GSMA: Barcelona remains mobile world capital into 2023

The GSM Association (GSMA), the organization that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide says it has signed an agreement with the Barcelona City Partners to extend their contract for an additional five years, making Barcelona the Mobile World Capital and host city of the GSMA Mobile World Congress through 2023.

The Barcelona City Partners comprise the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism; the Generalitat de Catalunya; the Barcelona City Council; Turisme de Barcelona; Fira de Barcelona and the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation (BMWCF).

“We are very pleased to confirm that Barcelona will continue to serve as the Mobile World Capital and home of Mobile World Congress for the next eight years,” John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd, says. “Our 2015 event marked the 10th year we’ve held Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and over that period of time, we’ve received tremendous support from all of our Mobile World Congress and Mobile World Capital Barcelona partners. We look forward to further building on our success together in the years ahead.”

According to GSMA, the 2015 edition of Mobile World Congress attracted more than 94,000 visitors from 200 countries, with over 2,000 exhibiting companies showcasing cutting-edge products. The four-day conference and exhibition brought together 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.

Preliminary independent economic analysis indicates that the 2015 Mobile World Congress contributed more than €436 million and nearly 12,675 part-time jobs to the local economy. 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. These include programmes in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation, mHealth, mEducation, smart living and smart cities, among others.

The 2016 Mobile World Congress will be held 22-25 February 2016 at Fira Gran Via.