The last major electronics show in our industry that was held in person before the Covid-19 outbreak was CES 2020. If you remember the timeline, you’ll know that Covid-19 has started to spread in December and that CES was likely to have caused a major spread of infections in Las Vegas. The MWC was said to have taken place in February 2020, but the show was completely canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Live mobile world reports that the CEO of the GSM Association which hosts the annual MWC shows intends to host in-person shows this year. John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Limited suggests that holding these shows “gives people some hope, says let’s give up the effects of Covid-19 and get back to something normal.”
MWC has two shows – one in Barcelona which normally takes place in February and another in Shanghai which takes place in the summer. Last year, the GSMA announced that MWC Barcelona would be postponed to June / July. Meanwhile, MWC Shanghai will take place next week.
In China, numerous tests and vaccinations have helped the country return to normal. As Hoffman puts it, China has become an epidemic-protected “bubble” because of the restrictions in place. MWC Shanghai expects to welcome 20,000 attendees, up from the 60,000 the show saw in 2019.
Barcelona will be a little different, that’s the big stage. Covid requirements will reduce our capacity. We’re not going to have 110,000 people, with travel restrictions, testing capacity and one-way traffic through the exhibit, that’s impossible.
Participants at the Barcelona show will have to present a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of attending. Tests will also be available on site. The GSMA will implement a “contactless environment” which would allow spectators to register without contact.
Instead of the usual 100,000 attendees who normally travel to the Barcelona show, Hoffman expects to limit in-person attendance to 50,000.
Even with restrictions in place, there is still a possibility for the virus to spread. Only time will tell how much better prepared the Western Hemisphere will be when it comes to vaccinations and restrictions. There are currently travel restrictions throughout Europe and the United States. The hope is that the accessibility and administration of vaccines will have helped reduce the spread of the virus.
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