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BARCELONA, Spain – I manage to attend Mobile World Congress about every other year, (someone has to manage the home fronts so Editor Dan Meyer and I trade off each year). As such, I get to rediscover the things I love about the show fresh each time I attend.
- I love a parade and each year I happen to stumble upon one. Sure, it may be Carnival, or maybe Europeans throw a party every Sunday, complete with walking turkeys and large groups of what appear to be devils. I don’t profess to get it, but I do enjoy it.
- The “Is this jet lag or am I just an idiot” fog. I don’t get the time zone change no matter what I do. It’s magic so you just have to listen to your body clock. Have I been up for 24 hours or not? Did I sleep on the plane or just doze? Am I tired or excited or all of the above?
- The electronics challenge. This year the quest was for a blow dryer, which the apartment brochure said it had, and a three-prong electrical adapter. (How did the laptop I used two years ago not require said three-prong adapter?) My favorite electronics request ever, however, was the year I attended the show when it was still held in Cannes, France. I could not find an iron at a quaint Antibes hotel so I called housekeeping and a woman came to my room, took all of my clothes, and ironed them! How do you tip for that?
- The technology challenge. This has gotten easier through the years as U.S.-based wireless operators have become more sophisticated. This year I just had all my credit cards initially denied due to fraud concerns and Skype asked me for my password. Password? I logged onto you 10 minutes ago from the same spot in Barcelona hotel and you didn’t need it. Why now? (Ha! I remembered it on the fifth try. Take that Skype.) Is it 011 or 001, depending who I call?
- Tapas. Shrimp. Strong café. Hake. Ham baguettes. Cheese baguettes. (Some day the Catalonians are going to learn you can actually combine ham and cheese, but until then they taste good separately.) Need I say more?
- The GSMA awards. Pay attention to the winners.
- European design. Man, they manage to pack a lot of functionality into a small amount of space with sleek design.
- Actual news from the show. I expect this year to be no less impressive than previous years, with advances in technology, operator initiatives designed to keep them at the center of the wireless universe (whether they succeed is a different discussion) and cool devices.
- Seeing old friends and making new ones.
- La Fira. Even when I’m challenged trying to navigate my way from appointment to appointment, I can’t dismiss how spectacular this venue is.
What about you? What do you love about the show? What frustrates you?
