GSMA Announces Latest Event Updates for 2018 “Mobile World Congress Americas, in Partnership with CTIA”

Sponsored content

Logo MWCA18_

(GSMA, 2018)

Executives from AEG, AT&T Mobility & Entertainment, Boingo Wireless, T-Mobile US and Verizon Wireless to Keynote; Additional Exhibitors, Sponsors, Partners and Programs Confirmed 

The GSMA today announced several additions to the Mobile World Congress Americas event line-up, including new speakers in the conference program, additional participating companies and exhibition experiences, and new programs and events. The show will take place in the Los Angeles Convention Center from September 12 -14, 2018. “With its new location in Los Angeles, this year’s event – our second in North America – shifts the focus to the intersection of mobile with content, entertainment and media,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “This is an exciting and transformative time for the industry, as evidenced by recent merger and acquisition activities to create truly integrated communications providers. Mobile is becoming the preferred way of consuming entertainment content, and the 2018 Mobile World Congress Americas will convene decision makers from across these industries to explore the opportunities and challenges in this new converged world.” New Keynote Speakers Announced The GSMA announced several new speakers for the Mobile World Congress Americas keynote program, with executives representing mobile, sports and entertainment organizations, including:
  • Dan Beckerman, President and CEO, AEG
  • David Christopher, President, AT&T Mobility & Entertainment
  • David Hagan, Chairman and CEO, Boingo Wireless
  • Michael Sievert, President and COO, T-Mobile
  • Ronan Dunne, Group President, Verizon Wireless
  • Rick Fox, Entrepreneur, Actor and Former LA Laker
These executives join previously announced keynote speakers:
  • Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises and Chairman, GSMA
  • Meredith Attwell Baker, President and CEO, CTIA
  • Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA
  • Richard Plepler, Chairman and CEO, HBO
  • Seleta Reynolds, General Manager, Los Angeles Dept. of Transportation
  • Rajeev Suri, President and CEO, Nokia
  • Tim Baxter, President and CEO, Samsung Electronics North America
  • Marcelo Claure, Executive Chairman, Sprint and Chairman, CTIA
In addition to the keynote program, the Mobile World Congress Americas conference will address an array of topics including 5G and next-generation networks; artificial intelligence (AI); sports, entertainment and media; immersive content; connected vehicles; the digital consumer; the Fourth Industrial Revolution; regulation and policy; privacy and security; sustainable development and smart cities, among others. Recently confirmed conference speakers include:
  • Sameep Tandon, CEO and Co-Founder, Drive.ai
  • Lesley Young, Global Director, Growth at Workplace, Facebook
  • Ronalee Zarate-Bayani, CMO, Los Angeles Rams
  • Soma Velayutham, Head of Global Industry Development, AI and Deep Learning, NVIDIA
  • Kevin Crull, Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer, Sprint
  • Maryanne Morrow, CEO, SurgeXLR and 9th Gear Technologies
  • Angela Shen-Hsieh, Director, Predicting Human Behavior, Telefónica
  • Dr. Rosanna Chan, Founder, Therefore
  • Molly Battin, EVP, Global CCO and CMO, Turner
  • Nicola Palmer, Chief Network Officer, Verizon Wireless
For more information on the conference program, including the agenda and keynote speakers, visit https://www.mwcamericas.com/conference-programs/. Latin America Media and Convergent Services Summit Confirmed Inspired by recent consolidation activity in the industry, the Latin America Media and Convergent Services Summit will focus on the future of mobile and content distribution across the region, addressing key issues facing operators and the wider ecosystem, including innovation and investment, business cases and partnership opportunities for convergent services, and regulatory considerations, among others. Featuring keynotes, presentations and panel sessions, the Latin America Media and Convergent Services Summit will take place on Thursday, September 13. The first speakers confirmed for the Summit include:
  • Tomas Genenari, Executive Vice President, Business Bureau
  • Martin Gallone, Global Digital Director, Millicom
  • Rosario Ballesteros-Casas, Founder and CEO, VR Americas
  • Michele Edelman, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Content Strategy, Vubiquity
For more information, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/conference-programs/agenda/latin-american-media-convergent-services-summit. Additional Exhibitors, Sponsors and Partners Confirmed for 2018 The GSMA announced new participating companies at Mobile World Congress Americas including AT&T, NBC Universal and Spirent. These brands join previously announced companies including Accenture, American Express OPEN, ARM, Cisco, Dell, Ericsson, G+D Mobile Security, Gemalto, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Infosys, JMA Wireless, Mastercard, Mavenir, McAfee, Nokia Solutions, Samsung Networks, Sprint, Synchronoss, Syniverse, TELUS, Verizon Wireless and VMware and more at this year’s Mobile World Congress Americas. On the show floor, country and regional pavilions will feature companies, products and services from around the world, including Canada, China, Finland, France, India, Ireland, South Korea, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Attendees visiting the pavilions will be able to explore and experience the latest cutting-edge technologies and innovations from the regions. Another major exhibit floor attraction