MWC Shanghai 2021 offers an opportunity for delegates and visitors to hear expert insights and future trends, witness the latest technology and innovation, and discuss the issues that will affect the future of the mobile industry.

“MWC21 Shanghai is far more than just an event,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “It’s a celebration of the power of intelligent connectivity and provides a platform for people to come together and push the industry and society forward. Bringing the MWC series of events back for 2021 has taken a superhuman effort, and we are looking forward to welcoming the mobile ecosystem back to Shanghai in February.”

The GSMA unlocks the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Its MWC series has earned a world-class reputation as the place to get business done by providing unrivaled networking opportunities. In 2019, MWC Shanghai included more than 500 exhibitors and 65,000 attendees from companies across the world.

This year, MWC Shanghai will welcome international attendees and audiences, with a virtual platform to accompany the physical event. Online attendees will be able to access live conference and partner content online.

The theme for the MWC series of events in 2021 is Connected Impact.

The program will showcase how the entire digital ecosystem continues to transform our lives and significantly support global recovery with technology visionaries sparking conversation and imagination through keynotes and panel discussions.

Attendees to MWC Shanghai 2021 will experience the latest breakthroughs in technology including 5G, AI, IoT, smart home and more. Returning exhibitors include China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, CICT, Ericsson , H3C, Huawei, Nokia Shanghai Bell and ZTE.

A host of new 5G-enabled devices and consumer services will be showcased by, Huawei Device, Nreal, Oppo, Qualcomm, Realme and vivo. Confirmed speakers include:

Keynotes speakers:

• Dr Zina Jarrahi Cinker, Director General, AMPT
• Yang Jie, Chairman, China Mobile
• Ke Ruiwen, Chairman, China Telecom
• Ken Hu, Rotating Chairman, Huawei
• Yang Yuanqing, Chairman & CEO, Lenovo
• Xu Chi, Founder & CEO, Nreal
• Xu Ziyang, CEO, ZTE

Session speakers include:

• Ilyas Khan, Founder & CEO, Cambridge Quantum Computing
• Edward Tian, Chairman, CBC Capital
• Oscar Ramos, Managing Director, Chinaccelerator
• Huang Haibo, Managing Director, China Mobile Fund Management Co.Ltd
• Alvin Foo, Co-Founder, Dao Ventures
• Eric Miao, Founder, Elevoc
• Michael Currie, Founder and CEO, Fling
• Jiin Joo Ong, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Garuda Robotics
• Pedro Ruao, Founder & CEO, Omniflow
• Max Peiro, CEO, Rehub
• Enrique Blanco, CTIO, Telefonica
• Huang Enshen, Founder & CEO, Xeniro

Leading 5G INnovation

With almost 700,000 5G cell sites and over 150 million compatible handsets now sold, China has established itself amongst the global 5G leaders and will feature strongly at MWC Shanghai 2021 with the 5G IN Summit and 5G INnovation Zone.

GSMA 5G IN, seeks to uncover disruptors and new business models, as well as celebrate pioneers and innovators in the 5G field.

The experience spans five themed zones; Better Future, Entrepreneurs, Industrial Applications, 5G mmWave, and XR. Attendees will experience leading-edge technology and revolutionary commercial, industrial applications, as well as the most forward-looking trends and insights.

“5G is shaping the future, and China will continue to be at the forefront of this change,” said Sihan Bo Chen, Head of Greater China for the GSMA. “Every sector is undergoing deep transformation, and connected progress will stimulate global recovery and help us overcome the effects of the pandemic.”

For further details on exhibiting at or attending MWC Shanghai 2021, please visit www.mwcshanghai.com

Globally, the key benefits of 5G other than speed gains (e.g. network slicing, edge computing, and low-latency services) are not widely appreciated, with many companies believing 4G is ‘good enough’.

But China is a clear exception. Early partnerships and trials from local operators have paid dividends, as evidenced by the widespread intent among companies in the country’s industrial sector to utilize 5G.

