GSMA Provides Further Updates on 2016 Mobile World Congress

Barcelona, Spain, January 21, 2016 (Newswire.com) - The GSMA today provided further updates on the 2016 GSMA Mobile World Congress, including new keynote speakers, events and partner programmes. 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’re just a month away from Mobile World Congress and our 2016 edition is set to be our broadest, most exciting event yet,” said Michael O’Hara. “We have an outstanding conference programme, with leaders from across the ecosystem, as well as adjacent industry sectors, showcasing how mobile is transforming everyday life for billions of people around the world. Beyond the conference, Mobile World Congress attendees will have the opportunity to experience the impact of mobile through the exhibition, partner programmes, seminars and many other events and activities. We look forward to welcoming the mobile world to Barcelona.” 

New Keynote Speakers Confirmed

The GSMA today announced more than a dozen additional keynote speakers for the 2016 conference programme. Among the most highly anticipated keynote sessions is a presentation by Derek Aberle, President of Qualcomm Incorporated, who will be joined by guests from the MERCEDES AMG Petronas Formula One team, including three-time World Champion driver Lewis Hamilton, to discuss how wireless technology is transforming the future of consumer automotive through motorsport. 

Additional recently confirmed keynote speakers include:

• Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises
• Shang Bing, Chairman, China Mobile
• Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, CEO, Etisalat Group
• Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Facebook
• Mark Fields, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company
• William Ruh, SVP and Chief Digital Officer, GE and CEO, GE Digital
• Dawn Airey, CEO, Getty Images
• Brian Krzanich, CEO, Intel Corporation
• Ann Cairns, President, International Markets, MasterCard
• Denis Sverdlov, Founder and CEO, Roborace
• César Alierta, Executive Chairman and CEO, Telefónica
• Johan Dennelind, President and CEO, TeliaSonera
• Kaan Terzioğlu, CEO, Turkcell
• Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov FRS, University of Manchester

New for 2016, all keynote sessions will be streamed via a dedicated channel on Mobile World Live (www.mobileworldlive.com), which generated almost 400,000 page views during the week of Mobile World Congress 2015. Several keynotes will also broadcast live on Mobile World Live TV, which will run on more than 60 screens in prominent locations across the venue, as well as more than 24,000 rooms in 180 hotels in Barcelona. For complete information on the conference, including the agenda and speakers, visitwww.mobileworldcongress.com/conference/.

The MMIX: Spotlighting Media and Entertainment  

Reflecting the exploding demand for mobile content globally, “The MMIX” encompasses a four-day programme that includes the full-day MMIX Summit sponsored by MixRadio on Wednesday, 24 February, in addition to keynote and track sessions in the Mobile World Congress conference. The MMIX Summit will kick off with a keynote from Scott Mirer, Vice President, Device Partner Ecosystem at Netflix and will feature sessions examining subjects such as the future of film, TV and broadcast, as well as developments in digital music, mobile games, social video and mobile media. Speakers at the Summit include executives from Amuza, CNN, EE, Getty Images, Gleam Futures, Google, Jukin Media, Lewis Silken, L’Oreal Paris, Next Games, Midia Research, MixRadio, Rovio, Sky, Sony Mobile Communications, Telefónica-Movistar+, Telenor, Verizon, Viacom International Media Networks and Warner Music Group.

Additionally, the MMIX Party – the official Mobile World Congress party – returns for 2016 and will take place on the evening of Tuesday, 23 February at Pacha Barcelona. It will feature headliners and performances from some of the world’s leading club DJs. For more information, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/the-mmix/. 

New Developments at 4YFN 

Now in its third year at Mobile World Congress, 4 Years From Now (4YFN) will further encourage attendee interaction through the popular “Founders & Investors” sessions, as well as other new initiatives such as the “Speakers’ Corner” open mic scenarios and “Pitch the Press” meetings between journalists and entrepreneurs. In addition, the event will also include the 4YFN Social Coin, a token through which attendees will interact and create links designed to create new business opportunities.

4YFN has confirmed several additional speakers for the programme including: Werner Vogels, Vice President and CTO at Amazon.com; Rich Miner, Co-Founder of Android and Investment Partner of Google Ventures; David Sable, Global Chief Executive Officer at Y&R; Andrew Bolwell, Chief Disrupter at Hewlett Packard; and Mark Shutterworth, Founder of Canonical and Co-Founder, Ubuntu. 4YFN will feature participation of international investment firms such as Index Ventures, Notion Capital and Relay Ventures and will welcome a significant contingent of French startups through cooperation with La French Tech. For more information, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/events/4yfn-event/.

ESL Expo Barcelona, Presented by MWC

The GSMA is again partnering with ESL, the world’s largest esports company, to bring esports competition to Mobile World Congress. “ESL Expo Barcelona, Presented by MWC” will be held at Fira Montjuïc 19-21 February and will feature the international “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” tournament and “ESL Masters – the Spanish National Championship in League of Legends”, putting competitors to the test in a battle for more than €80,000 in prize money. More than 2,500 fans will have the opportunity to watch world-class esports competition between international and national teams and visitors will also have access to a variety of partner exhibits, shops and other activities. 

Additional Partner Programmes in Theatre District

The GSMA confirmed the addition of several new Partner Programmes being held in the Theatre District at Fira Gran Via. The GTI Summit 2016 will take place on Tuesday, 23 February, PricewaterhouseCoopers will present the Digital Revolution Summit on Wednesday, 24 February and Gamelab Mobile and mSchools by Mobile World Capital Barcelona will be held on Thursday, 25 February. New partners joining include NetNumber, SD Association and SmartFocus for the Power Hour sessions. 

Connected Women at Mobile World Congress

The GSMA will host several programmes and events focused on increasing diversity and driving inclusion in mobile. On the afternoon of Monday, 22 February, the Connected Women team will hold the session “Accelerating Digital and Financial Inclusion for Women”, where they will launch Connected Women commitments by mobile operators to reduce the gender gap in mobile internet and financial services. Speakers include Cherie Blair, Founder, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President, Women’s World Banking; and Dr. Omobola Johnson, A4AI Honorary Chairperson.

On Thursday, 25 February, GSMA Connected Women will host “Women Leadership Accelerating the Digital Age”, to explore new ways to accelerate diversity and encourage higher levels of women’s leadership. This session will be preceded by a “Connected Women in Technology” networking event on the evening of Wednesday, 24 February. Both events are sponsored by Accenture. For more information on Connected Women at Mobile World Congress, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/connected-women/.

MWC Tours: Maximising Attendance at Mobile World Congress

For the first time, the GSMA is offering the MWC Tours programme, a series of topic and exhibition-focused tours to address the specific needs of different audiences at Mobile World Congress. Attendees can now register their interest to participate in six different Industry Topic Tours at Mobile World Congress: 5G and NFV, App Planet, Internet of Things (IoT), Media and Mobile, Retail and Digital Commerce, and Security. Podcasts, videos and webinars are available as part of Orientation Tours designed to help new Mobile World Congress attendees navigate the venue and identify the exhibits, activities and programmes that will meet their individual requirements. The GSMA also announced the following companies will be serving as industry experts in the MWC Tours programme: Award Solutions, Consumers in Motion Group (Immersive Tours), Estudio34, Ikomobi Spain, and Mocentric. For more information on the MWC Tours programme, visitwww.mobileworldcongress.com/events/mwc-tours/.  

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.