Claims MWC Should Be Cancelled As Sony Latest To Pull Out
GSMA are desperately trying to hold onto their Mobile World Congress cash cow, as brands line up to pull out because of the real risks associated with the Coronavirus, the latest to pull the plug on the Barcelona event is Sony.
Many believe that the show should be cancelled due to the high attendance of Chinese brands and the attendance by thousands of individuals from areas affected by the virus in China. ChannelNews has been told that many Australians who were planning to attend the event have already pulled out.
Yesterday Amazon were the latest major company to pull out of one of the world’s largest smartphone event earlier LG, Ericsson and NVIDA pulled out.
Sony said it would no longer take part in Mobile World Congress in Barcelona after “monitoring the evolving situation” after the coronavirus outbreak.
The organiser has said the event, which attracts 100,000 people, will still go ahead despite the risks associated with the running of the event.
ChannelNews understands that several other major exhibitors are now considering pulling out a move that could make the event a “dead event” according to observers.
Desperate to still run their cash cow event with GSMA has even gone as far as suggesting that participants should not shake hands with each other at the show, and microphones used by speakers will be disinfected and changed.
Coronavirus has now killed more than 800 people – the vast majority in mainland China – and infected 34,800 others.