Laurence Dollimore
THE Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is set to be cancelled due to coronavirus fears, it has been reported.
Organisers GSMA were left with little other choice after Amazon, Sony and a slew of big names dropped out of the biggest mobile phone showcase in the world.
According to Bloomberg, GSMA CEO John Hoffman said the coronavirus outbreak has made it ‘impossible’ to put on the event, scheduled to take place in Barcelona on February 24.
He announced in an email: “With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event.”
More than 1,000 people have been killed by the virus with some 42,000 infected.
It has spread to at least 25 countries, including the UK and Spain.
The MWC was set to play host to a large number of Chinese companies who would have flown in for the event, raising health concerns.
Sony, Amazon, LG, Intel, Vivo and others all announced they would not be attending.
The event reportedly has an economic impact of €492 million and generates 14,100 part-time jobs.
