The GSMA announced this Monday the agreement extend Mobile World Congress celebrations in Barcelona until at least 2030. The current contract has so far expired in 2024, so this extension extends the celebration of said event in the Spanish city by another six years.
Periodic transport strikes, various political events, the pandemic… Whenever there was an obstacle, the continuity of the Barcelona fair was called into question. However, this announcement shows commitment to the organization (GSMA) both with the relevant authorities and with the site itself.
Mobile World Congress first held in Barcelona in 2006. When the newly announced contract expires, the fair will be held in the city a total of 23 times – 24 if the 2020 show, canceled due to the pandemic, was held. A permanence that, while not indestructible, reflects the strong bond between Barcelona and the Mobile World Congress.
For the city, this announcement is undoubtedly beneficial. The figures for the last edition, held this year, were lower than usual. The emergence of the Omicron variant in different parts of the world has led to the participation of various companies and thousands of people. Despite this, it is estimated that more than 60,000 people passed through the city, and the economic impact of the fair was about 240 million euros.
In 2019, the last edition held before the pandemic, the numbers were even better. It is estimated that the MWC attracted over 100,000 people that year and had an economic impact of around €500 million on the city, according to figures from Statistical.
Barcelona is so intertwined with the MWC experience that it’s hard for me to think of one and not the other.”
“Recent global circumstances have created some of the most challenging challenges we have had to face at MWC,” Mats Granried, CEO of GSMA, said in a statement. However, the CEO stressed the solidity with which Barcelona has worked to ensure that the fair continues as normal after what happened in 2020. “In fact, Barcelona is so intertwined with the MWC experience that it’s hard for me to think of one and not the other,” he concluded.
The news was also noted by representatives of the Spanish authorities. Among them are Vice President Nadia Calvinho, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona Jaume Collboni and President of the Generalitat Pere Aragonès.
Development.
Source: Hiper Textual
