It’s that time of the year again – only 27 days to go until Mobile World Congress!
This year, Mobile for Development and our programmes are holding a variety of seminars and smaller events during the week, so if you’re coming to Barcelona next month, be sure to check them out.
Events on Monday, February 24th
Our first session kicks off on Monday morning from 8:30 to 10:30 in the GSMA Seminar Theatre. This session will feature a keynote address from mobile operators across the Philippines, who will share their disaster response activities in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, how the GSMA was able to help and how they worked with other operators to restore the mobile networks and support wider relief efforts.
This session will also feature a panel discussion on “Creating ‘What’s Next’ in Mobile for Development”, which will explore the future of Mobile for Development; how it can help the industry deliver positive social and economic impact, as well as showcasing the efforts across youth employment, agriculture, energy and water access in emerging markets. We have already seen a number of these initiatives scale up in the last year and really make an impact. This event is open to everyone, and seating is first-come, first-served.
Our Mobile Money for the Unbanked team will also be launching the latest 2013 State of the Industry report on Monday, from 11:00 to 12:30. This report underscores the critical role of mobile and mobile operators in driving the adoption of convenient and affordable financial services among unbanked and under-banked individuals around the world. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion from industry experts covering some of the key themes and messages brought to light from the report. This event is open to everyone, and seating is first-come, first-served.
Later that afternoon, GSMA mWomen is holding a seminar that will cover two critical themes facing resource-poor women around the world: Transforming women’s livelihoods through mobile broadband; and reaching women through mobile services at scale. The keynote speaker this year is Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, and the seminar will launch a new research report, in partnership with Qualcomm Wireless Reach™ and Vital Wave, entitled “Transforming Women’s Livelihoods Through Mobile Broadband,” which explores the benefits of mobile broadband for women in developing countries. This event is open to everyone, but please register to attend this event.
Other Key Events
- mAgri Roundtable, Tuesday 25th February at 14:30 – 16:30, Invite Only: Learn about mAgri’s Challenge Fund to support mobile operators in developing innovative Mobile Agriculture solutions, as well as how to design and scale an mAgri service. Contact Victoria Clause for more info.
- Mobile Enabled Community Services Roundtable, Tuesday 25th February at 16:30 – 18:00, Invite Only : Learn about the changing role of mobile in extending access to energy and water services, including the market opportunities from rural to urban communities, the future of the industry, and the role of MNOs in partnership with service providers, governments and tech innovators in building commercially viable business models. Contact Helene Smertnik for more info.
- Green Power for Mobile Roundtable, Tuesday 25th February at 14:00 – 16:30, Invite Only: Learn about the current state of the Green Power for Mobile industry, the specific business models which are scaling or failing, the challenge of raising funds and the market’s potential. Contact Helene Smertnik for more info.
- Disaster Response Workshop, Wednesday 26th February at 15:00 – 17:00, Invite Only: This workshop on ‘Preparing for the Next Disaster’ features presentations from MNOs and humanitarian organisations, followed by breakout activities to discuss and determine what is needed next in preparing for disaster. Contact Olly Parsons for more info.
We’ll also be tweeting highlights from Congress using the hashtag #mwc14, so be sure to follow us (@GSMAm4d) for updates.