The decision follows the cancellation of February’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona — an early major industry casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic — which accounts for as much as 80% of the trade group’s annual revenue.
The industry’s biggest players often spend tens of millions of dollars to exhibit at the Barcelona show, and smaller ones pay in the hundreds of thousands
The GSMA has also slashed bonus payouts to eligible individuals and taken other measures to control costs in order to host MWC Barcelona in 2021 and related shows, according to the person, who didn’t want to be identified discussing confidential information.
By removing MWC Barcelona from the calendar, and later a related Shanghai event, telecommunications heavyweights lost significant opportunities to generate marketing buzz around their latest wares, such as 5G devices and Internet of things products.
The industry’s biggest players often spend tens of millions of dollars to exhibit at the Barcelona show, and smaller ones pay in the hundreds of thousands.
In March, the GSMA said it would offer full refunds to all attendees for the cost of their Barcelona event tickets, which cost €799 (R15 000) for a basic admissions pass.
