It's Almost June... MWC Shanghai Without COVID Notices, Registration Still Open

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Following the first-ever cancellation in its 33-year history of the 'Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020,' major global exhibitions and events are being postponed or canceled one after another, while the MWC Shanghai scheduled for June has yet to make any official announcement. Although cancellation is almost certain due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the official website is still accepting participation applications, causing confusion.

According to the ICT industry on the 10th, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) originally planned to hold MWC Shanghai from June 30 to July 2 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) in China. This year's theme was expected to emphasize the importance and connectivity of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data under the title ‘지유도 연무계 (智有道 聯无界·Limitless Intelligent Connectivity).’ GSMA disclosed detailed information about MWC Shanghai last December and has been accepting applications from companies and stakeholders.

However, with about 80 days left until the event, there has been no official announcement regarding whether the event will be held due to COVID-19. The GSMA official website is still accepting applications for MWC Shanghai participation. This contrasts sharply with CES Asia, which was scheduled to be held in Shanghai around the same time (June 10-12) and announced its cancellation policy a month ago. Considering that various international events scheduled after July, such as the Tokyo Olympics, have already decided to cancel early and issued related notices to avoid confusion among participants, this is regarded as a rather delayed response.

The industry has already concluded that all major ICT global events this year, including MWC Shanghai and LA, have been canceled and is not making any preparations. This is because the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has exceeded 1.5 million within 100 days of the outbreak, and the proportion of asymptomatic infections is increasing, raising concerns about prolonged impact. Entry restrictions by various countries are also expected not to be lifted anytime soon. However, there are repeated criticisms that industry expectations and official announcements from the organizing bodies are separate issues.

An industry insider said, "Usually, even companies that do not set up exhibition booths attend for business meetings at the working level, but this year, no preparations are being made," adding, "However, we have not yet received any official notice." Another insider also said, "It is practically canceled," but pointed out, "It is important to provide accurate announcements and compensation policies for companies that have already applied and related stakeholders interested in ICT."

A representative from an export company who has been paying attention to whether MWC Shanghai will be held said, "The website shows information as if the event will be held and registration is possible, which is confusing," adding, "We have sent a separate inquiry email."

MWC Shanghai is a regional event different in nature from the 'Mobile Olympics' MWC held every February in Barcelona, Spain, but it attracts about 75,000 visitors. This year, the 500 or so exhibition booths were expected to feature not only Chinese companies such as Huawei, China Telecom, CICT, and Oppo but also global companies like Ericsson and Qualcomm, which would account for about half of the participants. GSMA has also attached significance to holding MWC Shanghai in China, one of the leading countries in 5G. Some speculate that due to the impact of COVID-19, this year's event might be held at the level of a domestic event within China, but even that is expected to be difficult.