Mobile World Congress, or MWC to the veterans, has arrived once again. We’ve been busy preparing for this event for the past couple of months, and now that we’re here, we’re faced with sleep deprivation, increased caffeine intake, and indecision as to whether or not we’ll need a sweater in the confusing Barcelona climate. Nevertheless, we’re all extremely excited to be here for the one week of the year that the mobile industry unites in this beautiful city to update, discuss, and learn what’s going on with everything that is mobile.
Big Changes at MWC
This year’s MWC is set to run from the Monday, February 25th to Thursday the 28th, and it will be the first time we have all descended on the new location of the Fira Gran Via, which will mean a new experience for even the most grizzled MWC attendees. Possibly the most dramatic change to this year’s show will be the absence of the Google Android stand, which has become well known for its smoothies, ice cream, and crazy slide.
What We’re Waiting For
As always, we’re excited to hear the customary announcements from the big networks, device manufacturers, and accessory businesses, but we’re particularly looking forward to the growing number of cloud service providers that are increasingly attending the show. For example, this year we have keynotes scheduled from the CEOs at Deezer, Dropbox, Foursquare, and Mozilla. These names could make for some very interesting talks on the future of mobile devices, driving increased innovations and efficiencies for businesses and consumers alike.
Enjoying the MWC Nightlife
As usual, most of the professional networking that goes on during MWC won’t happen at the show, but rather in the evening in the many bars and clubs of Barcelona. Here are some of the events we think look too good to miss:
- Monday 25th Feb: MEF Connects 2013 – Now in its 11th year, this is a chance to do some serious networking with other MEF members. If you’re not a member, don’t fret, there’s always the MWC Networking Event, dubbed by organizers as “THE” networking event of MWC.
- Tuesday 26th Feb: Mobile Marketing Mixer – This event is open to all, but you’ll need an invite to get in. The best chance to get your golden ticket is to follow @MMMagTweets, where organizers will give away tickets right up to the show.
- Wednesday 27th Feb: Swedish Beers, Heroes of the Mobile Fringe Edition – Promised to be full to the brim and buzzing with chatter; organised by Helen Keegan (and “crew”). There’s no need to RSVP, as there’s no strict guest list, but our tip is to get there early, as it’s always popular and space in the venue (as well as the free drinks) always go faster than you think.
- Thursday 28th Feb: MLove MWC 2013 After Party – If you’re not planning to leave on Thursday and are still in a condition to party, this event is a must! It’s a chance to meet, mingle, and celebrate the end of another great show. Tickets are expected to sell out, but they’re currently available through Eventbrite with the promotional code “MLOVE-friends.”
What McAfee is Doing:
We’ll be sharing a booth with our parent company Intel in Hall 3, Stand C34. Stop by to check out McAfee consumer and enterprise mobile demos and chat with members of our team (we’re easy to spot – just look for the red shirts). Even better, if you stop by the booth and show that you’ve Liked us on Facebook or followed us on Twitter, we’re giving away special prizes for our social media fans.
In addition, we’ll also be revealing the results of our global mobile security research report during the show, and for our enterprise audience, we’ll discussing McAfee Enterprise Mobility Management.
Last but Not Least: #MobileMyths Giveaway for Fans at Home and in Barcelona
Whether or not you’re at the show this year, don’t forget to play our Mobile Mythbusters quiz on Facebook. Not only can you help debunk some of the most common mobile security myths, but you can also enter to win a Galaxy Tablet or Kindle Fire HD, complete with McAfee Mobile Security! Once you’ve taken the quiz, be sure to share your results with the hashtag #MobileMyths, and you can get another entry for the prize.
Stay tuned for more updates on Facebook, here in the blog, and on Twitter with @McAfeeConsumer, and for those of you in Barcelona, I hope you take some time to enjoy all that the city (and MWC) has to offer!