Chinese operators are also leading the charge for standalone (SA) 5G, which will help deliver the key benefits of 5G for enterprises.

Awareness and knowledge of 5G are rising as hype makes way for reality.

Chinese consumers are among the most excited by the prospect of 5G. They are generally more optimistic than other markets about the benefits of 5G, with greater expectations of lower service costs, innovative services and new connected devices.

In addition, consumers in China are likely earlier adopters of 5G (versus the US, Japan, and Europe) and seem the most willing to pay more for 5G services – a key driver of potential 5G consumer revenue uplift.

4G is by far the dominant mobile technology across China, accounting for more than 80% of total connections (excluding licensed cellular IoT). However, 4G’s share will peak in 2020 (at 82%) as 5G grows significantly.

Several 5G smartphones have been launched, many by local OEMs, and Chinese consumers are among the most keen to upgrade to 5G.

As a result, China will account for 70% of global 5G connections in 2020, and 5G adoption will grow to just under 50% by 2025, placing the country among the leading nations along with South Korea, Japan and the US.

To support this generational shift and drive consumer engagement, Chinese operators are expected to invest more than $180 billion between 2020 and 2025 in mobile capex, roughly 90% of which will be on 5G networks.

Despite some financial headwinds – including market saturation, increasing competition and the country’s ‘speed upgrade and tariff reduction’ policy – China’s mobile revenue remains stable.

Financials will recover in 2020 and 2021, and revenue will rise steadily at around 1% per year to 2025, largely because of growing revenues in enterprise IoT and new 5G services.

By the end of 2019, 1.2 billion people subscribed to mobile services across China.

This accounts for 82% of the region’s population and places China among the world’s most developed markets. As with all advanced markets, adding new subscribers is increasingly difficult, with the cost of reaching rural populations hard to justify against a challenging financial backdrop for operators.

Despite this, there will be around 60 million new subscribers by 2025.

Since 2012, the number of people subscribing to the mobile internet across China has doubled to more than 900 million. By 2025, nearly 260 million people will start using the mobile internet for the very first time, almost halving the unconnected proportion of the population to 22%.

Mobile continues to make a significant contribution to the Chinese economy.

In 2019, mobile technologies and services generated $759 billion of economic value added (5.4% of GDP) across China. This figure will surpass $900 billion by 2024 as the region increasingly benefits from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the increased take-up of mobile services.

Download the full report here (CIW annual subscribers) including key trends shaping the mobile industry, mobile contributing to economic growth and addressing social challenges, and policies to accelerate digital development. Subscribe here.

The GSMA MWC series (formally known as Mobile World Congress) is the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry and incorporates a thought-leadership conference featuring prominent executives representing global mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors, and content owners.

MWC Barcelona 2020 takes place Monday, 24 February – Thursday, 27 February, 2020. The 2020 event will be held at Fira Gran Via with selected events, including 4YFN, taking place at Fira Montjuïc.

Sort through the event topics in our agenda to find the conference keynotes, track sessions, partner events, tours, and seminars that are most relevant to you. Here is an overview of the topics:

AI

With a market projected to reach $70 billion by 2020, artificial intelligence is poised to have a transformative effect on consumers, enterprises, and governments around the world. AI will explore the real potential of AI, how we must manage such a profound technological revolution and its impact on our professional and personal lives.

Connectivity: The 5G Era – Sponsored by Deloitte

Connectivity: The 5G Era at MWC 2020 aims to highlight how next-generation networks will form the basis of wide-reaching value creation and economic impact. We will take a broad look at the enterprise connectivity ecosystem, from implementation, to use cases, scalable platforms, business models, spectrum, regulation, and investment to the business and cultural challenges of working with new and diverse markets/industries. Realising the full potential of global connectivity is both complex and challenging, but the opportunity is near limitless in its application and impact.