area is the IoT Zone, with interactive demonstrations and connected products from KORE, Microsoft, the Open Network Foundation, Pycom, Sitch Ai, U-blox and many other exhibiting companies. The IoT Zone will showcase the role 5G plays in the IoT, enabling connectivity across diverse, real-world applications for consumers and enterprises, including health and wellness, fleet management, autonomous vehicle experiences and more. Also on the show floor, the NEXTech Zone will feature new and established companies that are disrupting today’s ecosystem including Asocs, Mimosa Networks, Sunitor, Syncleo and others. NEXTech will demonstrate the use of next-generation technology, such as AI, augmented reality, virtual reality and robotics, in everyday scenarios including in hospitals, homes and schools, to name a few. For more information on the Mobile World Congress Americas exhibition, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/exhibition/. Cisco has joined as the headline sponsor for the show’s IoT and 5G Industry Theme, while NBCU Code is headline sponsor of the CMO Industry Theme. CBS Interactive, LinkedIn and the Wall Street Journal have signed on as official media partners for Mobile World Congress Americas, alongside Fortune. For more information on sponsors and partners, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/about/sponsors-partners. New Speakers, Partners for 4YFN Startup Event Over the three event days, the 4YFN Startup Event will provide an opportunity to connect international startups, investors and large corporations. A highlight of 4YFN is the 4YFN Stage, which will host the startup and innovation program, startup pitching sessions, the exclusive investors networking program, 4YFN Americas 2018 Awards finals, and the 4YFN Talk Series. The first 4YFN Startup Event speakers include:
  • Yossi Vardi, 4YFN Event Chairman
  • Edith Yeung, Partner, 500 Startups
  • Michelle Klein, Senior Marketing Director, North America and Global, Facebook
  • Jonathan Perelman, Head of Digital Ventures, ICM Partners
  • Dan Shiebler, Machine Learning Modeling Engineer, Twitter Cortex
Rivetz has been confirmed as the 4YFN Silver Sponsor; additional 4YFN partners include Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures, Expert Dojo, Grid110, Qualcomm Ventures, Tech in Motion and Verify Investor. For more details on 4YFN, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/experiences/4yfn. Updates for Women4Tech Program in Los Angeles The Women4Tech program at Mobile World Congress Americas will feature a range of activities, including a speed coaching and networking session on Wednesday, September 12 and the Women4Tech Summit, which will be held on Thursday, September 13. The GSMA announced several additional speakers who will be participating across the Women4Tech program, including:
  • Michelle Morris, Vice President, Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook
  • Hilary Gosher, Managing Director, Insight Venture Partners
  • Anarghya Vardhana, Principal, Maveron
YoMo to Attract 6,000 Students and Educators In its first year at Mobile World Congress Americas, the Youth Mobile Festival (YoMo) is set to welcome over 6,000 students and educators from across Los Angeles and Southern California to a major showcase featuring more than 500 hours of unique content designed to encourage studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, art and design and math (STEAM) fields. The GSMA today announced the first official YoMo partners for the Los Angeles event, including arc, Los Angeles Convention Center, Propel LA, Star Education and Think Together. The inaugural YoMo Los Angeles will be held September 12-14 in Kentia Hall at the LACC. For more information on YoMo, visit: www.yomola.com. New Partner Programs Added to Agenda The GSMA announced a number of new Partner Programs at Mobile World Congress Americas, including the IDE Drone Summit, the Sports and Entertainment Summit, and the SmartDeviceLink (SDL) Connected Car Developer Conference by FordDev. Additional Partner Programs will be presented by A10 Networks, AirFuel Alliance, ATrack Technology Inc. and VisTracks Inc., Award Solutions, CBRS Alliance, Circle, mGage and Vodafone. Spanning the three-day show, Partner Programs will be held both onsite the LACC in the Theater District in Concourse Hall, Level 2, and at the JW Marriott LIVE! LA hotel. To learn more about Partner Programs, including Power Hour sessions, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/conference-programs/partner-programs. Get Involved at Mobile World Congress Americas 2018 The official Mobile World Congress Americas Opening Party will take place on Wednesday, September 12 at 4:30 p.m. in the Networking Gardens of the LACC. For more details, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/networking. Attendees can also participate in the MWC Americas Sunrise 5K Run in the heart of the vibrant L.A. Live entertainment district. The run will start at the LACC South Hall Entrance at 6 a.m. on Thursday, September 13. For more information and to register, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/networking/sunrise-5k-run. More information on Mobile World Congress Americas 2018, including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, is available at www.mwcamericas.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress Americas on Twitter @GSMA using #MWCA18, on our LinkedIn Mobile World Congress Americas page https://www.linkedin.com/company/gsma-mobile-world-congress-americas or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MWCAmericas/. For additional information on GSMA social channels, visit http://www.mwcamericas.com/.

