Ultrabrief: Mobile World Congress will not take place in Barcelona after 2012

Those of you working in the technology industry who are tired of paying out the ass for hotel rooms every February, getting served food that’s been sitting in a restaurant’s freezer for half a year, and being on full alert at all times thanks to a sensational amount of pick pocketing, this is your time to rejoice!

Mobile World Congress will no longer take place in Barcelona after 2012. That’s right. After being hosted in Barcelona since 2006, the event is finally moving location.

But where? Right now the candidates are: Amsterdam, Cologne, Milan, Munich and Paris.

I vote for Munich only because I know that if it were in Amsterdam the IntoMobile team wouldn’t get any work done, we’d miss all of our meetings, and get harassed once we landed in our respective home countries. I don’t have to spell out why.

Also I’m pretty sure I’d get AIDS.

[Via: Mobile Business Briefing]

Update: Just got an email from the GSMA that says Barcelona can potentially be the host of the 2013 Mobile World Congress. Let’s hope not. Full email, plus press release announcing that the city which will host Mobile World Congress between 2013 through 2017 has yet to be decided, after the jump.

Hi Stefan,

I’m getting in touch on behalf of the GSMA about your post on MWC. Thanks for covering the news!

I wanted to point out that Barcelona is still very much in the running along with Amsterdam, Cologne, Milan, Munich and Paris as you point out.

Please see the release below for the full story.

Would you be able to amend your post please?

Many thanks,

Daniel

GSMA Announces Candidate Cities Bidding to Host Mobile World Congress 2013

20 August 2010, London: The GSMA today announced that six cities are competing to host the GSMA Mobile World Congress event starting in 2013. Amsterdam, Barcelona, Cologne, Milan, Munich and Paris have been named candidate cities who are vying to become the home of Mobile World Congress for the five-year period from 2013 through 2017. The GSMA expects to identify a short list of finalist cities in January 2011 and to complete the evaluation process and to announce the host city in mid-2011.

“The mobile industry continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace and the GSMA is also advancing its business to meet the changing requirements of constituents across the global communications industry,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “The Mobile World Congress has grown significantly since it was started in 1987, and we look forward to shaping the future of the event with one of these outstanding candidate cities.”

The Mobile World Congress is widely considered the industry’s “must-attend” event and is expected to draw more than 50,000 visitors at the 2011 Mobile World Congress, which will be held in Barcelona 14-17 February, 2011. The four-day conference and exhibition attracts executives from the world’s largest and most influential companies across the mobile industry and adjacent sectors, as well as government delegations. The Mobile World Congress has been held in Barcelona since 2006 and the city will continue to host the event through at least 2012.

“The GSMA is committed to holding the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona through 2012,” continued Hoffman. “In partnership with the city of Barcelona, the region of Catalonia, the Fira de Barcelona and all our city partners, we have experienced tremendous success and our association with Barcelona has been extremely positive for the GSMA, for our exhibitors, for our attendees and for the wireless industry.”

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

momchil

maybe it will – there are 6 cities for consideration and Barcelona is still one of them along with Amsterdam, Cologne, Milan, Munich and Paris
momchil

on the other hand i prefer a city with good weather in february – like barcelona
Stefan Constantinescu

It isn’t going to be in Barcelona, trust me, and hey, global warming right?
Justus

The chance to get AIDS in Amsterdam is much lower than most other cities. To get stoned however is another story!
Blitz

As I am from Munich my vote is clear. However, the side effects of Amsterdam as initially feared can be similar in Munich. They might be massive (look at the photo) but nobody will be able to get Aids afterwards. Consider that there are great skiing locations one hour from Munich city, too.
Fabio Parri

If you hope for good food, though, it’d better be Paris or Milan
Stefan Constantinescu

you’ve got a problem with German sausage?
don

What does this statement mean?

“Also I’m pretty sure I’d get AIDS.”
Stefan Constantinescu

I’ll have reckless unprotected sex in a drunken episode and wake up HIV positive and potentially get AIDS down the line. After visiting your website I see how you can take offense to that punchline, but to quote Oscar Wilde: “Life is too important to be taken seriously.”
Al Pavangkanan

They should consider San Diego.
Stefan Constantinescu

Holding an event to show off the best in mobile technology in America would be like holding a Michelin chef competition inside a rundown McDonald’s.
Al Pavangkanan

Right, because a city that has perfect weather 90% of the year with a bayfront convention center and a bunch of bars and hotels across the street is a terrible venue for a conference.
Stefan Constantinescu

Yes, it is if you’ve been there so many times you practically know the subway map like the back of your palm.