Amid growing fears pertaining to the spread of the deadly and contagious coronavirus, more and more companies have been pulling out of the lineup for the upcoming MWC 2020 tech event. Big names in the industry such as ZTE, LG, Ericsson, Nvidia, Sony, TCL, and most recently, Vivo, have all backed out over the past few days.
In light of this, it seems that the GSMA is unsure about holding the event altogether. A report has surfaced stating that the fate of this year"s Mobile World Congress will be decided on February 14. A local newspaper, La Vanguardia, reported today that the organizers will assess whether or not to cancel the event in the meeting to be held in Barcelona on Friday.
The news comes just after the GSMA reaffirmed its decision to hold the event in a press release on Sunday, reassuring people that many stringent health and safety measures had been implemented.
"In addition to all of the health and safety measures put in place, the Spanish health authorities, Host City Partners, other relevant agencies and the GSMA are collaborating. The GSMA is seeking to reassure attendees and exhibitors that their health and safety are our paramount concern, by the following additional measures being put in place...."
MWC Barcelona is the largest mobile exhibition in the world, attracting approximately 100,000 attendees from around the globe every year. This year"s event - should the GSMA decide to proceed with it - is scheduled to take place from February 24 to 27. It seems like we will have to wait until Friday to find out for sure whether the show will take place or not.
Source: La Vanguardia (Spanish)