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Interesting reads

This article is published in association with United Nations.

COP17: The world has a plan to save nature. Is it working?

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Secretary-General has called for an end to the “war on nature”. On Monday, governments gathering in Yerevan, Armenia, will have to confront a more practical question: are they doing enough to win the peace and put the world’s biodiversity goals back on track? COP17, […]
© WHO A large-scale combined missile and drone strike hit Kyiv's Solomianskyi district on August 20, 2026.

Ukraine: Critical health supplies destroyed in ongoing Russian attacks

This article is published in association with United Nations. Ongoing and deadly Russian attacks across Ukraine are causing serious healthcare disruption, with more than $1.5 million-worth of medicines and supplies destroyed in four separate strikes on warehouses used by the UN there since July. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 21 warehouses have been […]
© UNICEF/Niccolò Corti A child sits alone, praying, at a reception centre for migrants in Lampedusa, Italy.

World News in Brief: West African migrant crossings, Argentina takes UK to maritime tribunal, farming in Gaza, mental health update

This article is published in association with United Nations. Fewer people from West Africa are reaching Europe by sea, but the journey has not become safer, the UN migration agency (IOM) said on Tuesday. Arrivals from Mali, Senegal, Guinea and The Gambia fell by 59 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with […]
© UN Ukraine The aftermath of a drone attack in a residential area in Kyiv on 12 October.

Ukraine: Residents killed and dozens injured in attacks on Kharkiv and Kyiv

This article is published in association with United Nations. Russian attacks in recent days on on Ukraine’s two largest cities have again killed and injured civilians, damaged homes and civilian infrastructure, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) said on Tuesday. Aid workers and rescuers were on the ground in Kyiv and Kharkiv following aerial strikes that […]
© IOM The war in Sudan has created extreme levels of displacement, both internally and across Sudan’s borders.

‘Efficiency has limits’: UNHCR chief warns refugee protection is buckling under cuts

This article is published in association with United Nations. The money is running out faster than needs are growing: with 117 million men, women and children now forced from their homes, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has received just $3 billion of the $8.5 billion it needs this year – and its chief, Barham Salih, warns […]
© UNOCHA/Ramatoulaye Moussa Maz A woman walks through a camp for displaced people in Ituri Province in eastern DR Congo, where decades of violence have impacted millions, creating a humanitarian emergency.

Rise in poverty is ‘a wake-up call for the world’, UN development chief says

This article is published in association with United Nations. The number of people living in “multidimensional” poverty has risen for the first time in 15 years, reaching 1.2 billion, as families struggle to meet their basic needs.  The finding comes in the 2026 update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) published by the United Nations […]
© UNDP Nidaa with the chickens and ducks she raises in Gaza.

Sustaining livelihoods amid crisis in Gaza

This article is published in association with United Nations. Nidaa, Hanaa and Hanin have different stories, but share a common thread: the determination to build something of their own and keep it going despite extraordinary challenges facing them in war-ravaged Gaza. Following the devastation of the past three years, productive capacity in Gaza has been severely […]
© UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov A firefighter works on the balcony of a wrecked building in Kyiv, Ukraine.

World News in Brief: Russian attacks continue in Ukraine, Gazans shelter in flood-prone areas, keeping sight of eye health

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Thursday he was appalled by a wave of attacks that have killed civilians across Ukraine over the past four days.  They include a strike on two public buses in Kramatorsk on Thursday, that left at least 30 civilians dead, […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

Ukraine: UN condemns latest attacks and calls for civilian protection

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine on Wednesday called for an end to attacks against civilians following further overnight strikes by Russian forces that reportedly killed at least 19 in the Chernihiv Region. Among the dead in Pryluky were five children, three of them babies, according to the […]
© UNICEF-SoP/Crickx People walk down a dusty road in the West Bank carrying belongings.

Israeli demolition in East Jerusalem displaces 69 Palestinians

This article is published in association with United Nations. Sixty-nine Palestinians – more than half of them children – were displaced on Tuesday after Israeli authorities green lit the demolition of their residential building in the At Tur area of East Jerusalem, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) has reported. This is the highest number of […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

‘The clock on AI regulation is ticking’, warns UN rights chief

This article is published in association with United Nations. The world is running out of time to put guardrails on artificial intelligence, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned Monday, as a “ruthless race” between companies and countries raises concerns about human safety and even humanity’s survival. Speaking in the UK at an AI […]
© UNOCHA/Alina Basiuk A school in Ukraine lies in ruins after being hit by a missile.

Ukraine war ‘a human rights catastrophe’ that must end, says Türk

This article is published in association with United Nations. Human Rights The war in Ukraine is a human rights catastrophe that is “growing and intensifying by the week” and threatening an even greater disaster across the region, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday. Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. […]
UN News Massive tent settlement of displaced residents extends along the damaged Gaza coastline.

Palestinians yearn for ‘a return to normal life’, says top Middle East peace envoy

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN is continuing efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza amid major challenges to humanitarian access, reconstruction and the restoration of essential services, according to Ramiz Alakbarov, Acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. Speaking to UN News on the margins of the UN […]
©UNIFIL/Tilak Pokharel UNIFIL personnel distribute food kits to displaced families in Saida, Lebanon (file).

Lebanon: One in five children goes to bed hungry, says UNICEF

This article is published in association with United Nations. Four in five households in Lebanon struggle to afford basic necessities today, with children increasingly going without food, missing school and being pushed into work as conflict compounds years of economic crisis. “I wanted to buy clothes for my children, but I could not. I also wanted […]

World News in Brief: Deadly Myanmar strikes as Malaysia begins deportations, new emergency funding released, Gaza and West Bank update

The UN chief on Tuesday strongly condemned an airstrike that reportedly killed at least 50 people at a market in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and called for those responsible to be held to account. Forces from the military junta reportedly hit Kyauktaw township around midday on Monday, when the market’s more than 200 shops were busy […]
This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

EU provides €61 million in humanitarian aid amidst rapidly deteriorating situation in Ethiopia

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Amid fears of renewed conflict in Northern Ethiopia, the European Union is providing €61 million in humanitarian funding to help the most vulnerable people in Ethiopia affected by conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks and climate-related hazards, including the impact of El Niño. The European Union […]
© UNDP A worker installs solar panels in Lanao del Sur in the Philippines.

