GSMA Confirms New Keynote Speakers for Mobile World Congress 2014

-- CEOs From Companies Across the Mobile Ecosystem to Take the Stage in Barcelona

LONDON, Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA today announced several new keynote speakers for the 2014 Mobile World Congress, including the CEOs of Alcatel-Lucent, Citigroup, EMC, Lookout and NTT DOCOMO. The company also confirmed new partners participating in Featured Programmes such as Partner Events, App Developer Conferences, the Forum Series, Professional Training and Power Hour sessions. Mobile World Congress will be held 24-27 February 2014 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.

"Expected to attract more than 72,000 profesionals from the mobile industry as well as vertical industry sectors such as automotive, healthcare and financial services, Mobile World Congress truly is the must-attend mobile event," said Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. "The addition of elements such as mPowered Industries, the continued evolution of our conference programme and the expansion of the exhibition will serve to provide attendees an even more informative and valuable Mobile World Congress experience."  

Keynote Speakers From Across the Mobile Ecosystem
The GSMA has confirmed additional keynote speakers for the Mobile World Congress conference, including CEOs from mobile operators, infrastructure providers, software companies and organisations from industry sectors such as financial services. New keynote speakers include:

• Michel Combes, CEO, Alcatel-Lucent
• Michael Corbat, CEO, Citigroup
• Joseph Tucci, Chairman and CEO, EMC Corporation
• John Hering, Co-Founder and CEO, Lookout
• Kaoru Kato, President and CEO, NTT DOCOMO

The executives confirmed today join previously announced keynote speakers including:

• Daniel Hajj, CEO, America Movil
• Jon Matonis, Executive Director and Board Member, Bitcoin Foundation
• John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco
• Jahangir Mohammed, Founder and CEO, Jasper Wireless
• Sirgoo Lee, Co-CEO, Kakao Corp.
• Tadashi Onodera, Chairman, KDDI
• Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO, Millicom
• Rich Riley, CEO, Shazam Entertainment
• Michelle Gallen, CEO, Shhmooze
• Jinwoo So, President and CEO, SK Planet
• Mats Granryd, President and CEO, Tele2 Group
• Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO, Telenor Group and Chairman, GSMA
• Jan Koum, Co-Founder and CEO, WhatsApp

For more information on the Mobile World Congress conference programme, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/conference.

New Partners and Sponsors for Featured Programmes
The GSMA announced several new partners participating in a range of Featured Programmes that address specific attendee interests and requirements, including Partner Events, App Developer Conferences, the Forum Series, Professional Training and Power Hour sessions. The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has signed on as an Event Partner and will hold its inaugural Carrier Wi-Fi Summit at Mobile World Congress, taking place 24th through 27th February. CA Technologies, GTI, IBM, McCann World Group and Taiwan Trade Center Barcelona have also recently been confirmed as Event Partners.

In App Planet, Nokia and Microsoft are confirmed to host an ADC on 25th February. Juniper Networks is the newest Forum Series Partner for the LTE & Backhaul Forum taking place on 24th February, while Award Solutions and Strategy Analytics will be delivering Professional Training sessions 24th through 26th February. Finally, Intersec will hold a Power Hour session on 27th February, open to all Mobile World Congress attendees. For more information on Featured Programmes, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/featured-programmes/.

NFC Experience at Mobile World Congress
Building on its success at Mobile World Congress 2013, the NFC Experience has been expanded to provide an even greater range of mobile NFC services for attendees with NFC-enabled devices. Mobile World Congress attendees are encouraged to bring their NFC-enabled handsets and take advantage of the experiences on offer at the show, such as venue access, catering and networking, as well as demonstrations of the latest NFC and products and services in applications including retail, online commerce and transport, among others.

Mobile World Congress attendees with NFC-enabled handsets can again use the NFC Badge to gain access to the Fira Gran Via venue without the need to continually produce photo ID and, starting this year, eligible attendees will also be able to use the NFC Badge for entry to the conference facilities in Hall 4. Attendees using the NFC Badge for the first time will be able to upload their photo when they register for the event; attendees who used the NFC Badge at Mobile World Congress 2013 can continue to use their validated photo in 2014, enabling quick and easy access to the venue.

Mobile World Congress Media Welcome Reception
The GSMA will host the official Mobile World Congress Media Welcome Reception from 17:00 to 19:00 on Sunday, 23rd February at Fira Gran Via. This networking cocktail reception will offer accredited press and industry analysts the opportunity to meet with leading players from across the mobile ecosystem and preview the week's activities in relaxed social environment. The reception will feature a select number of exhibition showcases and demonstrations. The first Media Welcome Reception Demonstration Sponsors include Current Analysis, Lantiq Deutschland GmbH and Rubicon Project. For more information on the Media Welcome Reception and the Media Village at Mobile World Congress, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/press/.

Mobile World Congress Registration Now Open
Registration for Mobile World Congress 2014 is now open; attendees wishing to register should visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/registration/. For more information on Mobile World Congress 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 2013 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital encompasses programmes and activities that 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, 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 with 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.