Spain's Mobile World Congress aims big this year

Visitors are seen with the new Samsung Galaxy Note 8 at the Mobile World Congress, the world's largest mobile phone trade show, in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Feb 25, 2013.[File photo / Imagine China]

BARCELONA -- The Mobile World Congress, an important event of the mobile industry that will be held from February 24 to 27 in Barcelona, is expected to generate 356 million euros ($482 million), the newspaper Expansion on Friday quoted John Hoffman, the CEO of the GSMA, organizer of the event as saying.

This economic impact would mean an 11 percent increase in comparison with 2013 economic impact, 310 million euros, said Hoffman on Thursday.

The event expects to bring together more than 75,000 people, 4 percent up than 2013 when more than 72,000 people attended.

Important companies like Huawei, Samsung, HTC , Vodafone or Telefonica will be at the MWC where also important figures from the sector such as WhatsApp creator Jan Koum and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg will do their speeches.

The event will have 1,800 exhibitors, 100 more than last year, according to the organizer. So far there have been 10,000 pre-registrations, 15 percent more than last year by the same time, while the number of journalists covering the event is also expected to increase by 10 percent this year.

The MWC this year will be held in Barcelona for the ninth consecutive year. It will cover 94,000 square meters at the Fira Gran Via and will also hold events at the Fira de Montjuic, where the MWC took place two years ago.