Mobile Asia Expo 2013: Connecting the Future
The GSMA’s second annual Mobile Asia Expo debuted in Shanghai to a resounding success. In fact, MAE 2013 was our largest-ever mobile industry event in Asia. Senior-level industry leaders and mobile consumers alike were treated to a wealth of product showcases and announcements; learning and networking opportunities, including:
Exhibition
More than 200 companies showcased their goods, games and services at Mobile Asia Expo. Visiting the two exhibition halls at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre provided glimpses of exciting new phones, technologies, applications, back-end solutions, games, accessories and more.
Highlights of the exhibition included:
- Top companies with the coolest mobile technology: Including China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, AT&T, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company, Huawei, IBM, KT Corp., Lenovo, Mozilla, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Visa, ZTE and more. See the full list of exhibitors here.
- Google Glass: Attendees at the Fabriqate session were able to see and experience the newest wearable mobile technology
- Creating a Custom Coca-Cola Bottle: Expo visitors had the opportunity to create a nickname bottle with a special person’s name printed on the side
- The Ford Connected Car Experience: This outdoor test track gave attendees an up-close view of Connected Cars
- The Angry Birds Cinema: Expo visitors could watch short Angry Birds films, play the game and buy merchandise
There were even exciting learning opportunities on the show floor in the Innovation Labs, sponsored by FingerQ and Orange, and the App Lab, sponsored by SAP. From product demonstrations and strategy sessions to tips on how to ensure your mobile ideas succeed, the labs provided insights and inspiration to all attendees.
Expo attendees were treated several themed exhibit stand zones and pavilions, including the Mobile Gaming Zone, the Innovation Pavilion by WI Harper, the Korean Gaming Zone, the Mobile Entertainment Pavilion, several country pavilions, and the GSMA Pavilion, which featured news and updates on leading mobile industry initiatives.
GSMA Connected City
The GSMA Connected City was arguably the busiest place on the expo floor, where attendees were treated to a city of the future, full of connected technology from China Mobile, Cisco, Ford Motor Company, Huawei, KT Corp., and SAP. Highlights include:
- Augmented Reality Dancing with K-Pop Stars
- BikeSafe demo from KT, featuring the world’s first GPS tracking device for motorcycles
- The Connected Ambulance by Cisco
- Cars with connected technology from Ford
The possibilities of NFC were also on display at several points throughout the Connected City, showing how this SIM-based technology can easily facilitate purchases at vending machines, grocery stores, public transportation areas and more.
Conference
An exciting lineup of speakers from mobile operators, consumer brands, investors, and industries touched by the mobile market presented at nearly 20 conference sessions at Mobile Asia Expo. Conference sessions focused on current industry topics such as mobile social media, connected living, mobile wallets, Near Field Communications (NFC), and LTE.
This year we were pleased to include the GTI Asia Conference as part of our Mobile Asia Expo Conference programme. This event is focused on promoting the convergence of LTE TDD and FDD, and accelerating TD-LTE deployment in global markets, especially the Asia Pacific region.
Keynote speakers at Mobile Asia Expo included:
- Franco Bernabè, Chairman, GSMA and Chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia Group
- Rajeev Singh-Molares, President, Alcatel-Lucent Asia Pacific
- Xi Guohua, Chairman, China Mobile
- Dr. Sanqi Li, CTO Carrier Network Business Group, Huawei
- Suk-Chae Lee, Chairman & CEO, KT Corp
- Jin Woo So, President & CEO, SK Planet
- Jon Frederik Baksaas, President & CEO, Telenor Group
- David, Thodey, CEO, Telstra
- Hakam Kanafani, Group CEO, Türk Telekom
- Mark Shuttleworth, Founder, Ubuntu
Please note: Conference presentations will be made available to Conference Pass holders on Monday, 1 July through My MAE.
Be sure to watch video highlights at Mobile World Live.
Featured Programmes
Given the size and scope of the mobile industry, Mobile Asia Expo 2013 offered several programmes focusing on key industry initiatives or interests. As part of our App Planet programme focused on the mobile app developer community, attendees had the opportunity to attend App Developer Conferences (ADCs) by Acision, China Mobile and OneAPI.
MAE attendees with an interest in gaming and entertainment took advantage of the Mobile Gaming Forum and Mobile Entertainment Summit. SIM-based NFC advances were discussed at the Mobile Commerce Seminar. Our second annual Public Policy Forum brought together representatives of government ministries and regulatory bodies, as well as industry experts from around the Asia-Pacific region, to gain insights and share perspectives on the deployment and adoption of mobile broadband. Several sessions on digital spectrum were also offered to attendees, as well as a discussion on intellectual property rights, at the ETSI-GSMA IPR Summit.
The Connected Living Asia Summit provided a summary of the latest developments in the M2M and Connected Experiences market, and insight into the future development of the market, with a particular focus on the Asian region. This broad industry approach was complemented by in-depth sessions on key markets including mAutomotive, mEducation, mHealth and Smart Cities.
Additional learning opportunities were offered to attendees through professional training programmes. Respected organisations Award Solutions, Ericsson, McCann Worldgroup and Simon-Kucher offered sessions focusing on enabling mobile industry executives and companies to get the most out of their mobile strategies and tactics. These sessions offered mobile consumers visiting the expo the opportunity to expand their knowledge while fulfilling their personal and professional goals.
The NFC Experience
For the first time, Mobile Asia Expo 2013 offered a truly interactive experience for attendees to participate in an environment where information and transactions are exchanged through mobile using near field communication (NFC) technology.
MAE attendees with NFC-enabled handsets were able to take advantage of NFC technology at locations throughout the exhibition, Kerry Centre and nearby Kerry Parkside Shopping Centre. Attendees could download information and maps, try NFC vending machines, interact with smart posters and join in an NFC treasure hunt throughout the Expo, as well as purchase food and drink.
Our Official NFC Experience Operator Partner China Mobile, partnered with Samsung and Huawei to provide handsets for selected attendees to allow them to enjoy the full NFC Experience. The handset came pre-loaded with a China Mobile wallet containing a Sandpay gift card and a Shanghai Pudong Development Bank gift card, which could be spent at MAE catering outlets, selected vending machines, and at payment terminals at the nearby Kerry Parkside Shopping Centre.
Outstanding Networking Opportunities
A key benefit of attending Mobile Asia Expo 2013 was taking advantage of networking opportunities with mobile leaders. Through several networking-focused areas of the exhibition as well as several formal Networking Events, attendees could have a great time while growing their contacts and building their network.
We’ll See You Again at Mobile Asia Expo 2014
We’re already at working planning and preparing for GSMA Mobile Asia Expo 2014, which will be held the week of 9 June 2014. Mark your calendars now and plan to join us again in Shanghai for Asia’s most exciting mobile industry event.
If you’d like to participate in MAE 2014 to showcase your brand and services to Asia’s most influential players and significant consumers, please contact us today. Opportunities include:
