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ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GSMA provided further updates for the upcoming Mobile World Congress Americas, including several recently confirmed keynote speakers, new programs and events, and additional exhibitors and partners. Mobile World Congress Americas will take place September 12-14, 2017 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
“We have just under two months left to go before the mobile world congregates in San Francisco for our inaugural Mobile World Congress Americas,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “We have an amazing event lined up, from the conference headlined by industry luminaries, to the exhibition with cutting-edge technologies, products and experiences, to a vast array of programs and activities designed to inform, educate and engage. We’re looking forward to showcasing the innovation that is the hallmark of the Americas mobile industry.”
New Keynote Speakers Confirmed
The GSMA announced several newly confirmed keynote speakers, with executives representing a wide range of organizations across the mobile ecosystem, including:
- Thaddeus Arroyo, CEO, Business Solutions and International, AT&T
- Gina Bianchini, Founder and CEO, Mighty Networks
- Lauren Kunze, CEO and Co-Founder, Pandorabots
- Ajit Pai, Chairman, United States Federal Communications Commission
- John Riccitiello, CEO, Unity
The latest executives join previously announced keynote speakers:
- Carlos Slim Domit, CEO and Chairman, América Móvil
- Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises and Chairman, GSMA
- Meredith Atwell Baker, President and CEO, CTIA
- Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA
- George Kliavkoff, CEO and President, Jaunt
- Rajeev Suri, President and CEO, Nokia
- Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal
- Marcelo Claure, President and CEO, Sprint and Chairman, CTIA
- Juan Perez, Chief Information and Engineering Officer, UPS
- Ronan Dunne, Executive Vice President and Group President, Verizon Wireless
The GSMA also announced several additional speakers participating in the “Everything Policy” track, a two-day program of panel discussions with leading policymakers and industry experts focused on key wireless issues. Among the topics that will be addressed in the policy track are spectrum auctions, wireless infrastructure, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT) innovations, public safety, unmanned aerial services and more. Speakers recently added to the agenda include:
- Jeff Stewart, Assistant Vice President, External & Legislative Affairs, Global Public Policy - Wireless, AT&T
- Jared Carlson, Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Ericsson
- John Godfrey, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Samsung
- Charles McKee, Vice President Government Affairs, Federal and State Regulatory, Sprint
- Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner, United States Federal Communications Commission
- Rachael Bender, Acting Wireless Advisor, Office of Chairman Ajit Pai, United States Federal Communications Commission
- Melissa Tye, Vice President, Policy, Verizon
For more information on the conference program, including the agenda and speakers, visit www.mwcamericas.com/conference/.
New Summits Focus on Innovation and Investment in Latin America and China
The GSMA introduced two new programs for Mobile World Congress Americas: the Latin America Investment Summit, which will be held Tuesday, September 12, and the China – US Innovation and Investment Summit, which will be held on Thursday, September 14.
The Latin America Investment Summit will take a deep dive into start-ups, innovation and investment opportunities in the Latin America mobile ecosystem. Confirmed speakers include:
- Rodrigo Diehl, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, Millicom
- Eduardo Henrique, Co-Founder and Partner, International Business Development, Movile
- Gabriela Ruggeri, Founding Partner, Patagonia Ventures
- Alejandro Botero, Foreign Investment Representative, ProColombia
- Azúl Ogazón, Deputy Trade and Investment Commissioner, ProMexico
- Jackie Hyland, Director, Latin America, Silicon Valley Bank
- Fabiola Bonelli, Director of Strategy, Innovation and Business Development, Telecom Argentina
- Ana Segurado, Global Director, Telefónica Open Future
Further information on the Latin America Investment Summit is available at: www.mwcamericas.com/start-here/agenda/latin-america-investment-summit/.
The China – US Innovation and Investment Summit will examine a range of topics driving innovation and investment in the Chinese mobile market, including developments in areas such as 5G and IoT, as well as high-growth tech segments such as microprocessors, drones and automotive. For more information on the China – US Innovation and Investment Summit, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/start-here/agenda/china-innovation-and-investment-summit/.
The GSMA also provided further details on the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in the Enterprise Summit, which is scheduled for Wednesday, September 13. This event will explore the potential of augmented reality and virtual reality for applications beyond gaming and entertainment, in sectors such as manufacturing, medicine, automotive, education, industrial, workplace and beyond. For more information on the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in the Enterprise Summit, visit www.mwcamericas.com/start-here/agenda/augmented-reality-and-virtual-reality-in-the-enterprise-summit/.
New Exhibitors and Sponsors Sign On for Mobile World Congress Americas
The GSMA announced several new exhibitors and sponsors for the Mobile World Congress Americas, including Aricent Technologies, Cisco, IConectiv, IQmetrix, Meta and Rural Wireless Association. Brazil and Greece will also host country pavilions at Mobile World Congress Americas, alongside other pavilions from Canada, China, India and Korea. Additionally, the exhibition will feature showcases focusing on specific technology areas, including the newly confirmed Graphene Pavilion, as well as the VR/AR Zone, both located in NEXTech in the West Hall at the Moscone Center.
