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NEW DELHI: The GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association) has entered into an agreement with the Barcelona City Partners to make 'Barcelona' the Mobile World Capital for an additional five years.
The current contract was due to end in 2018.
With this agreement, Barcelona will continue to host each year the world's main event of the mobile phone-related industries until at least 2023.
The Barcelona City Partners comprise the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism; the Generalitat de Catalunya; the Barcelona City Council; Turisme de Barcelona; Fira de Barcelona; and the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation (BMWCF).
"We are very pleased to confirm that Barcelona will continue to serve as the Mobile World Capital and home of Mobile World Congress for the next eight years,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd.
"Our 2015 event marked the 10th year we’ve held Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and over that period of time, we’ve received tremendous support from all of our Mobile World Congress and Mobile World Capital Barcelona partners. We look forward to further building on our success together in the years ahead,” said Hoffman.
The 2015 edition of Mobile World Congress attracted more than 94,000 visitors from 200 countries, with over 2,000 exhibiting companies showcasing cutting-edge products. The four-day conference and exhibition brought together executives from the world’s largest and most influential mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies and companies from industry sectors such as automotive, finance and healthcare, as well as government delegations from across the globe.
Preliminary independent economic analysis indicates that the 2015 Mobile World Congress contributed more than €436 million and nearly 12,675 part-time jobs to the local economy.
The 2016 Mobile World Congress will be held on February 22-25, 2016, at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, located between the Catalan capital's airport and the city centre.