Customer Engagement

Customer engagement has been a key battleground for brands, service providers and governments for decades, but its evolution and importance have accelerated in recent years driven by the internet, mobile and then smartphones. Customer Engagement will look at examples across all industries, to understand how you can set the benchmark for customer engagement, retain and gain customers and grow revenue.

Industry X: IoT – Sponsored by Citi

Using a blend of new technologies like industrial IoT, big data, analytics, AI, robotics, 3D printing, and machine learning, industries can unlock new revenue and engagement models with customers, employees and partners. Industry X: IoT will examine the challenges, opportunities, scalability and limitless potential of Industrial IoT and Digital Transformation.

Media & Entertainment

As the appetite and expectation for AR, VR and other forms of richer immersive content grow, the impact on networks, event venues, and overall consumer engagement will grow, presenting huge challenges to everyone involved in these now intertwined industries. Media & Entertainment examines the challenges, the revenue models, as well as the relationship between consumption growth and network capacity.

Our Planet

The world needs, now more than ever, our sector to be a fundamental contributor to creating a safe, clean and equitable world for all. Our Planet will discuss the connected technology industries’ responsibilities to the environment and underserved people, including the unconnected and accessibility for the disabled, among others.

Security & Privacy

Recent scandals have eroded trust in the digital ecosystem. Coupled with the growing introduction and interest in legislation around privacy and the ethics of data usage as we enter the AI era, we are at a pivotal juncture in the evolution of the Internet. Security & Privacy analyses the growing responsibilities required to create the right balance with consumers, governments, regulators and industries.

Find out more: MWC Barcelona

New Speakers Announced from Alibaba, ATM, China Mobile, General Electric Power, JPMorgan Chase, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Shenzhen Valley Ventures; GSMA Outlines AI Accelerate Programme; Innovation City To Showcase Latest Mobile Technologies.

The GSMA yesterday announced new developments for MWC19 Shanghai, including recently confirmed keynote and 4YFN speakers, Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme, leading players showcasing latest mobile technologies at the GSMA Innovation City, Seminars and Forums and newly joined exhibitors, partners and sponsors.

Taking place 26 – 28 June 2019 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), the GSMA expects more than 60,000 professionals from over 110 countries and territories representing a wide range of industry sectors to attend.

“Intelligent Connectivity, encompassing 5G, AI, IoT and Big Data, is paving the way for a new era which is set to impact almost every aspect of our daily lives,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd.

Across MWC19 Shanghai, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from leaders who are driving this innovation globally. They will have access to exciting experiences and discussions through the exhibition and specialised programmes such as Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme, Digital Leaders, Women4Tech, 4YFN and more. We look forward once again to welcoming the mobile industry to Shanghai.

New Keynote Speakers Confirmed

The GSMA announced additional keynote speakers for the MWC19 Shanghai conference program, including:

Confirmed keynote speakers:

• Yang Jie, Executive Director and Chairman, China Mobile
• Jing Ulrich, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Cristiano Amon, President, Qualcomm

These executives join previously announced speakers including:

• Hooi Ling Tan, Co-Founder, Grab Group
• Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA
• Ken Hu, Deputy Chairman, Huawei
• Greg Wyler, Chairman, OneWeb
• Sigve Brekke, President and CEO, Telenor Group
• Xu Ziyang, CEO, ZTE

For more information on the conference, including the agenda and keynote speakers, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/conference-programmes/

Headline Speakers at 4 Years From Now (4YFN)

Meet the headline speakers taking part in 4YFN’s start-up focused conference programme:

• Cindy Chow, Executive Director, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund
• Minjun Liang, Venture Partner, ATM Capital
• Michelle Wu, Chief Information Officer, General Electric Power
• Janet Tang, Chief Strategy Officer, Lenovo Group
• Chad Xu, CEO and Founding Partner, Shenzhen Valley Ventures

4YFN, the GSMA’s start-up program, is extending its investor presence at the event by welcoming on board new Investors Club member Shenzhen Valley Ventures and bringing back long-term partner Cathay Innovation.

