Please read our latest press release to understand our health and safety measures Please read our latest press release to understand our health and safety measures
Read nowThe GSMA has shared details of its health and safety plan for MWC21 Barcelona, developed with and approved by Catalan Health authorities.
Our safety approach meets the directives and recommendations for event organizers according to the Sectorial Plan of Fairs and Congresses, elaborated by the Department of Business and Knowledge of the Generalitat de Catalunya – and approved by the Technical Committee of the PROCICAT in July 2020.
When we made the decision to cancel MWC Barcelona 2020, none of us anticipated just how significant an influence the global pandemic would continue to have on our lives one year later. We thank the people of Barcelona for their spirit of generosity and we look forward to hosting a safe and vibrant MWC21 in Barcelona.
With a number of expert partners, we’ve designed Committed Community, our most rigorous health and safety plan to date. Using the latest technology and scientific insights, the multi-layered plan focuses on enhanced safety measures so we can bring together the mobile ecosystem, even in our new normal.
It will impact everyone involved with the event and begins at registration. Your digital badge is activated when online registration is completed, a subsequent negative test is resulted and the health declaration is answered through the My MWC app. Check in to get in is the first step in a layered approach designed to ensure an environment that will keep everyone safe, including staff, workers, exhibitors, visitors, suppliers, partners, and the people of Barcelona.
The multiple layers of “filtering” during a participant’s journey while attending are designed to significantly mitigate exposure. The layers incorporate frequent testing, daily health declarations, technology, wearing an FFP2 (Filtering Facepiece Respirators) mask and upgrades to the event venue’s infrastructure. These upgrades include creating a touchless environment across the venue (as an example traditional face to face points of service eliminated and moved on-line, points of Sale all converted to cashless), fresh air injection/external ventilation to significantly improve air-flow to the highest standards; more medical facilities on site; food preparation, delivery and offering have all been extensively modified to meet the strictest food safe Covid-19 measures; technology to monitor live occupancy monitoring, the introduction of personal health and safety commitments such as social distancing, hand hygiene, and facemask wearing. The plan builds on the Protocol on Safety and Prevention against COVID-19 currently being implemented by Fira de Barcelona.
Recently, Fira de Barcelona was awarded the World Travel Tourism Council “Safe Travels” stamp for its Covid-19 safety measures. These measures were designed in collaboration with the specialist risk management consultancy Aon and with the advice of the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, a benchmark epidemiological centre. They detail a whole set of measures resulting from an exhaustive analysis of more than 400 processes associated with the holding of fairs and congresses.
Testing
Venue and environment
Your commitment to keeping others safe, before you enter the venue perimeter
Medical protocols
Rapid tests will be available at MWC relevant testing centres. We will share details of the centres including names, locations in the coming weeks.
Positive results (will be confirmed with an additional PCR) and managed according to the public health authorities’ protocol at the time of the event.
If you are onsite at MWC:
If you are offsite, e.g. at your hotel and not feeling well:
Depending on the severity, we recommend either contacting medical personnel or our leading partner of medical services (we will share details of the medical partner shortly), and you will be advised of next steps.
Barcelona Hotel Association health and safety measures include:
Regardless of mode of transportation, our partnership with local transport entities will help create an environment where all attendees feel safe.
Metro and Bus networks in Barcelona are now officially accredited with the Applus certificate as safe for their protocols and procedures involving cleaning, disinfection and control. Plan your transport journey by consulting the estimated level of occupancy on the TMB app, the Barcelona public transport app
Local transport health and safety measures include:
Our health and safety plan, Committed Community, is developed with and approved by Catalan Health authorities. Our safety approach meets the directives and recommendations for event organizers according to the Sectorial Plan of Fairs and Congresses, elaborated by the Department of Business and Knowledge of the Generalitat de Catalunya – and approved by the Technical Committee of the PROCICAT in July 2020.
We will use contact tracing technology to mitigate and manage potential exposure. Relevant data will be shared if requested by health authorities. This information will be kept safe and confidential in a database. The tracing process and outreach consultation will be managed by the health authorities. Attendees will have their digital badge scanned by exhibitor staff/MWC staff depending on location
Our two official suppliers, Fira Barcelona and Aventri, will provide the scanning devices. Exhibitors will be required to hire contact tracing devices from these suppliers and scan visitors as per guidelines above.
Note: Masks and social distancing requirements will continue to be required in the meeting rooms.
