I started this mini series as a source of information for the participants of the Greek pavilion at MWC17. But then I thought that it might be useful for other MWC exhibitors, participants or visitors around the world. So I altered it a bit so it fits to this audience.
Hints & Tips for a successful MWC17 — Episode 1
I start a mini series of articles dedicated to the preparation for the presence of the Greek tech ecosystem to MWC17 in Barcelona but it can also be useful to other national pavilions as well as companies and individuals. I know from my company’s participation the last 10 years in this event that it is at least challenging to have a successful participation in such a huge event. This is why I decided to share my experience and post what’s new in this years MWC. I hope this is going to help other professionals and companies in our ecosystem.
First of all, it is very important to read the “Survival Guide” from Greece@MWC16, unfortunately in Greek for the time being. You can find it here and it will answer to most of your questions. The second step is to be updated about what’s going on around this years event. The main sources of information coming from the GSMA:
Accommodation
As we move towards, MWC, the need for accommodation and transportation becomes urgent. This year, more than any other year, the accommodation is really a pain. The prices are really high and most of them are already booked. But as the city is getting ready for the event, more hosts put their apartments online and the more hotels advertise their vacancies.
You need to invest a good amount of time if you don’t have unlimited budget and have a couple of requirements like being quite near to the venue or avoid the morning and evening traffic etc.
You can always consult the event’s site for their accommodation partners but they are not cheap and they get booked fast. The other option is to rent a whole apartment especially if you are more than 3 persons. This is what we do and till now it is the most efficient option in terms of money and comfort. You can use sites like AirBnN, HouseTrip and HomeAway but hurry up as I wrote, they are booked fast.
Flights
The direct flights to Barcelona from Athens are conducted by Aegean, Iberia and Vueling. The last two cooperate very often and they share the flights. Depending on when you are planning to go you should book your tickets asap if you haven’t yet done it.
The prices will be much higher as we are getting close to February. There are at least two direct flights per day and as I write this post the prices are still quite good.
The other option is of course to get a non-direct flight either through Italy, Switzerland or Austria. A very helpful tool to find the most efficient combination is Skyscanner.
Useful Info
I’ll close the first edition of this series of posts with a couple of useful links and information. First of all please fill the following form if you want to be part of the Greek delegation to MWC17: https://bit.ly/GRatMWC17 after you’ve read the participation packages.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our two LinkedIn Groups as we share most of the information about Greece@MWC there:
The official email to contact Hamac is :info[at]hamac.gr
If you have questions please leave a comment here or send us an email.
