London: The GSMA today welcomed the official opening of the Mobile World Centre in Barcelona. Located in the heart of Barcelona, the Mobile World Centre offers a year-round, state-of-the-art exhibition showroom where citizens can learn about and experience first-hand how mobile is enhancing people’s lives. The Mobile World Centre will offer a range of activities and programmes, combining content exhibitions, educational programmes and retail activities and bringing together a wide variety of audiences, including schools, start-ups, entrepreneurs and established companies, as well as celebrities and experts in cultural areas such as music, art, cuisine, among others.

Executives from the GSMA joined dignitaries and authorities from the Mobile World Capital Barcelona to commemorate the opening of the Mobile World Centre on Thursday 14 February. GSMA Director General Anne Bouverot and GSMA Ltd. CEO John Hoffman were among the guests of honour at the evening event held at the Mobile World Centre located in Plaça Catalunya.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Bouverot noted: “We’re very excited to have achieved this important milestone, driven by a very close collaboration between government authorities and companies across the private sector. W e congratulate the Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Telefónica for their strong partnership in making this a reality. We also applaud the creativity of all those who have worked tirelessly since July 2011 when the GSMA awarded Barcelona the title of Mobile World Capital, leading to the creation of the Mobile World Centre.”

The Mobile World Centre is one of four pillars of the Mobile World Capital Barcelona, along with the GSMA Mobile World Congress, which will be held 25-28 February at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, the Mobile World Hub and the Mobile World Festival. The Mobile World Centre demonstrates the stature of Barcelona as a leader in mobile innovation and provides a global platform to showcase the power of mobile and its positive impact on the world.

“It’s very exciting and gratifying to see this coming to fruition,” said John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd. “While the Mobile World Centre is located here, in the heart of Barcelona, it’s really a platform for the entire world – companies and organisations from throughout Spain, across Europe and around the world will be able to participate here, to demonstrate both the current state of mobile and offer a vision of our connected future.

“And with Mobile World Congress taking place in just eleven days, with more than 70,000 visitors coming to Barcelona, the timing of this opening could not be more perfect,” continued Hoffman. “We encourage everyone to visit and be part of the experience in the Mobile World Centre, and to visit before, during and after the Mobile World Congress.”

The Mobile World Centre is located in Plaça Catalunya at c/ Fontanella nº 2, at the corner of Avda. Portal del Ángel – Barcelona. The Mobile World Centre is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00.

The Mobile World Capital press kit on the Mobile World Centre is available at http://www.welcomemobile.mobi/press/ . Additional information on the Mobile World Centre and Mobile World Capital is available at www.mobileworldcapital.com .

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About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries and territories, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
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GSMA Press Office
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