Another successful show in Shanghai

Last week in Shanghai, over the course of three days, more than 26,000 people from 93 countries and territories took part in the GSMA Mobile Asia Expo. Offering a range of new experiences for both the business and consumer attendee alike, the 2014 edition was the GSMA’s largest event ever in the Asian market.

As ever, the Mobile Forum conference led the way with an outstanding series of keynote presentations and targeted track sessions that featured speakers from across the spectrum. The standing-room only opening keynote on Wednesday morning, along with that afternoon’s Mobile World Live keynote, were highlights of the two-day Mobile Forum, which attracted over 3,000 delegates, including more than 150 CEOs.

 The GSMA made several announcements during the show, all of which can be found on our newsroom. The Mobile Economy Asia 2014 report that revealed that the Asia Pacific region now accounts for half of the world’s mobile subscribers and will remain one of the world’s fastest growing mobile markets through 2020 and beyond, while a report from the GSMA Connected Living team outlined China’s leadership in the global Connected Living market with over 50 million M2M connections.

Back for a second year at MAE, the Connected City continued to draw the crowds with some fantastic examples of how mobile-connected devices and products are impacting people’s everyday lives. Perhaps the most exciting demonstration was the Crazy Dunkers, a professional acrobatic slam-dunk team of basketball players from France that not only wowed the crowds at the show, but also wore connected clothing that monitored and displayed their vital signs while playing. GSMA Director General Anne Bouverot even took part in the final show and held a basketball aloft while the Dunkers jumped over the top.

Mobile Asia Expo included several other new elements specifically focused on tech-savvy consumers. The Fitbit Challenge, incredibly popular at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year, proved to be equally popular in Shanghai, alongside the “Quest for Area 14” mobile treasure hunt. Located in the heart of the exhibition, the new Showcase Stage also drew crowds across three days, with interviews, presentations and product demonstrations. Chinese pop star Jane Zhang fascinated fans as she performed a few of her biggest hits and participated in a fireside chat with Lei Chen, chief anchorwoman of ICS. The Showcase Stage also hosted the GSMA 360Fashion and Tech Runway show, which highlighted how technology and clothing are becoming increasingly intertwined. Another new element, the Device Unlimited Showcase put the spotlight on the latest devices and technologies from companies including China Mobile, Coolpad, HTC, Huawei, Lenovo, Samsung, ZTE and others.

This year, we used Google Glass to capture unique, engaging snapshots of MAE – including behind-the-scenes glimpses of the show. Footage over the event will be released over the coming weeks, but keep a particular eye out for the member of Crazy Dunkers wearing Google Glass while performing one of their shows!

 The third Mobile Asia Expo proved to be a resounding success, with the significant increase in attendees illustrating the continued and growing interest in mobile technologies and products, not only among businesses but also with consumers. It’s just finished, and we’re already looking forward to Mobile Asia Expo 2015, which will be held 15-17 July 2015!