“Mobile World Congress Shanghai will spotlight innovation not only across the Asia mobile market but also internationally,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA.

“Our 2016 event features the world’s leading mobile players and brands throughout the exhibition and our conference, and introduces new elements such as 4 Years From Now and partner programmes that will also offer a global perspective on this rapidly expanding industry. We look forward to seeing the mobile world gather in Shanghai in June.”

The GSMA announced additional companies that will be participating in the Mobile World Congress Shanghai exhibition, highlighting the latest mobile products and services. New exhibitors include Accenture, CCTIC, FashionTV, Ford, Lenovo, LG Electronics, McAfee, Monster, NEC, Tata Communications, Tencent and Twitter, as well as Greece Pavilion.

Building on its success in Barcelona, 4 Years From Now (4YFN) is coming to Mobile World Congress Shanghai. An international programme presented by Mobile World Capital Barcelona and the GSMA, 4YFN brings together mobile start-ups and entrepreneurs with investors, accelerators, incubators and corporations from the mobile ecosystem.

Covering 3,000 square metres, the 4YFN exhibition includes several pavilions including Daegu Korea Pavilion, the European Young Innovators Forum, Hong Kong Cyberport, Hong Kong Science Park, Jordanian Pavilion, KAIT Korea Pavilion and the Shenzhen Pavilion.

Mobile World Congress Shanghai attendees will have the opportunity to experience virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) firsthand. The exhibition will include the Virtual Reality Zone where leading VR/AR companies from across the world will showcase cutting-edge technologies and products, and consumers and VR fans can immerse themselves in a range of 360-degree interactive experiences.

Alongside the Virtual Reality Zone, the Virtual Reality Summit will bring together futurists, innovators and leaders to discuss how VR can advance in areas such as gaming, films, retail and others, while outlining future opportunities for the technology. CBS Digital Executive Producer George Bloom is among the experts currently confirmed to speak in the Virtual Reality Summit.

In addition, GSMA also announced new sponsors and partners. New partners and sponsors for Mobile World Congress Shanghai include China Mobile, who joins Huawei as a Platinum Event Partner; EyeVerify (Sponsor – Digital Commerce Summit); Micron Technology, LeMobile, LG Electronics and Xiaomi (Sponsors – Global Device Summit); MyKronoz (Sponsor – Fashion Smart Watch Challenge); and Xura (Headline Sponsor – Mobile Security Forum).