GSMA, the association that organises the Mobile World Congress, has confirmed this Friday that their 2018 edition will be held in Barcelona from 26th February to 1st March. Moreover, in their statement, they note their agreement that Barcelona is "the Mobile World Capital and host city of the GSMA Mobile World Congress through 2023".
That said, they say they continue to "to monitor developments in Spain and Catalonia and assess any potential impact" for their events. In fact, the CEO of GSMA Ltd, a subsidiary of GSMA which runs their trade shows and conferences, John Hoffman, was recently in Barcelona, closely following the political conflict between Catalonia and Spain.
This news comes after the recent moves of a number of companies of their registered head offices out of Catalonia in the face of uncertainty as to whether Catalonia will move forwards with independence or not. This has apparently not affected the Mobile World Congress, however, one of the main annual events in the Catalan capital.
Last year, the congress saw a record number of visitors, some 108,000 professionals, having an estimated economic impact of around 465 million euros and creating 13,200 temporary jobs. Each year, it invigorates the economy of Barcelona and the metropolitan area in general while in the city.