GSMA Sets New Records for Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2015

The GSMA today reported that nearly 40,0001 unique visitors from 100 countries and territories attended the 2015 GSMA Mobile World Congress Shanghai, held 15-17 July in Shanghai. The three-day conference and exhibition attracted executives from the industry’s largest and most influential mobile operators, device makers, equipment providers, software companies and Internet companies, as well as technology-savvy consumers.

“This year’s Mobile World Congress Shanghai showcased the vibrant and growing mobile ecosystem here in Asia Pacific, underscoring the tremendous impact that mobile technology is having on consumers and businesses across the region,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “Across the exhibition, the conference and the many other meetings, events and programmes, attendees were able to experience the unlimited possibilities enabled by mobile.”

Held across three halls at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC), the 2015 Mobile World Congress Shanghai hosted 350 exhibitors and sponsors. The conference programme drew more than 3,400 attendees, with over 55 per cent of delegates holding C-level positions, including over 350 CEOs. More than 660 international media and industry analysts attended the event to report on the many industry announcements made at Mobile World Congress Shanghai.

Mobile World Congress Shanghai was held alongside the first Shanghai Digital Information Festival at the SNIEC and attendees were able to visit both events. With nearly 20,000 visitors and 320 exhibitors2, the Festival complemented Mobile World Congress Shanghai with programmes, events and activities demonstrating how citizens can utilise technology in areas such as education, healthcare, travel and entertainment. The two events officially opened with a ceremony attended by government and industry leaders including Shang Bing, Vice Minister, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; Peng Bo, Deputy Director, Cyberspace Administration of China; Xi Guohua, Chairman, China Mobile; Lu Yimin, President, China Unicom; Fu Xinhua, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization; and Wu Xingbao, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.

Industry Leaders Headline Conference Programme

The two-day Mobile World Congress Shanghai conference programme included keynotes from leaders of organisations including BSH Home Appliances, China Mobile, G&D, the Government of Australia, Huawei, Idea Cellular, KDDI, LG Uplus, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Telenor Group and Telstra. Sessions in the conference addressed topics such as digital commerce, enterprise mobility, LTE and 5G, M2M and the Internet of Things, mobile identity and personalisation, and new business models for the mobile internet, among other topics.

Mobile World Congress Shanghai also included a range of GSMA and Partner Programmes, providing attendees the opportunity to build knowledge, gain insights and share best practices. These educational programmes focused on topics including digital commerce, digital health, gaming, innovation, the Internet of Things, LTE and next-generation networks, mobile entertainment, retail and smart cities and more.

Showcasing Leading Companies Across Mobile

The Mobile World Congress Shanghai exhibition featured companies from across the mobile ecosystem as well as adjacent industry sectors, including Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell, Alibaba, Bosch Siemens Home (BSH), China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Huawei, KT Corporation, Lenovo, LeTV, Migu, Nokia, SK Telecom, Visa and ZTE. Mobile World Congress Shanghai also included 14 pavilions highlighting mobile companies from a number of regions and countries.

Now in its third year in Shanghai, the GSMA Innovation City presented a real-life city environment packed with intelligent mobile-connected products and services demonstrating how mobile technology is positively impacting the lives of citizens from across the globe. More than 12,000 visitors to the City experienced interactive demonstrations from partners including Huawei, IBM, KT Corporation, Peel, Pittasoft, Oral-B, Qualcomm Incorporated, Thin Film Electronics ASA and Visa, as well as the GSMA’s key industry programmes including Connected Living, Digital Commerce, Personal Data and Network 2020.

Highlighting the intersection of mobile and gaming, ESL, the world’s largest eSports company, hosted Warcraft III group matches, bringing the biggest gaming stars from China and Korea to battle for spots in the semi-finals. Over three days, nearly 5,000 attendees visited the ESL Arena at the SNIEC, while an estimated 750,000 people around the world also viewed the competition online, with more than 205,000 concurrent viewers online during the final session on Friday 17 July. Additional highlights of the exhibition included the Showcase Stage, which hosted device demonstrations, product presentations, the Tech Unlimited Fashion Show and Showcase Dialogues, and the Device Unlimited Showcase, where mobile operators and device makers showed off the latest in mobile devices and products.

Mobile World Congress Shanghai: A Carbon Neutral Event

The GSMA is in the process of certifying Mobile World Congress Shanghai as carbon neutral through the internationally recognised PAS 2060 standard. To achieve carbon neutrality, the GSMA undertook activities to reduce the carbon footprint of Mobile World Congress Shanghai and will purchase carbon credits to offset any remaining emissions. Carbon credits purchased by the GSMA will fund several CER (Certified Emission Reductions) projects certified by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Mobile World Congress Shanghai Partners

China Mobile and Huawei were Platinum Partners for Mobile World Congress Shanghai. Strategic Partners included China Mobile Communications Association (CMCA) and Shanghai TD-LTE Industry-cum-Technological Innovation and Strategy Alliance (SCIA), and the Official Media Partners were Bloomberg Media, C114, CNBC, Mobile World Live and the Technology Channel of Tencent Online Media Group.

“We thank all who contributed to the success of Mobile World Congress Shanghai, including the government of China, the city of Shanghai, our Platinum Partners China Mobile and Huawei, and all of our exhibitors, sponsors, partners and attendees,” continued Hoffman. “We look forward to coming back to Shanghai next year and building on the strong success of our 2015 event.”

The 2016 Mobile World Congress Shanghai will be held during the week of 27th June 2016.