The 2014 GSMA Mobile World Congress, the mobile industry’s most prestigious global event, was held in Barcelona on 24-27 February 2014 at the Fira Gran Via. The four-day Congress attracted more than 85,000 visitors from over 200 countries to discuss key industry trends under the theme of “Creating what’s NEXT”.
The event programme featured Mobile World Live keynote speeches from Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook, and Virginia Rometty, Chairman, President and CEO of IBM.
Find the highlights from MWC 2014 here.
Each year at the Congress, the GSMA’s Government and Regulatory Affairs team hosts the Ministerial Programme which brings together governments, regulators and industry leaders to discuss the policies and regulatory initiatives that impact mobile services and connectivity around the world. The biggest yet, this year’s Programme attracted 74 Ministers and government delegations from 160 countries, as well as intergovernmental organisations. Keynote speakers included Jon Fredrik Baksaas, the Chairman of the GSMA, Anne Bouverot, the GSMA’s Director General and Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda.
At the Congress, more than 1,800 companies showcased cutting-edge products and services across 98,000 square meters of exhibition and hospitality space – demonstrating the vibrancy and dynamism of the mobile industry.
“By any measure, the 2014 Mobile World Congress was a stunning success and we thank our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors and partners for their continued support,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “Beyond the number of attendees and participating companies, the continued expansion of the event to address key adjacent industry sectors demonstrates just how pervasive mobile is in our everyday lives and how integrated it is becoming in everything that we do”.
The GSMA Intelligence team was also in Barcelona to report on all the key developments that will shape the global mobile industry in the year ahead. The Mobile World Congress 2014 wrap-up – organised into three key areas – networks, devices and services – provides exclusive insight and analysis on the key developments and trends from Mobile World Congress 2014.
The GSMA launched its Mobile Economy 2014 study at the Congress, offering insight into the mobile industry’s challenges and opportunities. To access the report, please visit www.gsmamobileeconomy.com.
During the Congress, GSMA Europe interviewed several key EU policymakers about the future of the mobile industry. Watch the highlights of those interviews in the video below:
The video is also available via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
On Monday 17 March, GSMA Europe held the “A Taste of Mobile World Congress 2014”event in Brussels to showcase the key trends and developments at the Congress.
Moderated by Jennifer Baker, the ICT correspondent for viEUws, the sessions were attended by EU policy makers, stakeholders and industry representatives. The event drew on insights of representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament and industry analysts from the mobile and the app sectors.