The Mobile World Congress, or MWC, keeps growing in scope and impact. The 2024 edition closed with attendance surpassing expectations, welcoming over 101,000 visitors from a wide range of countries. This marked the best turnout since 2019, a milestone confirmed by GSMA, the global mobile industry association that organizes the event. For 18 years running, except for the pandemic year 2020, Barcelona has hosted MWC in February, becoming the hotspot for the latest developments in the sector.
Over four days, MWC 2024 hosted about 2,700 exhibitors and 1,100 speakers across 260 sessions. The congress has secured a commitment to remain in Barcelona at least through 2030. The renewed contract between GSMA and local authorities underscores Barcelona as the event’s permanent home, a decision the organizers view as a formality given the city’s central role in the industry.
Chinese momentum
The attendance at this year’s edition is seen as another step toward the record set in 2019, when roughly 109,000 people attended. A growing presence of visitors from Asia, especially China, helped push participation into six figures. The pandemic in 2020 interrupted the upward trajectory, but since then the event has been regaining momentum.
Much of this year’s recovery can be attributed to a steady return of delegates from Asia’s giant markets. Nearly 300 Chinese companies participated at the Gran Via venue, a record high. China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator by subscriber count, stood out along with other major players such as Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, and Xiaomi.
The AI conversation at MWC
As the event drew to a close, MWC highlighted four days of product showcases, business discussions, and investment opportunities. Consistent with its tradition, the focus remained on mobile technology while major telecom operators pressed for closer collaboration to strengthen business models and accelerate 5G deployment.
But the congress has long since expanded beyond telecommunications. In 2023, up to 53% of attendees came from sectors like finance, healthcare, logistics, and transportation. This year’s edition is expected to show a similar diversification. Artificial intelligence, the most exciting topic for many in the industry, played a central role. The event showcased the ongoing integration of generative AI systems into mobile devices and other fields, alongside interest in virtual reality, augmented reality, cloud computing, satellites, and the Internet of Things.
By presenting a broad array of technologies and applications, MWC underscored how AI is reshaping product design and service delivery, while also signaling ongoing investments in infrastructure and ecosystems that enable smarter, more connected experiences. The momentum points toward a future where devices, networks, and data work together to unlock new capabilities for businesses and consumers alike. This trend has captured the attention of strategic partners, startups, and established players seeking to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
At the heart of the conversation is a shift from single-device experiences to interconnected systems. The industry is prioritizing interoperability, privacy, and responsible AI governance as critical pillars to responsible growth. The overarching message: AI will not replace human expertise; it will amplify it, helping organizations move faster and deliver more value across sectors.
In sum, MWC 2024 reinforced Barcelona’s status as a central hub for tech innovation while highlighting the expanding role of Asia, especially China, in shaping the mobile and AI-enabled future. The event’s trajectory suggests ongoing growth and continued emphasis on AI, 5G, and the broader ecosystem that binds devices, networks, and services together for a smarter world. The broader industry takeaway: collaboration and diversification across sectors are essential to harness the full potential of next-generation technologies, from mobile to the metaverse, with AI at the core of these advances. The continued momentum will likely influence investment, policy, and product roadmaps in the years ahead, not just in Europe but across North America as well, where interest in AI-enabled mobility remains high and visibility into global tech shifts remains strong. [Cited from GSMA and event organizers]