Community partners Momentum Works, Tusstar and Chinaccelerator will bring innovative and exciting startups to the exhibition floor and the Discovery Area Stage, while Mobile World Capital will bring a delegation of Spanish startups and Sud de France will sponsor an exclusive VIP reception. A custom working lounge provided by Spaces will be open to all visitors.

For more information about 4YFN, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/experiences/4yfn/.

First Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme at MWC Shanghai

New to MWC19 Shanghai, the Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme will host a range of activities that bring together stakeholders including policymakers, industry leaders, AI specialists, academia and start-ups, to discuss key policy forumulation, stimulate new innovations and explore how AI can be applied throughout the digital economy.

The program, held from 25-28 June, includes events such as AI in Network Seminar, AI Policy Roundtable, Think AI Summit, AI Trust Panels partnered with Digital Asia Hub – a think tank incubated by Harvard University and a number of workshops.

For details about Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/about/get-involved/ai/.

GSMA Innovation City Showcasing Latest Mobile Technologies

Located in Hall N5, the GSMA Innovation City will once again put a spotlight on the latest leading mobile products and solutions and how they are positively impacting society and helping to create a better future.

The City includes interactive demonstrations by new partners China Mobile Migu and Singtel, who join previously announced companies, including BICS, Huawei, myFC and Shanghai Ratta Smart Technology.

The City will also host exhibits from the GSMA’s industry programs including Future Networks, Identity and the Internet of Things.

Demonstrations include how blockchain is helping to monetize the value of IoT data, how drones and unmanned boats are supporting environmental monitoring and how China’s mobile operators are using mobile authentication to help consumers make daily financial transactions.

For more information about the GSMA Innovation City, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/gsma-innovation-city/.

Additional Exhibitors and Sponsors Confirmed for MWC19 Shanghai

Taking center stage in Super Hall N3, leading industry players include China Information and Communication Technologies (CICT), China Mobile, China Telecom, Ericsson, New H3C, Nokia Shanghai Bell and ZTE will feature the application of 5G technology in the intelligent connected era.

Newly confirmed exhibitors and sponsors for MWC19 Shanghai include Ericsson as the “Connectivity Event Theme Sponsor”, new exhibitors Apigate, Gemalto, FIME, Gosuncn Technology, Intracom Telecom, Korea Information and Technology Industry Association (KICTA), Microsoft China, SI-Tech join previously announced companies including Lenovo, Qualcomm, OPPO, Samsung, vivo, among others.

For more information on the exhibition, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/.

DISPLAY CHINA 2019 Co-located For Second Year at MWC19 Shanghai

DISPLAY CHINA will be a concurrent event with MWC19 Shanghai for the second year in Hall E5 at the SNIEC and will promote the latest flexible and HD displays and future innovative applications.

MWC Shanghai attendees holding VIP, Gold, All Exhibition or Press/Analyst passes will have access to Display China 2019.

For more information about Display China, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/display-china/.

GSMA Forums and Seminars

The GSMA will host a range of forums and seminars at MWC19 Shanghai to provide insights and updates on key industry developments.

• GSMA Future IoT Convention, sponsored by Nokia Shanghai Bell and Sunsea AIoT
• 4th 5G Spectrum & Policy Forum, co-hosted by GSA
• eSIM Forum, sponsored by Valid
• Future Broadband Forum, co-hosted by C114
• 5G Network Forum

For more information on GSMA Forums and Seminars, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/conference-programmes/forums-seminars/.

Register and Get Involved at MWC19 Shanghai

Registration to attend MWC19 Shanghai is now open, for information on registration and pass types, please visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/attend/register/

For CIW readers, you can get 20% off on your VIP Pass by registering before 31 May with the code: PVP20AKUGH or get your complimentary All Exhibition Pass now with the code: FAPNH7Z59G

GSMA has a very exciting programme lined up for Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2018. While showcasing the latest developments in mobile, this year’s event will offer attendees a wide range of experiences through the conference, the exhibition and specialized programmes such as Women4Tech, 4YFN and beyond.

