LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GSMA announced further developments for the 2016 GSMA Mobile World Congress, including newly confirmed keynote speakers, programmes and activities taking place at the annual mobile industry event. Mobile World Congress will be held 22-25 February 2016 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, with events also taking place at Fira Montjuïc.
“We are constantly focused on enhancing the experience for Mobile World Congress attendees, as well as our exhibitors, sponsors and partners,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “To that end, we’re introducing new programmes, such as our MWC Tours programme, which are designed to help individuals and companies maximise their presence at Mobile World Congress and make their visits as productive as possible, particularly attendees that may be new to our show.”
Newly Confirmed Keynote Speakers
The GSMA today announced additional keynote speakers for the four-day Mobile World Congress conference programme, including:
- Dr. Nadia Shouraboura, Founder and CEO, Hointer
- Kate Unsworth, Founder and CEO, Kovert Designs
- Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal
- Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF
These executives join previously confirmed speakers:
- Simon Segars, CEO, ARM
- Jonah Peretti, Founder and CEO, BuzzFeed
- Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson
- Jon Fredrik Baksaas, Chairman, GSMA
- Mats Granryd, Director General Designate, GSMA
- Anne Bouverot, Chair and CEO, Morpho (Safran)
- Sifiso Dabengwa, Executive Director, Group President and CEO, MTN Group
- Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
In addition to the keynotes, the conference will include nearly 50 in-depth track sessions examining topics such as 5G, devices, digital commerce, disaster response, emerging markets, enterprise mobility, gaming, financial services, the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, mobile identity, privacy, security, smart cities and virtual reality/augmented reality, among others. For more information on the conference, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/conference/conference-overview/.
Showcasing Mobile Innovation
The Mobile World Congress exhibition features the leading products, services and technologies that are shaping the future of mobile, from handsets and devices to network infrastructure, software and services and much more. Exhibitors include leading global companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Ford Motor Company, Google, Huawei, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, SK Telecom, Sony Mobile Communications, Telefónica, VMware and Vodafone, among others. For more information on the exhibition, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/exhibition/.
Mobile World Congress will again challenge attendees to track their activity levels at the show and around Barcelona using connected fitness trackers. Garmin has signed on as the Supporting Sponsor for the Healthband Challenge, which will be open to all Mobile World Congress attendees. Garmin will offer attendees discounts on products from its vívofit and vívosmart activity tracking range for purchase in advance of Mobile World Congress.
New at Mobile World Congress: MWC Tours Programme
New for 2016, the GSMA is introducing the MWC Tours programme, providing a series of venue tours to address the specific needs of different audiences at Mobile World Congress. Led by subject matter experts, Industry Topic Tours will offer insights in key industry focus areas such as 5G, the IoT, Media, Retail and Security and highlight Mobile World Congress exhibitors active in these areas. Orientation Tours are webinar-based virtual tours designed to help attendees new to Mobile World Congress navigate the venue and identify the exhibits, activities and programmes that will meet their individual requirements. Further, attendees and companies can also work with the GSMA to develop Bespoke Tours tailored to their specifications. For more information on the MWC Tours programme, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/events/mwc-tours/.
New Partner Programmes in the Theatre District
The GSMA announced several new Partner Programmes taking place in the Theatre District at Fira Gran Via, including Partner Events and Professional Training sessions:
- Partner Events – New partners hosting events in the Theatre District include Adobe, with a half-day programme on Monday, 22 February, and Freescale, who will hold a half-day session on Tuesday, 23 February.
- Professional Training – Award Solutions, the Technology Training Partner of Mobile World Congress, will offer training events on the latest network-transforming technologies. On Tuesday, 22 February, they will host “Learn about LTE – Advanced, Cloud RAN and 5G”. On Wednesday, 23 February, they will hold “Learn about Network Virtualisation with SDN, NFV and Cloud”, with specific sessions that cover technology fundamentals and network performance, as well as mobile capacity and availability planning. Professional Training events are open to all Mobile World Congress attendees.
For more information on Partner Programmes at Mobile World Congress, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/events/partner-programmes/.
GSMA Seminars at Mobile World Congress
At Mobile World Congress, the GSMA hosts a range of seminars designed to provide insights and updates on key GSMA and industry initiatives. GSMA Seminars will be held across the four days of Mobile World Congress and will focus on topics such as Connected Living, Connected Women, Digital Commerce, Digital Inclusion, Disaster Response, Mobile Money, mYouth, Network 2020, Personal Data/Mobile Connect and Spectrum. The GSMA Seminars will be open to all Mobile World Congress attendees and schedule of sessions will be available in the coming months.
The Mobile Explorers Club
The Mobile Explorers Club provides an exciting educational programme designed specifically for children of Mobile World Congress attendees. Held across the four days of Mobile World Congress, the Mobile Explorers Club features hands-on activities focusing on mobile and technology, with three distinct zones exploring robotics and engineering; design, arts, multimedia and app development; and gaming. The Mobile Explorers Club is open to children between the ages of eight and 15. For more information, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/mobile-explorers-club/.
Get Involved at Mobile World Congress 2016
For more information on the 2016 Mobile World Congress including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress on Twitter @GSMA using #MWC16, on our LinkedIn company page http://gsma.at/GSMALinkedIn or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gsma. For additional information on GSMA social channels, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/register-plan/networking/social-media/.
The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona through 2023. The Mobile World Capital encompasses programmes and activities that span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com.
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About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
