Tapas and Dealmaking — Welcome to MWC!
By Karen Pattani-Hason
It’s that time of year — when the digital world turns its attention to Barcelona, where the ever-expanding Mobile World Congress (MWC) happens annually in February. MWC has become a can’t-miss event for some of the world’s largest companies. Consulting firms, digital agencies, mobile app developers, hardware and software companies, analytics, attribution, startups, and everyone in their global orbit will converge on this incredible event which fills 8 halls in Barcelona’s famed Fira de Barcelona Gran Via Convention Center. Global powerhouses like Samsung, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Huawei, and more will be there with giant, spectacular displays — sometimes taking up entire halls. The media will be there too — CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Interactive, and other global outlets will be covering the show. Many think Barcelona itself is the draw — and it’s a great one — but what is it about MWC that’s fueled its growth and importance to the tech world?
Digital and mobile have become a critical part of the enterprise. Therefore, the need to evolve and keep pace with the latest innovations, newest solutions, and disruptive startup activity is also critical. MWC is where these groups converge. Mobile has become the remote control to our lives — and the gateway for companies to access their target users whenever and wherever they are to provide them with a satisfying, useful, and productive experience. Consumers aren’t the only users expecting a seamless experience between platforms and devices — professionals in the field require the latest technologies to help them be more productive. Brands aren’t only competing within their own industry, but with every digital experience their audience is having, now and in the future. MWC is where digital innovation leaders and partners meet to strategize, discuss, and plan for the present and future tech that will raise the bar for their own brand’s experiences.
There are two aspects to MWC: daily programming, and the convention center floor, divided into 8 halls. Daily programming includes talks, masterclasses, and keynotes covering topics such as digital transformation, AI, robotics, IoT, digital identity, building for growth, 5G, and a datathon — and that’s just the first day! Then there’s the floor. Take your vitamins — covering all 8 halls of the convention center takes days. The floor of the Fira is a veritable wonderland of demos, robots, wild rides, and enthusiastic futurists looking to connect with the partners that will help navigate this new world; to right the future if their current course is unsteady.
This is what we do at TribalScale. We work with some of the world’s largest enterprise brands, who recognize the need to modernize their stack and become more nimble and agile in the face of disruptive competition. We help these companies right the future through a transformative approach to building software in the cloud. Whether it’s building new apps, refactoring existing apps, migrating their systems to the cloud, building new software to replace legacy systems, in-vehicle experiences, developing skills for voice, Alexa or Google Home, tvOS, FireTV, Roku or other OTT platforms, it’s our business to stay on top of the new — and incorporate it into the solutions we build for enterprise. We’re a full-stack innovation and transformation partner — from strategy, design, development, deployment, to full-scale transformations — we #rightthefuture for our clients and partners.
I’ll be at MWC, ready to discuss partnership in Barcelona. See you at the Fira! 😉 Send me a note if you want to connect: karen@tribalscale.com
Karen Pattani-Hason is Head of Strategic Partnerships at TribalScale. Karen’s career spans 25 years of marketing and business development in media and tech, at MTV Networks, Sony Music, Island Def Jam, and most recently as Global Head of Agency and Strategic Partnerships at Urban Airship. At TribalScale, Karen manages and optimizes technical and strategic relationships to maximize returns for partners and clients. She has a BA from Tufts, an MBA from Columbia Business School, and is based in New York City.
TribalScale is a global innovation firm that helps enterprises adapt and thrive in the digital era. We transform teams and processes, build best-in-class digital products, and create disruptive startups. Learn more about us on our website. Connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook!
