One of the biggest technology events plans to be in person this year. Large companies are already rescuing

One of the biggest technology events plans to be in person this year. Large companies are already rescuing

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The GSMA industry trade group on Monday announced plans to hold a face-to-face Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in June – and a number of high-profile companies, including Ericsson and Sony, have already said they will not attend.

Now, the GSMA is trying again, in what could be a test for the return of major face-to-face technology events.

This year will probably be different, now that the organizers have a year of knowledge about the virus and many countries have started distributing vaccines. (Last year, before the event was canceled, security plans included health checks, additional cleaning and exclusion of any participant who had visited China in the previous two weeks.)

The group released a detailed health and safety plan for the event on Monday. This year’s participants are expected to wear masks, comply with the rules of social distance, participate in temperature checks and produce a negative Covid-19 test to access the site, among other stipulations. In recent years, the Mobile World Congress has received more than 100,000 participants and only about half of that number is expected for the 2021 event. It will also complement the event with virtual components.
Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Mobile World Capital Barcelona in July, where the group committed to hold the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona by 2024.

RSVPing ‘no’

Despite these health precautions, some are likely to be wary of attending an event with tens of thousands of participants at a time when the pandemic remains a threat and concerns about Covid-19 variants have increased.

Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson (ERIC) was the first to announce this week that he will not participate.

“In view of Covid-19’s continued impacts and our primary consideration for our people, their health and well-being, we have decided not to participate in MWC 2021,” said Ericsson in a statement. “The decision, while regrettable, reflects our preventive approach to controlling the pandemic from a people and travel perspective, while vaccination programs are implemented globally.”

The company said it expects “the opportunity to return to future events”.

Sony (SNE) quickly followed suit. As the world “shifts to digital and online opportunities to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), Sony Mobile will communicate in ways that can deliver news about our products to a wider audience,” the statement said.
Nokia (NOK) and the Facebook (FB) on Wednesday he joined the choir, both stating that they will participate virtually but have no physical presence at the event. Facebook implemented a policy last year that its employees would not attend personal events until June 2021.

“The health of our employees, customers and partners is of paramount importance to us,” Nokia said in a statement. “Given the international nature of the event and with the global launch of the vaccine still in its initial stages, we made the considered decision to participate only in the virtual event.”

Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark is listed on the Mobile World Congress 2021 website as the keynote speaker. It is unclear whether the company’s decision not to appear in person will affect this plan.
Several other companies, including Cisco (CSCO) and Intel (INTC), told CNN Business that they are still evaluating options to participate.

The GSMA clearly saw at least some of this coming: in its Monday announcement, the group said this year’s Mobile World Congress will be a hybrid event, with online parties for those who feel uncomfortable about attending in person.

“We respect the decisions that have been made by a handful of exhibitors and look forward to welcoming all companies back to Barcelona for future editions of MWC,” a GSMA spokesman said in a statement to CNN Business on Wednesday. .

“We recognize that it will not be possible for everyone to attend MWC Barcelona 2021. That is why we have developed an industry-leading virtual event platform that will ensure that everyone can enjoy the unique MWC experience.”

The return of face-to-face conferences

Last year, major technology conferences and product launch events were held virtually. While participants miss out on the networking opportunities that come when walking the floor of a large exhibition hall, industry experts point out that the online format allows more people from all over the world to participate. Large technology companies could gain more exposure to new potential customers from areas that are typically underserved.
A face-to-face conference can be especially valuable for the wireless industry in the midst of a major shift from 4G LTE network technology to the next generation 5G. This change requires coordination between several countries and many different types of technology companies.

The GSMA highlighted the success of a conference held in Shanghai last week, which attracted 25,000 face-to-face and 175,000 virtual participants.

“The support from our partners, exhibitors, council and local companies was encouraging, and everyone contributed to creating a safe environment by following security measures,” said GSMA general director Mats Granryd in a statement on Monday of the Shanghai event. “Now I’m looking forward to MWC21 Barcelona; it’s time to bring the mobile ecosystem together in person.”

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