GSMA Launches Mobile World Congress 2013

- More than 70,000 Attendees Expected to Gather for Mobile Industry's Leading Event

LONDON, Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA today announced details of the 2013 GSMA Mobile World Congress, which will be held 25-28 February 2013 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. Under the theme of 'The New Mobile Horizon', Mobile World Congress will showcase the mobile industry's leading companies, technologies, solutions and services across the exhibition, in the conference programme and through a range of specialised programmes for audiences such as government ministers and regulators, the mobile application community and mobile marketers, advertisers and brands.

"Following the tremendous success of the 2012 event, we're excited about building Mobile World Congress in its new home, Fira Gran Via," said Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA.  "As always at Mobile World Congress, attendees will be able to experience firsthand the latest trends in mobile, whether they're on the show floor, attending a conference session or networking with colleagues, and now this experience will be even more seamless with all venues under one roof. We have an outstanding programme planned for 2013, and we look forward to again welcoming the mobile industry to Barcelona."

Mobile World Congress Conference Programme
The 2013 conference programme will feature 10 keynote sessions and will commence on the morning of Monday, 25th February. The programme will again include Mobile World Live keynote sessions, which will conclude the conference programming on selected days and will be streamed live across the venue and to hundreds of thousands of viewers worldwide via the Mobile World Live portal. In addition to thought-provoking keynote sessions, the 2013 conference will also include in-depth track sessions exploring a range of topics such as applications, business strategy, cloud computing, connected living, developing markets, devices, mobile advertising, mobile health, mobile money, next-generation technologies, NFC, OSS/BSS and social media, among other subjects.

Confirmed keynote speakers for Mobile World Congress 2013 include:

• Rene Obermann, CEO, Deutsche Telekom
• Franco Bernabe, Chairman, GSMA and Chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia Group
• Suk-Chae Lee, CEO, KT Corp.
• Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla
• Susan Whiting, Vice Chair, Nielsen
• Stephen Elop, President and CEO, Nokia
• Lars Nyberg, President and CEO, TeliaSonera

GSMA Ministerial Programme
An integral part of Mobile World Congress is the GSMA Ministerial Programme, which takes place from 25th to 27th February 2013 and is designed to bring together governments, regulators and industry leaders to discuss the specific regulatory issues shaping the development of mobile around the world. This year, the programme features additional regional seminars and thematic workshops to provide the opportunity for in-depth policy discussions between public and private sectors, as well as an expanded series of Government Mobile Excellence awards.  The 2013 Ministerial Programme is expected to attract delegations from 140 countries and intergovernmental organisations. Sponsors for the GSMA Ministerial Programme at Mobile World Congress include STC and ZTE.  

Mobile World Congress Exhibition: Showcasing Innovation
More than 1,500 leading companies from across the broad mobile ecosystem will be showcasing innovative products, services and solutions at Mobile World Congress. Notable companies currently confirmed to participate at the 2013 event include Airwatch, Alcatel-Lucent, Amdocs, Bharti Airtel, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, eBay, Ford, Fujitsu, Gemalto, HTC, Huawei, IBM, Intel, LG, Motorola Mobility, NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Oracle, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, SAP, Sharp, SK Telecom, Sony Mobile, Telefonica, Tellabs, Visa, Vodafone and ZTE, among others.

App Planet: The Centre of the Apps Universe
Now in its fourth year at Mobile World Congress, App Planet will again connect the developer community with the broader mobile ecosystem. Across four days, mobile industry leaders will participate in programmes focusing on the explosive growth in the mobile apps market. App Planet will also feature exhibition, product and service demonstrations, networking and workshops from some of the largest and most influential mobile industry companies. App Planet is open to all Congress attendees and includes:

• App Planet Exhibition - A forward-looking app-focused exhibition with more than 200 app-specific exhibitors showcasing the framework that shapes, enables and drives the app industry;
• App Planet Networking - An ideal place for the developer community to connect, network and explore how to redefine mobile; and
• App Developer Conferences - Presentations and programmes for the mobile app community delivered by industry leaders.

Forum Series to Explore LTE, Mobile Cloud and Mobile Security
Mobile World Congress will again feature the Forum Series, a sponsored programme that brings together industry players to discuss and debate a range of topics in focused sessions. Forums currently scheduled for 2013 include the LTE Forum, the MNO Developer Cloud Forum and the Mobile Security Forum. Initial participating companies include AdaptiveMobile, who will be presenting in the Mobile Security Forum, and ZTE, who will be presenting in the LTE Forum and the MNO Developer Cloud Forum.  

mPowered Brands: Accelerating Mobile Marketing
Building on the successful launch of mPowered Brands in 2012, the GSMA is expanding the multi-faceted programme to develop marketers' and enterprise leaders' mobile knowledge and to fast-track their use of mobile as a marketing medium. mPowered Brands is an indispensable programme for professionals across the mobile marketing ecosystem, providing practical knowledge, timely insights and innovative solutions from the companies at the forefront of mobile marketing. mPowered Brands is comprised of three key elements:

• mPowered Brands Zone - An exhibition area dedicated to mobile advertising and mobile enterprise solutions providers including advertising research, ad networks and enterprise supply chain;
• mPowered Brands Theatres – Marketers, ad agencies, media companies, advertising technology firms and enterprise solutions providers will offer attendees sessions including solutions updates, product and service demonstrations, case studies and workshops related to mobile marketing and enterprise trends; and
• mPowered Brands Mobile Ambassadors - An exclusive mobile industry learning and tour programme presented by first-class training and ambassador partners, providing expert guidance and education for marketers and enterprise leaders.

For more information on Mobile World Congress 2013, including details on how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com.

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona from 2013 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital also includes the Mobile World Centre, the Mobile World Festival and the Mobile World Hub, programmes and activities that will span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, please visit www.mobileworldcapital.com. 

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, 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