MWC Barcelona is preparing a line of live and in-person events for June
The Mobile World Congress (MWC) was one of the first major trade shows to disconnect its audience live last February when the pandemic first hit. Now, it could be one of the first major international conventions and shows to come back big in person.
GSM Association organizers have said they hope to welcome 50,000 people to Barcelona for the physical part of the show from June 28 to July 1, as well as much more digitally for what will be a fully hybrid event. The show welcomed more than 100,000 visitors in 2019 by comparison.
The GSMA says all physical participants in 2021 will be required to provide a negative Covid-19 test and repeat that test every 72 hours.
The GSMA managed to organize a smaller show in Shanghai in February, with 17,000 attendees, which has proven to be a useful practice to revive the physical element in Catalonia.
MWC Barcelona 2021 will adopt Connected Impact as the key theme of an event that will encompass the most revolutionary technology and explore how it can shape the way we live tomorrow. The GSMA has also produced a health and safety plan for MWC21 Barcelona, ​​developed in coordination with Catalan health authorities.
The health and safety plan, Committed Community, will impact everyone involved in the event and takes a layered approach designed to create a safe environment for staff, workers, exhibitors, visitors, suppliers , partners and the local community. Layers include frequent testing, contact tracing, non-contact environments, redeveloped catering, occupancy monitoring, facility infrastructure upgrades, increased medical staff, and personal commitments such as respect for social distance. The plan builds on the protocol on security and prevention against COVID-19 currently implemented by the Fira de Barcelona.
Recently, Fira de Barcelona received the “Safe Travels†label from the World Travel Tourism Council for its Covid-19 security measures.
The latest health and safety measures have been designed in collaboration with the Aon risk management consultancy firm and with advice from the ClÃnic Hospital in Barcelona, ​​a benchmark epidemiological center.