By: Nick Gambino
Mobile World Congress is staying in Barcelona until at least 2024, according to a new deal struck by the GSMA (Global System Mobile Association) and the city of Barcelona, Spain.
MWC 2020, which was to be held in February, was canceled (along with nearly every event in the world) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped them from making plans for the future.
“In these trying times, it is ever essential to look forward to the future,” GSMA CEO, John Hoffman, said in a press release about the deal. “The GSMA, the Host City Parties, and the MWC Barcelona ecosystem look forward to upcoming editions of MWC, and MWC Barcelona 2021 will be part of the economic recovery process as we exit these trying times. By extending through 2024, we are demonstrating our commitment to our ecosystem as well as the Host City Parties and our strong mutually beneficial working relationship.”
MWC has been hosted in Barcelona since 2006 and is one of the city’s biggest tech draws. The event is the biggest mobile technology event in the world, drawing over 100,000 attendees every year with exhibits by some of the biggest companies in tech. NewsWatch has covered the event numerous times in the past few years.
After being forced to cancel the event back in February when numerous big companies like Sony and LG backed out, it was uncertain what MWC would look like going forward. It’s good to see that the GSMA and the city of Barcelona were able to bang out a deal that would see an extension to their 2011 contract.
The last agreement, 9 years ago, had MWC calling Barcelona home until 2023. With the 2020 cancellation they tagged on an extra year, making up for lost revenue on both sides.
Hopefully this Coronavirus mess will be cleared up by the time February 2021 rolls around. We’re looking forward to touching down in the Spanish city and reporting on all the advances in mobile technology in real time. Fingers crossed we’ll see you there!
