22.02.2016 - 13:00
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Actualització: 01.07.2016 - 10:45
Barcelona will be hosting this year’s Mobile World Congress from 22 to 25 February. Over two thousand exhibitors from the mobile industry will be taking part. For the first time, attendance is expected to exceed one hundred thousand visitors from all over the world. Whether you are a MWC veteran or newbie, VilaWeb English has put together this quick guide to highlight applications and online resources that will help you find your way around MWC and the city of Barcelona, one of Europe’s leading ‘smart cities’.
Go-to apps
The mobile phones of the thousands of visitors to this telecom and mobility trade show should no doubt contain apps pertaining to the trade show itself, as well as to the city that is hosting it. First on the list of apps to download should be MWC’s own app—My MWC (Android, iOS, and Windows)—which allows users access to the week’s schedule of events, presentations and speakers, the list of companies and exhibitors at the trade show, as well as personalized recommendations and interactive maps of the venue. Attendees are also likely to get much use out of the city transportation authority’s app (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona – TMB), which provides maps and information for all bus and metro lines in the metropolitan area (including the recently opened 9 line, which connects the airport to the fair).
Meanwhile, in its yearly update to its well-known MWC Travel Guide, PC Mag magazine has asked two local digital entrepreneurs, Raquel Priego and Miquel Vidal, to provide app recommendations for visitors to the city. Their top ten selection includes apps that enable users to rent hotel rooms by the hour (ByHours.com), access personalized messenger services (such as Glovo), request a taxi (Hail) and, of course, take advantage of Google translate. For more local apps, check out the city’s tourism office’s list of ‘the best apps to live Barcelona’.
Getting around MWC
Given the size of the fair, it is highly recommended (almost mandatory) for visitors to plan ahead if they want to take full advantage of everything MWC has to offer. In this respect, visitors will want to take note of the eight tips and tricks laid out by Lars Fjeldsoe-Nielsen, former Uber and Dropbox executive and experienced MWC attendee, in his article ‘Mobile World Congress: A Survival Guide for Developers’. For both veterans and newcomers, the organizers have posted online ten ‘orientation tours’, podcasts with information ranging from transportation and registration-process advice to recommendations on how to dress, as well as tips for exhibitors.
After Hours
If so inclined, visitors to the world’s leading mobile fair can also enjoy a packed agenda off the fairgrounds, after the doors close for the day. Coinciding with MWC, companies in the industry, start-ups, and the tech community in general have organized a slew of parties and meetings for every taste at venues throughout Barcelona. As usual, Scott Mackin, founder of technology information platform Barcinno.com, has put together a thorough ‘Mobile World Congress Parties and Events Guide’, which this year includes fifty events that will take place throughout the week.
Exploring Barcelona
If, despite the day’s activity and many after hour offerings, you still have time on your hands, there are a few sites to help you discover Barcelona and its metropolitan area. The City’s website, for starters, provides a few pointers for exploring the city. You’ll also find many suggestions on the website of the official tourism office, Barcelona Turisme, which runs the Tourist Bus offering easy access to the city’s main attractions (including the Sagrada Familia and FC Barcelona’s football stadium). Wikitravel, meanwhile, provides basic and practical information about the city, while the Barcelona edition of Time Out, aside from more general recommendations for tourists (festivals, restaurants, art, culture, architecture), has recently published an article geared at MWC attendees who want to use their free time to enjoy the city’s culture, sample its cuisine and local nightlife, and explore its shopping districts on foot.
