LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GSMA today provided an update on the future of the Mobile World Capital and the Mobile World Congress. John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., commented:
“The contract between the GSMA and Barcelona to be the Mobile World Capital and host the Mobile World Congress is due to expire at the end of 2018. The GSMA has received a significant offer from the Barcelona City Partners to extend this agreement for an additional five years, through 2023.
The GSMA is reviewing this offer and will make a recommendation to our Board in the coming months. We will provide a further update in due course.”
The Barcelona City Partners comprise the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism; the Generalitat of Catalonia; the Barcelona City Council; Turisme de Barcelona; Fira de Barcelona; and the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation (BMWCF).
The 2015 edition of Mobile World Congress, the tenth in Barcelona, attracted more than 93,000 visitors from 200 countries, with over 2,000 exhibiting companies showcasing cutting-edge products and services across 100,000 net square metres of exhibition and hospitality space. The four-day conference and exhibition was attended by executives from the world’s largest and most influential mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies and companies from industry sectors such as automotive, finance and healthcare, as well as government delegations from across the globe. The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, an initiative that 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.
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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.