The GSMA announced several additional keynote speakers for Mobile World Congress Shanghai, with executives from leading mobile operators, infrastructure providers and other companies across the broad mobile ecosystem. Recently confirmed speakers include:

• Sabeen Ali, Founder and CEO, AngelHack
• Thaddeus Arroyo, CEO, AT&T Business
• Liu Aili, President and COO, China Telecom
• Borje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson
• Eric Xu, Rotating Chairman, Huawei
• Greg Wyler, Founder and Executive Chairman, OneWeb

The GSMA also introduced a new element for this year’s Mobile World Congress Shanghai: the Leaders Stage. The Leaders Stage programme is open to Mobile World Congress Shanghai attendees holding VIP, Gold or All Exhibition Passes, and will explore wide-ranging trends that are shaping the mobile future and impacting citizens’ everyday lives. Executives participating in the Leaders Stage include:

• Nicole Richards, Catalyst, Dovetailed
• Kirti Lad, Executive Director, Meraki Executive Search & Consulting
• Jingyi Yu, CEO, Chairman and Chief Scientist, Plex-VR Digital Technology
• Bessie Lee, CEO and Founder, Withinlink

For further details on the conference programme, including the agenda and confirmed speakers, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/conference-programmes/

Women4Tech Summit at Mobile World Congress Shanghai

The GSMA announced the first speakers for the Women4Tech Summit, which will be held Thursday, 28 June at the Leaders Stage. The Women4Tech Summit will bring together senior-level speakers and panellists to discuss how to ensure gender equality in mainstream work environments and share strategic advice on broadening gender diversity in mobile and related industries.

The Summit will highlight topics around women’s role in empowering, encouraging, transforming and innovating in technology. The first confirmed Women4Tech keynote speakers and panellists include:

• Nicole Peng, Senior Director, Mobility, Canalys
• Åsa Tamsons, EVP and Head of Emerging Business, Ericsson
• Azita Arvani, Head of Innovation Partner & Venture Management, Nokia
• Anna Yip, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, SmarTone
• Mary Clark, CMO and EVP Product, Synchronoss

Additional Women4Tech activities include a speed coaching and networking session, activities at 4YFN and Women4Tech Asia Mobile (AMO) Awards for Outstanding Achievement Asia Industry Leadership, among others. For more information on the Women4Tech Programme at Mobile World Congress Shanghai, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/experiences/gsma-women4tech/.

New Developments in 4 Years From Now (4YFN)

4YFN returns to Asia for the third year, highlighting key technology trends and exploring disruptive innovation with a comprehensive programme for startups, investors and corporations. 4YFN offers unique connecting initiatives, including custom networking activities, inspirational talks, technical workshops, community outreach and the 4YFN Summit.

For 2018, 4YFN is located in the NEXTech Hall, which puts the spotlight on next-generation technologies, products and experiences. Exhibitors at 4YFN include Daejeon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency (DICIA), Korea Institute of Startups & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), Qualcomm Technologies and Shanghai Technology Innovation Center, among others.

Leading venture capital and investment organisations including DCM Ventures, IBM Venture Capital Group, Legend Capital, Telefónica Open Future, Telstra Ventures and others will participate in the 4YFN Founders and Investors Programme and 4YFN Summit.

Executives confirmed to speak in the 4YFN Summit taking place 27-29 June include Minette Navarrete, President, Kickstart, Globe Telecom; David Tang, Managing Partner, Nokia Growth Partners; and Volker Heistermann, Managing Director, Yushan Ventures. For more information about 4YFN, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/4yfn.

The Asia Mobile Awards will also showcase 4YFN with the “4YFN Best Startup of the Year Award”, which recognises organisations focused on accelerating business development and the investment of new technologies within the startup community. The winner of this award will be featured on the Leaders Stage and will receive a free stand at 4YFN Barcelona 2019.