These organizations join previously announced exhibitors including Amdocs, AT&T, Ericsson, Motorola Mobility, Nokia, PayPal, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics America, Samsung Electronics Networks, Sprint, TATA Communications Transformation Services, TELUS, TracFone Wireless, Verizon Wireless, VMWare and ZTE, among many others. For more information on the Mobile World Congress Americas exhibition, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/exhibition.
A highlight of the exhibition will be the GSMA Innovation City, where attendees to will have the opportunity to experience technology in context and see how mobile-connected products and services can improve the daily lives of citizens and businesses, in areas such as home, automotive, health, utilities, industrial and others. The Innovation City will feature leading-edge demonstrations from companies including AT&T, Google, KT Corporation and MasterCard, as well as from GSMA programs including Future Networks, Identity, Internet of Things and the GSMA’s work supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For more information on the Innovation City, visit www.mwcamericas.com/exhibition/gsma-innovation-city/.
American Express has joined as a Supporting Sponsor for Mobile World Congress Americas. Other recently confirmed sponsors include Global Certification Forum for the Latin America Investment Summit, Meta for the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in the Enterprise Summit, Syniverse for the Women4Tech Summit, and TomTom for the Connected Vehicles Summit. For more information on Mobile World Congress Americas sponsors, visit www.mwcamericas.com/about/sponsors-partners/.
Women4Tech Summit: Empowering, Encouraging, Transforming and Innovation
The Women4Tech Summit, which will be held on Wednesday, September 13, will feature a combination of keynote speakers and panel discussions centering on four key themes: Empowering, Encouraging, Transforming and Innovation. Summit sessions will address issues relating to equality and career development, mentorship and youth education, communication and business verticals, and entrepreneurship and startups. The GSMA announced several additional keynote speakers for the Summit, including:
- Donna Morris, Chief of Staff, Head of Recruitment and Diversity, Adobe
- Telle Whitney, CEO and President, Anita Borg Institute
- Alex Rosen, Managing Director, IDG Ventures
- Rachel Samrén, EVP Chief External Affairs Officer, Millicom
- Kathrin Buvac, Chief Strategy Officer, Nokia
- Rose Kirk, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer and President, Verizon Foundation, Verizon
For more information on the Women4Tech Summit and the broader Women4Tech program at Mobile World Congress Americas, visit www.mwcamericas.com/events/women4tech/.
New Speakers, Partners for 4YFN Startup Event
The GSMA announced further updates for the 4 Years From Now (4YFN) program, which is making its San Francisco debut after successful runs in Barcelona and Shanghai. Notable 4YFN speakers include Ben Levy, Co-Founder, Bootstrap Labs; Katie Gray, Partner, In-Q-Tel; Azita Arvani, Head of Global Innovation Scouting, CIOO, Nokia; Drew Ianni, Founder and CEO, M2 Events LLC; and Lev Mass, Venture Partner, XSeed Capital.
In addition to the stimulating open-stage forum, 4YFN will feature a competition between 15 startup finalists in the 4YFN Americas Awards 2017 Finale. Innovative tech startups from countries such as Colombia, Greece, Korea, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. will be among 150 companies in the 4YFN exhibition. 4YFN Event Partners include Soracom Global (Gold Partner), Arrow (Silver Partner) and Radsone (Bronze Partner). For more information on 4YFN, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/events/4yfn/.
Additional Partner Programs Confirmed
The GSMA confirmed additional partner programs to be held across the three-day Mobile World Congress Americas. On Tuesday, September 12, the CDX Mobile Innovation Summit will look at how brands engage consumers and overcome organizational disruptions by leveraging mobile, while on Wednesday, September 13, Cohere Technologies will offer a session examining how IoT connectivity is forcing a new approach to wireless applications.
On Thursday, September 14, the M-Enabling Forum, a joint initiative of Mobile World Congress Americas, the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies, and E.J. Krause & Associates, will host an event focusing on technologies developed for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Also on Thursday, the Mobile Growth House will host a half-day event on increasing and maintaining app user engagement. For a full schedule of Partner Programs at Mobile World Congress Americas, visit www.mwcamericas.com/events/partner-programs/.
Get Involved at Mobile World Congress Americas 2017
Mobile World Congress Americas will feature a range of networking events and activities for attendees, including the official opening party on Tuesday, September 12 at 5:00 pm PDT, as well as the Mobile World Congress Americas 5K run, held on Wednesday, September 13 at 7:00 am PDT.
Event registration is currently open. More information on Mobile World Congress Americas 2017, including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, is available at www.mwcamericas.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress Americas on Twitter @GSMAEvents using #MWCA17, on our LinkedIn Mobile World Congress Americas page https://www.linkedin.com/company/gsma-mobile-world-congress-americas or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MWCAmericas/.
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About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 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, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
About CTIA
CTIA® (www.ctia.org) represents the U.S. wireless communications industry and the companies throughout the mobile ecosystem that enable Americans to lead a 21st century connected life. The association’s members include wireless carriers, device manufacturers, suppliers as well as apps and content companies. CTIA vigorously advocates at all levels of government for policies that foster continued wireless innovation and investment. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices, hosts educational events that promote the wireless industry and co-produces the industry’s leading wireless tradeshow. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.
