónica, Verizon, Vodafone, Xiaomi and ZTE.
MWC Barcelona will again offer attendees focused Topic Tours of the exhibition at Fira Gran Via. Led by industry experts, the 2019 Topic Tours programme includes: 5G & NFV; Cybersecurity; Internet of Things; Mobile Advertising & Apps; Retail & Digital Commerce; Sustainable Smart Cities; Transformative AI; and What’s Hot at MWC. The GSMA also offers unique Custom Experiences to address attendees’ specific business objectives and requirements.
The GSMA also announced several new sponsors for MWC Barcelona. VMware has been confirmed as the “Connectivity Event Theme Sponsor,” while Citi is the “Industry 4.0 Event Theme Sponsor”; in support of these event themes, both companies will host networking receptions open to conference attendees in Hall 4. For further information on the MWC19 themes, click here.
Support for the Women4Tech Programme continues to grow as the GSMA signed several new sponsors including Pinsent Masons and Synchronoss (Women4Tech Summit Supporting Sponsors), Red Hat (Women4Tech Roundtable Sponsor), Cisco (Women4Tech Speed Coaching and Networking Event Sponsor) and CBSi and Wall Street Journal (Women4Tech Official Partners). Finally, Wipro Limited has joined as the latest Networking Garden Sponsor.
For more information on the exhibition, including exhibitors and sponsors, click here.
4YFN: A future powered by the startup community
Held 25-27 February, 4 Years From Now (4YFN), the innovation platform of MWC, is set to welcome 21,000 attendees in its sixth edition in Barcelona. 4YFN attendees will have the opportunity to meet the growing global tech startup community, including over 600 tech startups exhibiting in the Innovation Market.
The 4YFN programme will feature notable speakers including Naveed Sultan, global head, Treasury and Trade Solutions, Citi; Anastasia Dedyukhina, founder, Consciously Digital; Bracken Darrell, president and CEO, Logitech; Nektarios Liolios, managing director, Startupboothcamp FinTech; and David Sable, non-executive chairman, Y&R.
In addition to the stimulating onstage talks and workshops, 4YFN will offer inspiring summits focusing on subjects including digital health and sports tech, as well as a series of Women4Tech activities. Newly signed 4YFN event sponsors include Mastercard, Rivetz and Visa. For more information, click here.
GSMA launches new Women4Tech activities
The GSMA introduced two new activities as part of the Women4Tech Programme at MWC19: Inside Track and the Women4Tech Roundtable. In the Inside Track, attendees will gain critical insights from a Fortune 500 expert, enabling them to hone their skills and compete more effectively within the mobile industry. The invitation-only Women4Tech Roundtable discussion will convene influential leaders in a candid dialogue that will explore issues surrounding female development in technology and telecoms. For more information, click here.
New Partner Programmes at MWC
The list of MWC19 Partner Programmes continues to grow, providing attendees further opportunities to engage with and gain insights from the industry’s leaders. The 5G Automotive Association, Google, GTI, Huawei and MEF (Mobile Ecosystem Forum) have recently confirmed to hold Partner Programmes, while Afilias, Automotive Edge Computing Consortium and IESE Business School will host Power Hour Sessions. For a seventh year, Award Solutions will offer two days of technology training sessions. For more information, click here.
Submissions for GLOMOs close on 21 November
There’s only one week left to submit for the 2019 GLOMO Awards, which honour the greatest achievements and innovations across the mobile industry, with 42 awards presented over 10 categories. Entries for the 2019 awards will be accepted through Wednesday, 21 November, with the winners announced during MWC19. Complete information on the GLOMOs, including instructions for submission, can be found here.
Register to attend MWC19
Registration for MWC19 Barcelona is now open; attendees can compare pass types, learn how to customise their MWC19 experience and complete the registration process here.
For more information on MWC19 Barcelona, including how to exhibit or sponsor, click here. Follow developments and updates on MWC19 on Twitter @GSMAEvents using #MWC19, on our LinkedIn MWC page or on Facebook. Follow other GSMA news and activity on Twitter @GSMA.
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