From energy crisis to energy transition: How renewables are reshaping energy security

This article is published in association with United Nations. The continuing conflict in the Middle East is disrupting global energy markets and pushing up fuel prices, with knock-on effects far beyond the region. For Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the crisis is also reshaping how the world understands the phrase […]
Countries adopted on Saturday a new global blueprint for tackling rapidly evolving forms of crime, as the UN’s largest gathering on crime prevention and criminal justice opened in Abu Dhabi with a call for stronger international cooperation. The Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted by acclamation at the opening of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, bringing governments together around challenges ranging from cybercrime and fraud to the growing criminal exploitation of digital technology. The Declaration highlights an increasingly complex landscape in which services, infrastructure and technology can be exploited by criminals, including emerging trends described as “crime as a service” and “violence as a service”. At the same time, countries committed to making greater use of technology themselves, including by digitalizing justice systems and harnessing artificial intelligence in criminal justice responses. The Declaration stresses that safeguards must accompany those changes, including human oversight, transparency, due process and data protection. ‘Justice cannot be a privilege’ In a video message to the Congress, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the meeting was taking place at a time of profound change. “Justice cannot be a privilege. It must protect every person, uphold every person’s rights and leave no one behind,” said Ms. Mohamed. “This Congress is an opportunity to renew our shared commitment to justice and the rule of law, and to translate that commitment into action.” Countries are already being encouraged to put the Declaration into practice through the voluntary Pledge4Justice initiative, under which participating governments are announcing concrete, time-bound actions on crime prevention and criminal justice through 2031. The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre with its curved glass tower and surrounding buildings reflected in calm water at dusk. UNODC The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre where the 15th UN Crime Congress is set to take place. From Kyoto to Abu Dhabi Opening the Congress, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Monica Juma framed the gathering as both a response to a changing criminal landscape and a test of international cooperation. “Today, the world convenes in Abu Dhabi to reaffirm that the rule of law and criminal justice are essential to the safety and security of people and the planet,” said Ms. Juma. “At a time when confidence in multilateralism is faltering, let Abu Dhabi be a testament to international cooperation.” Five years after the previous Congress in Kyoto, Japan, Ms. Juma said the world had reached another “inflection point”, with technology and artificial intelligence advancing at extraordinary speed. The same platforms connecting billions of people can also connect criminals, she warned, while digital currencies can conceal illicit profits and digital tools can be used to deceive, manipulate and exploit. Technology, she argued, is not simply accelerating crime but changing its character, while organized criminal networks increasingly exploit weaknesses across borders and institutions. Tweet URL Protecting people as the ‘north star’ Behind those broad trends, Ms. Juma urged delegates to focus on the people most exposed to harm, including children recruited by gangs, women facing violence at home or online, people unable to obtain legal assistance and young people lured into scam networks with promises of a better future. “Protecting these people must be the measure against which we judge our efforts over the coming week,” she said. “It must be our north star.” She called for laws and institutions capable of keeping pace with changing threats, greater access to justice and legal aid, and technology that serves as “a force for good” rather than an accelerator of harm. And while welcoming the Abu Dhabi Declaration as a starting point, Ms. Juma stressed that its impact would ultimately depend on implementation. A week focused on justice Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, the Congress runs through 1 October under the theme Protecting People and Planet in the Digital Age. Some 119 countries are represented, alongside more than 40 justice ministers and other senior officials, with over 5,100 participants from governments, civil society, academia and the private sector. Plenary meetings, workshops, side events and exhibitions will run throughout the session. Organizers are also billing this as the most youth-inclusive Crime Congress yet. Young people are participating in workshops, contributing to follow-up efforts and taking part in a dedicated Youth Lab and art exhibition, following a Youth Forum held ahead of the Congress on 24 and 25 September. UNODC serves as secretariat of the Congress and will support implementation of the Abu Dhabi Declaration.

Countries adopt global blueprint to tackle fast-evolving crime in digital age

This article is published in association with United Nations. Countries adopted on Saturday a new global blueprint for tackling rapidly evolving forms of crime, as the UN’s largest gathering on crime prevention and criminal justice opened in Abu Dhabi with a call for stronger international cooperation. The Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted by acclamation at the […]
United Nations President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine addresses the General Debate of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session.

Palestinian existence under threat, Abbas tells UN, warning of ‘another Nakba’

This article is published in association with United Nations. Israeli policies now threaten “the very life and existence of the Palestinian people on their homeland”, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly on Thursday, urging the world not to allow “another Nakba”.  Mr. Abbas addressed the Assembly’s annual debate via pre-recorded video after his […]

Why don't you drop your comment here?

Go back up

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

The European Sting – Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology – europeansting.com