Blog: Blog: MWC Shanghai to provide China 5G showcase, Barcelona blueprintMWC Shanghai to provide China 5G showcase, Barcelona blueprint

MWC Shanghai will be one of the first major industry events with an in-person element since the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Not only is it set to provide insight into key issues facing the industry, but it provides a glimpse into how the sister event in Barcelona in June could look.Speaking to Mobile World Live, GSMA Limited CEO John Hoffman said not only will next week’s China event get people “around the table to talk about our industry and drive further enhancements,” but “it gives people a bit of hope, says let’s move away from the effects of Covid-19 and return to something normal”.Traditionally MWC Barcelona is held earlier in the year than its Shanghai counterpart, though with China being “more open” than other regions the decision was made to switch the timing of the two events.With extensive testing, tracking and entry requirements, Hoffman noted China has essentially made the country a “bubble” protected from Covid-19 outbreaks, with regional and national authorities both supportive of the GSMA’s decision on the event’s format.“They see it as a coming out to showcase 5G in China. It’s on a scale unlike anywhere else in the world, but not a lot of people [elsewhere] recognise China has done these things.”In addition to highlighting progress of the latest mobile technology in the region, Hoffman noted “all eyes are on us” in terms of both pulling together a physical show (which will also have a strong virtual presence via the My MWCS Online portal) and looking ahead to MWC Barcelona in June.“We could have done it virtually, but in person we could take the learnings”, he added, noting the capacity of 20,000 is a significant cut from the 60,000 of the 2019 edition.Likewise, MWC Barcelona is expected to have a scaled back capacity, with Hoffman estimating between 40,000 and 50,000 attendees for its 2021 flagship event compared with around 110,000 two years ago.