The Mobile World Congress 2024 has closed its doors with a resounding success, exceeding all expectations. The world’s most important technology trade show registered the attendance of more than 101,000 visitors from 205 countries and territories, an increase of 15% over the previous edition.
This achievement consolidates MWC as a leading event in the sector and Barcelona once again becomes the epicenter of the latest innovations in mobile technology.
GSMA CEO John Hoffman expressed his satisfaction with the success of the event, highlighting the energy and vitality of the mobile ecosystem that has gathered in Barcelona.
With 2,700 exhibitors, 1,100 speakers and 260 sessions, MWC 2024 has been a space for debate, thought leadership and inspiration for industry leaders.
During the event attendees were able to explore the latest innovations in mobile, artificial intelligence, 5G technology, virtual reality, cloud computing and more.
Mobile World Congress 2024: digitalization for all sectors
One of the highlights of this year’s event was the diversification of participants. Fifty-nine percent of the companies present at the congress were from outside the telecommunications sector, demonstrating the growing impact of digitization in other sectors such as finance, transportation, healthcare and aviation.
This trend reflects the importance of MWC as a meeting place for professionals from various industries in search of innovative technological solutions.
The success of MWC 2024 was also reflected in the economic impact for Catalonia. Some 12% of the 360 participating Catalan companies closed business deals worth 18.4 million euros, consolidating Barcelona as a mobile capital.
In addition, the Catalan startup Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech was awarded as the best of the event, highlighting the innovation and entrepreneurial talent of the region.
Chinese Presence and Artificial Intelligence
The Chinese presence at MWC 2024 was notable, with nearly 300 Chinese companies present at the venue. The progressive return of Asian congress attendees has been crucial to the success of the event, and leading companies such as China Mobile, Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo and Xiaomi played a prominent role in the exhibitions and discussions on the latest trends in mobile technology.
Artificial intelligence (AI) was one of the central themes of the congress, with a focus on the integration of generative AI systems into mobile devices and other applications.
In addition, other emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, cloud computing and the internet of things were highlighted, demonstrating the diversity and breadth of today’s technology landscape.
Mobile World Congress 2024 was more than a technology trade show; it was a space for collaboration, innovation and vision for the future. It broke records in terms of attendance, commercial agreements and international recognition for the technological advances it showcased.
