Spain is the place to be in February
The GSM Association (GSMA) announced a world-class line-up of industry leaders and visionaries who will speak at the five keynote sessions of the 3GSM World Congress 2007 in Barcelona 12th-15th February 2007. The keynote sessions will feature chief executives from the leading global mobile operators, equipment vendors and content providers, each providing their insight on the topics, such as mobile broadband, convergence and emerging markets, that are defining and shaping the future of mobile communications.
Confirmed speakers can be divided into several categories based on their company. Noted telecommunications operators include Rene Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telecom and TMobile; Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone; Naguib Sawiris, Chairman and CEO of Orascom; Sanjiv Ahuja, CEO of Orange Group; Phuthuma Nhleko, CEO of MTN; Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor; and Ben Verwaayen, CEO of BT.
Equipment vendors will also be well-represented by Carl-Henric Svanberg, CEO of Ericsson; Patricia Russo, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent; Kaoru Yano, President of NEC Corporation; Simon Beresford-Wylie, CEO Designate of Nokia Siemens Networks; and Mike Zafirovski, President and CEO of Nortel Networks.
Noted content providers will include Bill Roedy, President of MTV Networks International; Edgar Bronfman Jr., Chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group; and Eric Nicoli, President of EMI.
"Our first appearance in Barcelona earlier this year was a resounding success and a touchstone to an impressive twentyyear history of the event," said Bill Gajda, Chief Marketing Officer for the GSM Association. "3GSM World Congress is not only the mobile industry's biggest global event, but also a key forum for the entertainment and computing industries. This year's event will especially focus on mobile entertainment, and the impact technology and content are having on the mobile networks of today and tomorrow."
"There's no doubt that the 3GSM World Congress is a key mobile communications event and an important destination for the entertainment industry," added Bill Roedy, President of MTV Networks International. "I'm looking forward to talking with leaders from global mobile operators and vendor communities about how we can deliver the best and most exciting content to mobile phone users."
To support the focus on mobile entertainment, the GSMA has announced a groundbreaking joint project with the Sundance Institute, chaired by Robert Redford, to produce five short films made exclusively for mobile devices. The initiative, known as the Sundance Film Festival: Global Short Film Project, will premier the five films at the Congress in Barcelona. The Congress will also host a panel containing the five directors of the films who were selected by the Sundance Institute on the basis of their previous work for the Sundance Film Festival.
Exhibit attendees will be invited to download these five films to their mobile phones, and then share these movies with others around the world. As mobile devices are becoming a fourth screen for film audiences, the 3GSM World Congress 2007 represents a unique opportunity for movie makers to reach key decision makers at mobile operators from across the globe.
To further support the convergence of mobile technology and entertainment, one hall of the exhibition will be dedicated to mobile entertainment and content. The new Mobile Entertainment and Content Zone will offer a platform for the major players and emerging entrepreneurs in this sector to showcase their products and services.
The exhibition floor space at the Congress is almost sold out and will host more than 1,300 exhibitors from all sectors of the mobile industry. About 60,000 people are expected to attend the event.
