How the Mobile World Congress hopes to reboot conferences post COVID

STOCKHOLM: Next month’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona is shaping up as an early test of how quickly the global business events industry will bounce back from the pandemic, with a range of hi-tech solutions being rolled out to try to keep visitors safe.

The normally annual event – which was cancelled last year – is one of the world’s biggest industry conferences, typically attracting around 100,000 attendees as telecoms companies show off their latest products and executives meet to do deals.

While organisers will offer online access for people who want to stay away, they are hoping to welcome thousands of attendees from across the world, including from countries where the pandemic is still raging.