2015 MWC will have huge economic impact for city of Barcelona

MADRID -- The 2015 Mobile world Congress, which will be held in the city of Barcelona for the 10th consecutive year, will generate around 440 million euros ($490 million) income and lead to the creation of 12,600 jobs in the greater Barcelona region, according to the CEO of event organizers, GSMA, John Hoffman.

Speaking on the eve of the 2015 edition, which opens its doors from Monday to Thursday this week, Hoffman said this year's event would be the "biggest", "widest and best," of all of the Congresses held since Barcelona became the home of the event in 2006.

90,000 people (5,000 more than last year), of whom 70,000 are not from the area, are expected to attend and the 70,000 visitors who are not from Barcelona all need accommodation in the city and will fill the cities restaurants for a week, while also providing clients for Barcelona's fleet of taxis.

Hoffman admitted hotel prices, which have risen to high-season rates, were "expensive," adding "they are always too expensive everywhere I go."

He also commented that the 10 MWCs to date had given total economic impact of 3 billion euros, creating 75,000 jobs.

The 2015 MWC occupies 100,000 square meters at the Fira Gran Via just outside of the city centre, where 2,000 companies will exhibit their products at an event where connectivity and mobility are expected to be the major topics, and where most of the world's major hardware producer will launch flagship products.

4,000 journalists have been accredited and there will also be delegations from 160 governments at an event which since last year has Facebook founder Marc Zuckerberg as one of the star participants.

Zuckerberg is not the only internet 'star' who will be in Barcelona, given that the creator of the Android for google operating system, Sundar Pichaj and Jimmy Wales, who created Wikipedia will also speak at the event along with Huawei's Ken Hu and Ajay Banga from Mastercard.