Barcelona, Spain, was today named the Mobile World Capital from 2012 to 2018 by the GSM Association. With the announcement comes confirmation that Barcelona will continue to host the Mobile World Congress, something it has done since 2006.
Beyond the Mobile World Congress, the Mobile World Capital also features two additional elements: the Mobile World Centre and the Mobile World Festival. The Mobile World Centre will comprise permanent and temporary exhibitions which meld culture and technological innovation, facilities for the development and incubation of mobile solutions, and retail and hospitality venues. The Mobile World Festival, which is targeted to the general public, will incorporate a range of activities including sporting events, music and art festivals, film awards, applications and technology fairs and more.
MWC 2012 is scheduled to take place from February 27th to March 1st at the Fira Montjuic. In 2013 (February, the event will take place at a new facility, the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via.