95,000 people are expected to attend the MWC, with more than half coming from non-telephony sectors.

While it’s hard for the vast majority to stop thinking about it this way, Mobile World Congress (MWC) isn’t just about mobile phones. For years, its organizers have worked to expand the image of the main show held in Barcelona, ​​which is already reflected in the number of participants both this year and last: more than half of the congressmen work in other sectors. . “This is much more than mobile phones, this is digital transformation across industries,” sums up GSMA CEO Mats Granryd.who, despite his efforts, every time he comes to the Catalan capital, they always talk to him about Mobile, and not just about the MWC, as the organizers want.

Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, 5G, smart mobility, connected industry, fintech, sports and entertainment will be among the main themes that can be seen on stands and heard in the corridors of the Gran Via exhibition center, which will not be exempt from the measures required by the drought , minimizing tap consumption and turning off decorative fountains at the entrance. More than 95,000 people are expected to attend the new convention, up from 88,500 a year ago, but that’s still a far cry from pre-pandemic numbers.when the incumbent president has consistently been listed year after year in participation reports exceeding 100,000 congressmen since 2016.

The gradual return of Asian congressmen after the epidemic will fuel this growth, with exhibitors such as China Telecom and Japan’s KDDI participating for the first time. China Mobile will also be there, and Huawei will repeat another year with a booth that will take up more space. While the Chinese economy is slowing, the audience notes that they have not yet noticed it: “The opposite is happening. This is where they find growth and look for new opportunities,” emphasized Granried during the presentation of the congress, held this Wednesday at the old Estrella Damm factory. The trend is also found at the other major year-opening trade show in Barcelona, ​​Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), which will see Chinese congressmen grow the most this year.

Mobile 2024, which runs from Monday 26 February to Thursday 29 February, will feature over 2,400 exhibitors. The long list will consist of multinational corporations such as Amazon, Airbus, Google, Ericsson, Hewlett Packard, Honor, Qualcomm, Target, Microsoft, Samsung, STC, T-Systems And ZTE. The America’s Cup will also be on display with a stand from host team Emirates Team New Zealand, which will show how its members feel about traveling on flying boats.

The exhibition of the latest technological developments from various sectors will be accompanied by a program of talks with approximately 1,100 speakers. In line with the GSMA’s goal of weakening the Mobile label, 60% of speakers will be from other sectors. Among them will be the vice president of Microsoft, Brad Smith; President and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Antonio Neri; President and CEO of Dell Technologies, Michael Dell; Secretary General of the World Children’s Forum, Katharina Mellström; CEO and founder of Google DeepMing, Demis Hassabis; CEO of Oxford Quantum Circuits, Dr. Ilana Visby; CEO of The B-Team, Halla Tomasdottirand CEO and Founder of Take Back the Media, Derrick Ashong. There will be no shortage of telecommunications company managers such as telephone, Orange, Deutsche Telecom, China MobileNorwegian Telenor Group and Australian Telstra. There is still a long way to go to achieve parity among participants, but this year’s speakers will make up 40% of the total.

Unlike other years, the GSMA did not report in its MWC 2024 presentation on the expected economic impact on the city or the temporary jobs that will be created. The only clue Granryd has given is that they expect it to be higher than last year, when it was €350 million and 7,400 jobs, taking into account that they expect a larger number of participants. Also notable this Wednesday was the absence of Mobile’s most prominent face, John Hoffman, who was unable to travel to Barcelona due to personal reasons. For the first time since the show took place in Barcelona in 2006, 18 years ago, Hoffman did not participate in the traditional press conference, where there have been years where he even took off his shirt to promote an initiative.

Ten years of 4YFN

El Mobile is often out of reach of Barcelona residents, who notice its celebration only when members of Congress in suits with the appropriate accreditation appear anywhere in the city. More accessible is its little brother, 4 Years From Now (4YFN), an MWC exhibition dedicated to startups and which was attended by many local entrepreneurs. This year it celebrates its first decade, attracting more than 4,200 exhibitors, 9,200 founders and 5,200 investors. They will again occupy pavilion 8 of the L’Hospitalet de Llobregat exhibition complex, although they were traditionally located in Montjuïc.