GSMA Highlights Success Of Mobile Asia Expo 2013

- Attendance Increases More Than 30 Per Cent Over the 2012 Event

LONDON, July 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA today reported that more than 20,500* unique visitors from 77 countries attended the 2013 Mobile Asia Expo, held 26-28 June in Shanghai. The three-day conference and exhibition attracted executives from the industry's largest and most influential mobile operators, device makers, equipment providers, software companies and Internet companies, as well as government delegations and technology-savvy consumers. The conference programme drew more than 2,100 attendees, with more than 50 per cent of delegates holding C-level positions, including 130 CEOs.

"We're extremely pleased with the turnout that we've seen this week. The strong level of attendance, particularly among the C-suite of the world's leading communications companies, underscores the importance of Asia in the global mobile landscape," commented John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd.  "From the conference to the exhibition and the many meetings and events within Mobile Asia Expo, attendees were able to experience the vision of the 'Connected Future' today." 

The 2013 Mobile Asia Expo hosted nearly 200 exhibition stands and occupied 25,000 gross square metres of exhibition and business meeting space. More than 640 international media and industry analysts attended the event to report on the many industry announcements made at Mobile Asia Expo. 

Industry and Government Leaders Gather in Shanghai
Mobile Asia Expo opened on 26th June with speeches from Franco Bernabe, Chairman of the GSMA, Shang Bing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Zhou Bo, Vice Mayor of Shanghai. The two-day Mobile Asia Expo conference programme featured keynotes from leaders of organisations including Alcatel-Lucent, China Mobile, Datang Telecom Technology & Industry Group, Huawei, Indosat, ITU, KT, Ruckus Wireless, SK Planet, SK Telecom, Telenor, Telstra and Ubuntu.

Beyond the keynotes, the Mobile Asia Expo conference included the GTI Asia Conference, as well as focused breakout sessions examining the key trends and issues in mobile. Mobile Asia Expo also hosted several other meetings including the Connected Living Asia Summit, the Smart Cities Forum and the ETSI-GSMA Intellectual Property Rights Summit.

GSMA Public Policy Forum
Given the importance of sound government policy to the mobile ecosystem and the impact Asia Pacific has on a global scale, the GSMA held its second annual Public Policy Forum at Mobile Asia Expo, bringing together more than 70 key stakeholders from governments, regulators, international organisations, mobile operators and industry manufacturers across the region. Under the theme of "Reaching Total Connectivity", the 2013 Forum examined the regulatory environment that will help in delivering services, creating growth and improving lives in Asia Pacific and beyond.

Exhibition: Showcasing Leading Companies Across Mobile
The Mobile Asia Expo exhibition showcased companies from across the mobile ecosystem as well as adjacent sectors, including Accenture, Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell, Amazon China, AT&T, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, Dell, Facebook, Huawei, Lenovo, Mozilla, NEC, Oracle, Samsung, Sharp, SK Telecom, Sony Mobile Communications, Telecom Italia Sparkle, The Coca-Cola Company, Toshiba, Ubuntu, Visa and ZTE, among others.

The Expo was home to a number of pavilions and zones focused on specific topics or regions, such as the Innovation Pavilion, the Augmented Reality Pavilion, the Gaming Zone and the Mobile Entertainment Pavilion. Attendees also participated in a range of informative presentations in the Innovation Labs, which were sponsored by FingerQ and Orange, as well as app developer conferences and App Lab sessions in App Planet.

Connected City at the Heart of Mobile Asia Expo
For the first time, the Mobile Asia Expo exhibition featured the Connected City. Across 1,600 square metres, the Connected City showcased a range of mobile connected products and services, providing Mobile Asia Expo attendees the opportunity to experience the "Connected Life" first-hand. Connected City partners included China Mobile, Cisco, Ford Motor Company, Huawei, KT and SAP.

NFC Experience: Bringing NFC Technology to Life
Mobile Asia Expo attendees with an NFC-enabled mobile phone were able to take advantage of NFC technology at locations throughout the exhibition and at the Kerry Centre and nearby Kerry Shopping Centre. China Mobile was the NFC Experience Official Operator Partner and Supporting Partners included Samsung, Huawei, China UnionPay, Sandpay, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and Shanghai COS Software Co., Ltd.

Mobile Asia Expo 2013 Partners
Supporting Organisations for Mobile Asia Expo include the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization and the Pudong New Area Government. Strategic Partners for Mobile Asia Expo include China Mobile Communications Association (CMCA), Internet Marketing Committee of China (IMCC), Shanghai Communication Industry Association (SCIA) and Telecommunication Terminal Testing Technology Association (TAF). Official Media Partners include BesTV, Shanghai Media Group (SMG), Bloomberg, CNBC, Sina and Tencent. China Mobile is the Platinum Event Sponsor for Mobile Asia Expo.

"We thank all who contributed to the success of our second Mobile Asia Expo, including the government of China, the city of Shanghai, our Platinum Event Sponsor China Mobile and all of our exhibitors, sponsors, partners and attendees," continued Hoffman. "We look forward to coming back to Shanghai next year and building on the success of our 2013 event."

Mobile Asia Expo 2014 will be held the week of 9 June 2014; specific timing and further details for the 2014 event will be made available over the coming months.

For news coverage and video highlights from Mobile Asia Expo, please visit Mobile World Live at http://www.mobileworldlive.com/mobile-asia-expo/.  Replays of the Mobile Asia Expo keynote presentations will also be made available on Mobile World Live over the coming weeks.  

Note to editor:*This figure represents the number of individual attendees at the event, including delegates, exhibitors, contractors and media; it does not represent the total number of entries to the event.

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 more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset 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 the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:

For the GSMA
Charlie Meredith-Hardy
+44-7917-298428
CMeredith-Hardy@webershandwick.com

Ava Lau (Hong Kong)
+852-2533-9928
alau@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com