MWC to make a return to a physical conference this June
A year after MWC 2020 was axed due to Covid-19 concerns, organisers are hoping to attract 40-50 thousand attendees as it makes its return.
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MWC Barcelona is planning its return in June 2021 with organisers expecting to attract 40-50 thousand attendees to the annual flagship event, a year after it was cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns.
According to a Bloomberg report, the organising GSMA trade body said everyone present will have to show a negative Covid-19 result to access the venue and repeat the test every 72 hours. Rapid testing centres will be made available on-site and organisers are considering using hotels for more.
Additional measures being put in place for one of Europe’s most important business gatherings include a new contact tracing mobile app, real-time occupancy monitoring, improved air conditioning at the venue, and an increased number of on-site medical staff.
Additionally, the GSMA said in a statement its plan was “developed in coordination with and approved by the Catalan health authorities.”
Stephanie Lynch-Habib, the GSMA’s chief marketing officer, said in an interview that the fact that they had 17,000 people attend MWC Shanghai in February this year with no confirmed cases of Covid-19 on-site, bolstered their belief that a larger gathering for Barcelona could be conducted safely.
The Bloomberg report added a note of caution highlighting a small in-person event in January that saw many of its attendees come down with Covid-19.
Source: Bloomberg
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