Visitors from 204 countries attended the mobile industry’s premier event at the Fira Gran Via and Fira Montjuïc venues in Barcelona. The 2016 Mobile World Congress featured more than 2,200 exhibiting companies showcasing cutting-edge products and services across 110,000 net square metres of exhibition and hospitality space. More than 3,600 international media and industry analysts attended the event to report on the many significant industry announcements made at the Congress.

“Mobile World Congress hit a significant milestone in 2016 as visitors to the event surpassed 100,000 for the first time,” said John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd.

“This year’s Mobile World Congress incorporated a diverse range of events, spanning multiple sectors and interests, reflecting the expanding role of mobile around the world. We once again enjoyed a tremendously stimulating show, featuring a world-class speaker line-up and a range of cutting-edge product launches that will set the tone for the mobile industry for the remainder of the year and beyond.”

The four-day conference and exhibition attracted executives from the world’s largest and most influential mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies and companies from industry sectors such as automotive, finance and healthcare, as well as government delegations from across the globe.

Over 55 per cent of this year’s Mobile World Congress attendees hold C-level positions, including more than 5,000 CEOs and 21 per cent of attendees for the 2016 show were women. Preliminary independent economic analysis indicates that the 2016 Mobile World Congress will have contributed more than €460 million and over 13,000 part-time jobs.