The winner will have the opportunity to participate in acceleration, mentoring and investment programmes with 4YFN, including the accelerator programme of BGTA, a London-based accelerator with operations in China and the 4YFN Award Partner. For more information about 4YFN Asia Mobile Awards, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/conference-programmes/asia-mobile-awards-2018/2018-categories/.

droidcon Comes to Mobile World Congress Shanghai

The GSMA will partner with Beijing Changfeng Information Technology Industry Alliance & Mobile Seasons GmbH to bring droidcon to Mobile World Congress Shanghai. Started in Berlin in 2009, droidcon is the premier global community of over 25,000 developers worldwide. droidcon is designed to provide an open platform for Android development engineers, users and entrepreneurs to share technology advances, development experience and innovation practices. droidcon Shanghai 2018 will be held in the NEXTech Theatre in the NEXTech Hall (Hall W5), alongside the Device City, AR/VR/MR Zone and 4YFN.

New Exhibitors and Event Partners Confirmed

The GSMA confirmed several new regional pavilions in the exhibition, including Enterprise Ireland, Russian Export Center JSC and Shanghai Technology Innovation Centre, as well as the Korea pavilion featuring Daegu Digital Industry Promotion Agency (DIP), Daejeon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency (DICIA), Gwangju Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency (GITCT), Korea Association for ICT Promotion (KAIT), Korea Information & Communication Technology Industry Association (KICTA) and Korea Institute of Startups and Entrepreneurship Development.

Elsewhere in the exhibition, Eyesight, Onstar and Volkswagen will explore the intersection of mobile and automotive in the AutoTech Zone. Exhibitors including Dozen, Gowild and others will be showcasing the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI) in the AI Zone, while 263 Mobile, Acoustics and ZTE Welink will demonstrate the technologies and applications shaping the Internet of Things (IoT) in the IoT Zone. For more information on the exhibition, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/.

As always, the GSMA Innovation City will be a major highlight of the show, enabling attendees to experience technology in context and see how mobile-connected products and services can improve their daily lives. Continental and Zhejiang Panshi Information Technology become the latest companies to participate in the Innovation City, alongside previously announced partners BICS, Huawei, myFC and SI-Tech Information Technology. For more information, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/gsma-innovation-city/.

MWC Shanghai Tours Offer Focused Experiences

To help attendees better navigate Mobile World Congress Shanghai, the GSMA is offering four different tours of the SNIEC, led by industry experts. The MWC Shanghai Tours will focus on topics including 5G & NFV, Artificial Intelligence, Consumer Tech and IoT, and will provide experiences that are tailored to meet attendees’ individual business objectives and requirements. For more information on MWC Shanghai Tours and registration, please visit www.mwcshanghai.com/experiences/mwc-shanghai-tours/.

Register and Get Involved at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2018

Registration for Mobile World Congress Shanghai is now open. For more information on Mobile World Congress Shanghai, including how to attend, exhibit, partner or sponsor, visit www.mwcshanghai.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress Shanghai through our social media channels – follow us on Twitter at @GSMA and use #MWCS18, get regular updates through our LinkedIn Showcase Page at www.linkedin.com/company/mobile-world-congress-shanghai, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mwcshanghai. In China, you can follow us on Sina Weibo http://weibo.com/mwcshanghai or search “GSMA_MWCS” in WeChat.

CIW, as our media partner, offers its audience an AEP (worth $75) registration code FEPQWRNEUM that you use to register.

WeChat launched rewarded video ads platform for mini-games

After the huge and recent success of 4YFN’s original and main startup event: 4YFN Barcelona, which in just over 4 years, has grown from 2,500 attendees in 2013 to 19,000 this year, the platform continues to expand into new regions, new markets supporting the startup ecosystem.

At GSMA’s Mobile World Congress Shanghai, due to take place from 28-30 June 2017, 4YFN will introduce 150 startups that will showcase the latest in digital tech solutions from all over the world, with one main collective goal of getting their product noticed within the Asian market.

