The Mobile World Congress (MWC), as an international event, is always exposed in global turbulenceThis year's edition has been impacted by the war against Iran, resulting in 4,000 fewer delegates compared to previous years. with last yearAttendance reached nearly 105,000 attendees "despite the disruptions to travel worldwide," as explained by the GSMA, the organizer of MWC, in its summary of this year's event. Following the US and Israeli attacks the previous weekend, just days before the Mobile World Congress began, some attendees faced difficulties reaching Barcelona due to the cancellation of numerous flights caused by the closure of Middle Eastern airspace. This affected not only travelers from the Near and Middle East, but also those with layovers, as is the case with many flights originating in Asia. It's worth noting that some of the main companies at this congress (Xiaomi, Huawei, LG, Samsung, and SK Telekom) are Asian. They will likely face similar difficulties returning home. The impact was especially noticeable in the first few hours of the first day, Monday, but it diminished as attendees filled the stands and pavilions of Fira Gran Via. "That's 105,000, a slightly lower figure than last year; therefore, we must assume that there were obviously some visitors who came from certain regions or who were affected by the airspace closure and ultimately couldn't attend," said the CEO of Fira de Barcelona, ​​Constantí Serral. However, Serrallonga assured that they are very "happy" with the results, since anything that involves exceeding 100,000 visitors is a "spectacular figure." Thus concludes the twentieth edition of MWC in Barcelona, ​​which has consolidated itself year after year as the most important trade show held in the Catalan capital. “Twenty years in Barcelona and MWC continues to surprise and exceed expectations. From the beginning, the GSMA and the host city's organizations have shared a common vision: to build something that matters to the world,” reaffirmed GSMA CEO John Hoffman, who praised the infrastructure, ecosystem, and commitment. With 2,900 exhibitors and more than 1,700 speakers, Mobile World Congress revolved around the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, the future of the space economy, and the 6G horizon. This is yet another example of how the event has evolved from the Mecca of mobile phones to become the global showcase for advances in connectivity and new technologies, with 58% of attendees coming from sectors other than mobile.

Two days before the kickoff of the twentieth edition of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​​which will take place from Monday, March 2nd to Thursday, March 5th at the Fira de Barcelona, ​​John Hoffman, director of GSMA Ltd. – the trade association for telecoms and organizer of the world's most important technology congress – speaks with ARA about the evolution of the event and technology, its legacy, and its close ties to Barcelona.

The arrival of thousands of congress attendees each year for Mobile World Congress (MWC) is noticeable in the city with the appearance of accreditation booths at hotels and restaurants, but also with queues of black vans and taxis transporting them from one place to another. Despite their obvious presence for four days at the beginning of the year, the expenditure generated by this event is more difficult to account for, and the calculations are not made public until months later.

Eight weeks from now, the doors of the Fira de Barcelona exhibition centre will reopen to once again host the Mobile World Congress (MWC). The telecommunications sector congress has scheduled its 2022 edition for the end of February, while contagions from the sixth wave of the pandemic continue to accumulate. Nevertheless, John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA, which organises the event, confirmed in a letter on Monday that it would go ahead in its in-person version and that he expects more than 1,500 exhibitors during the four-day show. "Many things have changed in the past two years, but our determination to bring the industry back together is indestructible," said the executive.

"It's a very dark day, very disappointing. But we know the sun will shine". Almost a year and a half ago, John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA, lived one of the most complicated moments of his professional career. Visibly moved, he announced the cancellation of the Mobile World Congress due to the growing threat of the pandemic. With a much more animated look on his face, he returns to Barcelona to inaugurate a half-hearted edition of the event on Monday.

John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA, the organiser of the Mobile World Congress, confirmed on Thursday that this year's Mobile World Congress will be held in Barcelona from 28 June to 1 July.