Since anyone entering Spain will already have a negative PCR, our mandatory direction for rapid testing every 72 hours provides further layers of protection. As always, health and safety are a paramount consideration, and we are working closely with authorities to ensure we incorporate all guidance and provide the best level of protection possible at the event.
The health and safety plan, Committed Community, is a multi-layered approach designed to ensure an environment that will keep everyone safe, including staff, workers, exhibitors, visitors, suppliers, partners, and the people of Barcelona.
The layers incorporate frequent testing, contact tracing, a touchless environment, re-vamped catering, occupancy monitoring, upgrades to facility infrastructure, increased medical staff and personal commitments like adhering to social distancing. The plan builds on the Protocol on Safety and Prevention against COVID-19 currently being implemented by Fira de Barcelona.
Currently, there is no global standard for proof of vaccine approved by governments. Therefore, for now, we have decided to use the rapid test. Should the situation change from now until June we will adjust as necessary. Therefore, all will need to be tested or have current 72-hour valid test.
As with previous years, the entire Fira Gran via venue will be leased to the GSMA for MWC21. This year, we are planning for around 50,000 people to attend and we are re-designing the layout to ensure social distancing, active capacity, crowd density management and one-way crowd flows, including doubling entrances and exits.
A test is valid for a 72-hour period and must not ‘expire’ whilst you are onsite. All participants will be required to have a negative rapid test to access the venue. The test must be repeated every 72 hours with participants notified through the My MWC app of upcoming expiration. Therefore, participants will only be allowed to enter the venue if they have a full day validity remaining on their 72 hour time frame.
As a test is valid for a 72-hour period you will need to get a new test at one of MWC relevant testing centres for the full day you intend to visit the event. The test must be repeated every 72 hours with participants notified through the My MWC app of upcoming expiration.
No. You will only be allowed access to MWC with a full day’s validity in any one test period.
We are closely working with the government on current travel restrictions and visa requirements for essential business travel such as for MWC Barcelona.
Visa requirements for travel are dynamic and we encourage everyone travelling to attend the show to remain up-to-date by accessing this website, as well as travel information issued by your country of residence. Please access this website for further information: Spain Travel Health portal,
The health authorities will contact you directly and communicate next steps. Our contact tracing will facilitate this action.
All participants will be required to have a negative rapid test repeated every 72 hours, with participants notified through the My MWC app of upcoming expiration. Multiple testing centres will be available to support this routine. All tests will be performed by qualified personnel from our medical partner working alongside the Catalan Health Authorities. Whilst in the venue, temperature checks will also be conducted at all access points.
We are currently working with our leading provider of medical services regarding the tests and will provide further information in the next update.
We are developing the process for this step. For now, our plan is to scan and upload the negative test certificate to the My MWC app. You will need to provide our certificate to our medical services partner who will process the certificate and contact you directly to inform you if the test is valid or not, according to Spanish health authorities protocols.
It will take about 15-20 minutes after taking the test to have the results of the test.
Check in to get in is the first step to complete on the MWC21 Barcelona registration page. Registration will be open in the coming weeks.
As directed by the Spain Travel Health Portal, “if you are coming from a country / zone considered to be at risk, you MUST carry a certificate of a negative result of the AIDT (RT-PCR or other molecular techniques for detecting viral RNA with equivalent reliability, such as TMA, RT-LAMP) for COVID19, carried out in the 72 hours prior to your arrival. You may be required to show the certificate upon entry into Spain by the authorities. Children under 6 years of age are not required to take this test.”
The GSMA, working together with and following the advice of medical experts and our medical services partner, has developed the testing plan for MWC21.
Please refer to this website: Spain Travel Health portal
It is a requirement to enter Spanish borders to have a valid test from 72 prior to arrival. At the airport you will be asked to present your valid test. Failure to do so means that Spanish health authorities will require you to take a test; and they will decide on next steps depending on results.
Registration will be open in the coming weeks.
The 2022 dates are from 28 February to 3rd March 2022
At the present time, we have the full support of the Spanish and Catalan government to move forward with our event based on our H&S plan.
Click to watch ministers give us full support on our plans: Salvador Illa, former Spanish Minister of Health, Secretary for Socialists’ Party of Catalonia and candidate for the presidency of Catalonia; Ramon Tremosa, Catalan Minister of Enterprise and Knowledge.