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.

Just days before the Mobile World Congress (MWC) kicks off, Barcelona is gearing up for one of the winter season's flagship events, with over 100,000 attendees filling hotels and restaurants. This is the most vivid description of the business generated by the congresses hosted by Fira de Barcelona, ​​but the trade fair institution has put it in black and white and quantified the economic impact of the various shows held at its different venues. Fira de Barcelona's activity generated more than €6.1 billion in 2024, according to a report prepared by the Barcelona Institute of Economics (IEB) at the University of Barcelona (UB). This figure represents a 28% increase compared to 2019, the year before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many considered the trade fair sector doomed.