What you need to know
- MWC 2021 is set for early March with virtual elements incorporated.
- The 2020 show was canceled as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
- A similar trade show, CES, will also take place virtually.
MWC 2020 was one of the first trade shows to be canceled this year in a move that proved to be the forerunner to a swathe of cancelations across industries and countries. The event is now slated to run next year, but GSMA, the hosting body for MWC, doesn't plan to be caught flat-footed.
Speaking to TechRadar about its plans for the upcoming year, a GSMA spokesperson said:
We are working to ensure MWC 2021 is an unmissable event. We are constantly monitoring the situation, as we did with MWC 2020. This includes seeking expert health and safety advice. The situation is complex and new. We are learning all the time and working with Fira and our partners to take all actions that ensure a safe environment and an inspiring experience.MWC 20 taught us to remain flexible and to pivot quickly to emergent information. In addition to physical changes, we are developing a communications plan to ensure all stakeholder groups have the latest information from the GSMA with regularity. It is important now, more than ever, for the GSMA to convene the industry as we work together to address global financial recovery. In person-events are key to this recovery and we know the value of people being together.
MWC is now set to happen in March 2021. If the COVID-19 pandemic is still as disruptive then as it is now, the GSMA will be poised to take a gamble on a novel-online experience. It won't be an ideal situation, but it would be better than nothing.
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