4YFN is the startup business platform of Mobile World Capital Barcelona that enables startups, investors, corporations and public institutions to discover, create and launch new ventures together.

Startups across all industries, worldwide will participate this year, having access to over 53,000 MWCS attendees during the 3 days. Those that will be part of the 4YFN delegation will get great traffic during the event as the area is right next to the conference halls, where all the talks take place, meaning the exhibitors will benefit immensely from the constant flow of visitors.

The 4YFN Stage will feature talks and keynotes by leaders in the tech industry, mainly focusing on startup and corporate collaboration techniques. A number of startups exhibiting will have the invaluable opportunity to get up on stage and get further exposure by pitching their product to the crowd.

This can be a major milestone for startups getting their businesses noticed by the right people as investors and corporations will be frequenting this area on a daily basis, waiting to discover the latest pioneering ideas from the entrepreneurs in their preferred industries.

Exhibitors will also be automatically entered into a competition whereby the best 5 startups will be selected and asked to pitch on the final day to be picked and awarded as the best startup of the 4YFN Awards Shanghai 2017.

Amongst the talks, pitches and presentations, groups consisting of investors and corporations will be given specialised tours in and around the 4YFN Startup Area, in order to meet the startups on a more personal basis.

4YFN Shanghai 2017 will take place from 28 – 30 June 2017 in Shanghai, China.

The GSMA Mobile World Congress Shanghai, will be held 28 June – 1 July 2017 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC).

First and foremost, we are continually working to expand and enhance our attendees’ experience at Mobile World Congress Shanghai,

said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA.

Along with event favourites such as the Innovation City and 4YFN, we’re excited to present additional event feature areas that highlight current and future developments in mobile, such as drones, AR/VR and retail, among many others.

First Summit Speakers Confirmed

For 2017, the Mobile World Congress Shanghai conference program will run for three days and will be held in Hall W3 of SNIEC. In addition to the keynote sessions, the conference incorporates 12 focused summits that will explore the latest industry trends, from connected cars to network evolution to augmented reality/virtual reality and more.

Wednesday, 28 June

Data Security Summit

• Chris Blundell, Partner, Head of TMT, Brunswick Group
• Liz Brandt, CEO, Ctrl-Shift

MMIX Asia Summit

• Neeraj Roy, Managing Director and CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
• Yaron Jacobs, CEO, LKF Media Ltd.

Operator Evolution Strategies Summit

• Cao Desheng, Director General, China Transport Telecommunications & Information Center
• Alice Ramos, Group Head for Development, PLDT

Transforming Industries Summit

• James Sha, Assistant Vice President, Acer Inc.
• TS Anil, Head of Global Product Solutions, Visa

Thursday, 29 June

Digital Consumer Summit

• Ivan Chan, Managing Director and Transformation Lead, Greater China, Accenture Digital
• Anisha Singh, Founder and CEO, mydala.com

Global Device Summit

• Hasan Aula, Group CEO, Erajaya
• Jian (Gina) Qiao, SVP and Co-President MDB, Lenovo

Internet of Things (IoT) Summit

• Chris Penrose, Senior Vice President, AT&T
• Leopold Beer, President, APAC, Bosch Sensortec

Network Evolution Summit

• Masanori Kondo, Deputy Secretary General, APT
• Alex Jinsung Choi, Chairman, Telecom Infra Project

Friday, June 30

Connected Vehicle Summit

• Mario Weltermann, Head of Innovation China, Audi
• Dino Flore, Director General, 5GAA

Enterprise & The Cloud Summit

• Jack You, Senior Security Director, Huawei
• Wu Jian, Vice President, New H3C

Future Tech Summit

• Celestino Alvarez, CEO and Founder, Adele Robots
• Bill Huang, CEO, CloudMinds

Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Summit

• Alvin Wang, China President, HTC Vive
• James Fong, CEO, Jaunt China

For the full details of the conference programme, including the summits, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/conference.

