GSMA Announces New Keynote Speakers for Mobile World Congress 2012

LONDON, October 6, 2011 -

The GSMA today announced that the CEOs of eBay, Electronic Arts, Google, Interpublic Group, Nokia and Vodafone will be making keynote speeches at the GSMA Mobile World Congress, which will be held 27th February - 1st March 2012 at the Fira de Barcelona Montjuic in Barcelona. The GSMA also provided further details on other elements of Mobile World Congress, including the Ministerial Programme, App Planet, the Forum Series and the Global Mobile Awards.

“This year’s Mobile World Congress keynote speakers really reflect the continued expansion of the mobile ecosystem,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “The CEOs who will be taking the stage at Mobile World Congress will offer a variety of perspectives, from mobile operators, handset makers and infrastructure suppliers to Internet companies, applications developers, online commerce, and advertising and marketing companies, among others.  The 2012 edition of the Mobile World Congress is set to be the most exciting and dynamic yet.”

Industry Leaders Converge on Barcelona

The CEOs of many of the world’s leading companies will be speaking at Mobile World Congress. Topic areas addressed in the keynote programme will include mobile operator strategies in developed and developing markets, cloud computing, connected consumers, mobile money, mobile OS and applications and next-generation networks and technologies.

Recently confirmed Mobile World Congress keynote speakers include:

• John Donahoe, President and CEO, eBay
• John Riccitiello, CEO, Electronic Arts
• Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google
• Michael Roth, Chairman and CEO, Interpublic Group
• Stephen Elop, President and CEO, Nokia
• Vittorio Colao, Chief Executive, Vodafone

Previously announced keynote speakers are:

• Ben Verwaayen, CEO, Alcatel-Lucent
• Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO - AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, AT&T
• Sunil Mittal, CEO and MD, Bharti Airtel
• Rene Obermann, CEO, Deutsche Telekom
• Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson
• Peter Chou, CEO, HTC
• Ryuji Yamada, President and CEO, NTT DOCOMO
• Franco Bernabe, Chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia Group
• Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO, Telenor Group

In addition to the keynote programme, the 2012 conference will also feature dedicated tracks on applications, cloud computing, embedded mobile, mobile advertising, mobile health, mobile money, next-generation technologies and OSS/BSS, as well as sessions exploring business strategy, developing markets, devices, network capacity, regional issues and social media, among other topics.

GSMA Ministerial Programme

An integral part of Mobile World Congress is the GSMA Ministerial Programme, which takes place from 27th to 29th February 2012 and is designed to bring together governments, regulators and industry leaders to discuss the specific regulatory issues shaping the development of mobile around the world. This year, the programme has been expanded to include greater emphasis on regional issues and hands-on workshops to provide the opportunity for in-depth policy discussions between nations. The 2012 Ministerial Programme is expected to attract delegations from more than 140 countries and international organsiations. Sponsors for the GSMA Ministerial Programme at Mobile World Congress include Ericsson, Huawei and STC.  

App Planet: The Centre of the Apps Universe

For the third year, the GSMA will host App Planet, its award-winning, developer-focused “event within an event”, providing a unique venue to explore the many dimensions of the ever-changing and critically important mobile apps market. App Planet presents opportunities for the developer community and mobile professionals, from operators to value-added service providers to equipment and device manufacturers, to expand their knowledge as well as connect with other major apps influencers. App Planet features an exhibition, app developer conferences (ADCs) and App Challenge developer competitions, and is open to all Congress attendees.

Nokia, Research in Motion and Samsung will be holding ADCs as part of App Planet and the Generalitat de Catalunya is the sponsor of App Planet. For more information on App Planet, please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/appplanet.

GSMA Forum Series at Mobile World Congress

The GSMA aims to advance mobile technologies and applications through the sponsored Forum Series at Mobile World Congress, bringing together industry players to discuss and debate a range of topics in focused sessions. Each Forum is a one-day programme featuring individual sessions from the Forum partners.  Currently scheduled Forums include the LTE Forum, which is sponsored by NEC, and the Mobile Cloud Forum, which is sponsored by Cisco and NEC. More information on the Forum Series is available at www.mobileworldcongress.com/forum-series.

Global Mobile Awards Open for Entry

The Global Mobile Awards 2012, which recognise excellence, achievement and innovation within the mobile communications industry, are now open for entry. The Global Mobile Awards will be presented at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday 28th February 2012.  The Global Mobile Awards can be entered online and nominations close on Wednesday 30th November 2011. Entries are open to companies across the entire mobile ecosystem and all products, services, initiatives and programmes entered must support, be deployed over or be accessible through mobile networks. For a full list of categories, deadlines, award criteria and online submission process please visit: www.globalmobileawards.com.

For more information on Mobile World Congress 2012, including details on how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com.

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona from 2012 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital also includes the Mobile World Centre and the Mobile World Festival, programmes and activities that will span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, please visit www.mobileworldcapital.com.  

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Congress.  

For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com or the GSMA corporate website at www.gsmworld.com.

For the GSMA: Ben Evetts, bevetts at webershandwick.com, or press at gsm.org, +44-(0)-7879-614941