The Mobile World Congress (MWC) will advance this year, but vaccination will not be required for participation when the Barcelona event takes place in June, according to organizers.
“Our vision is that it would be great if the world were vaccinated, but we cannot count on it in 2021, so instead, we are counting on initial tests to ensure that our bubble is not just Fira Gran Via, but the whole of Barcelona , “CEO of the GSMA global mobile technology industry association, John Hoffman, told Mobile World Live.
Participants must test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours after the event, with testing available on site. In addition, event organizers say they will use some form of “technology” to create a “touch-free environment” at the event, which is usually at least partially focused on handling smartphones and other devices with touch screens.
As a result of some of these changes, Hoffman said it will be less of an event than in the past. “COVID’s requirements will decrease our capacity,” he said. “We will not have 110,000 people. With travel restrictions, testing capacity and one-way traffic on display, there’s no way. He expects no more than 50,000 participants this year.
Usually, the Barcelona event takes place at the beginning of the year, but this year he will be exchanging windows with his Shanghai cousin, MWC Shanghai. This means that MWC Shanghai will take place this spring.
The GSMA chose to change the timing of events because China is “more open” than other regions with COVID-related travel restrictions. Hoffman also argued to Mobile World Live that China is a “bubble” with protection against COVID-19 thanks to the country’s efforts to test the virus and track its cases.
MWC Shanghai is a minor event; had 60,000 participants in 2019. But this year, capacity is set at 20,000. “We could have done this virtually,” said Hoffman of the Shanghai conference, “but personally we could take advantage of what we have learned” to apply to Barcelona’s bigger show later.
The mobile technology conference is expected to focus heavily on the global launch of 5G. In the past two years, leading smartphone makers have launched 5G phones, promising that they will prepare users for a future mobile landscape with radically faster speeds and more reliable services in crowded locations. The launch of 5G is still incipient in most parts of the world, however.