Mobile World Congress Shanghai Feature Areas

Mobile World Congress Shanghai will cover seven halls at the SNIEC, including an “Industry Exhibition”, which addresses the requirements of business users and will be open 28–30 June, as well as a four-day “Experience Exhibition” that showcases mobile devices, gadgets, innovative technologies and entertainment and will be open 28 June – 1 July.

VR & AR Zone – The VR & AR Zone in Hall E1 will showcase the world of augmented reality and virtual reality, including new accessories and industry solutions, and will enable consumers to experience AR and VR first-hand.

Within the VR & AR Zone, HTC Vive will bring together a range of partners and will also host the VIVE Pavilion to demonstrate a variety of life-like virtual reality experiences.

Drone Racing Competition and Drone Zone – Building on the successful launch in 2016, Mobile World Congress Shanghai will once again host the Drone Zone in Hall E2, which will feature international drone exhibitors, such as DJI, and the latest hardware and services for both the industrial and commercial drone markets. The International Drone Expo (IDE),

The International Drone Expo (IDE), organized with partner EJ Krause, will bring the latest drone developments to life. In an exciting new development for Mobile World Congress Shanghai, the GSMA will host its first drone racing tournament, with pilots from across China demonstrating their skills in “first-person view” (FPV) flying.

Future Retail Zone – New for 2017, the Future Retail Zone, in partnership with Cognizant, will present a unique futuristic shopping experience where attendees can pick up what they want and purchase the item automatically upon walking out without the hassle of queuing and checkouts.

GSMA Innovation City – The GSMA Innovation City will once again take center stage in the Mobile World Congress Shanghai exhibition, located alongside the conference program in Hall W3. Attendees will be immersed in technology-led experiences delivered by a host of partners, illustrating how mobile-connected products and services are improving the daily lives of citizens,

Attendees will be immersed in technology-led experiences delivered by a host of partners, illustrating how mobile-connected products and services are improving the daily lives of citizens, enterprises, and governments. Confirmed partners include Guiyang City Government, HID Asia Pacific, Huawei, KT Corporation, Lenovo, myFC, PayPal,

Confirmed partners include Guiyang City Government, HID Asia Pacific, Huawei, KT Corporation, Lenovo, myFC, PayPal, Qvantel and SI-TECH.The Innovation City will also include the GSMA Members Pavilion, which highlights how the GSMA supports its members in driving innovation, with a focus on key programs such as Internet of Things, Future Networks, and Identity.

The Pavilion will also underscore the mobile industry’s leadership role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

4 Years From Now (4YFN) – 4YFN will return to MWC Shanghai in Hall W2, providing a platform that enables start-ups, investors and corporations to connect and launch new ventures together.

This year, 4YFN will recruit 150 innovative start-ups who will have the chance to compete in the 4YFN Shanghai Awards 2017 for the best innovative project. Companies confirmed to exhibit in 4YFN are Daegu Technopark, Hong Kong Cyberport, the Institute for Information Industry and Qualcomm Technologies, as well as a delegation of 20 company representatives from Spain.

Newly Confirmed Exhibitors, Sponsors and Partners

In addition to the event features, GSMA announced several newly confirmed exhibitors and sponsors for Mobile World Congress Shanghai, including Channel VAS, Daimler, IDT, Institute for Information Industry, Qvantel, Samsung Electronics System LSI Business, SaneChips, Verizon and vivo, among others.

Companies including BiTech, China Smart City Technology, Onkyo, Snasi Electronics, The9 Education and Tiansec have confirmed their participation in the Smart City Expo at Mobile World Congress Shanghai.

The GSMA also announced that QQ.com has been confirmed as an Official Media Partner, joining Mobile World Live. Strategic Media Partners include C114, CCIDcom and Communications World.

Registration to attend Mobile World Congress Shanghai is now open.