Maya Parts at Mobile World Congress 2019

Last week we attended Mobile World Congress in Los Angeles. It had been a while since we were last at this event, so we felt the need to make an appearance again. These types of events allow us a unique opportunity to interact face-to-face with new and existing customers, and MWC is a good candidate, being one of the largest events in the mobile industry.

Our booth was located in the West Hall, just across from the 5G Entertainment Stage. This layout was interesting in that smaller vendors like ourselves were located in the West Hall, while the bigger brands were in the South Hall (which is the main venue). While some would understandably be upset about this separation, we think it worked in our favor. Attendees seeking flashy offerings from big brands (like Verizon and Samsung) would be able to get their fill in the South Hall, while the more business-minded crowd would be able to network and get things done in the West Hall. For us, the West Hall was definitely where the action was. 

Our booth location wasn’t bad either. Being in front of the stage provided us with a good amount of foot traffic, which allowed us the opportunity to meet people across many different industries- some of which ended up taking an unexpected interest in our products. That traffic also proved to be helpful towards one of our auxiliary goals, which was to increase our social media subscribers. 

But while we certainly appreciate the new social followers, the number acquired was fewer than we were expecting- which highlights one of our major concerns with MWC (and trade shows in general), falling attendance. It’s a surprising thing, considering how well known this event is. In fact, the last time we went, it was completely packed! This year, however, the show floors were relatively sparse. Not empty, to be sure, but certainly not crowded. We’re not exactly sure why that was the case, but maybe it has something to do with the event’s main theme, 5G. 

MWC is a mobile-oriented show, and the vendors reflect that. But this year, the event was seriously pushing 5G, which is a somewhat niche topic in the greater mobile field. And since almost all of the talks and resources pertained to that topic, there may have been reduced interested in this year’s show. Hopefully there will be a bigger turn out next time, because MWC is a prestigious event with a lot to offer their attendees.

As for us, we’ll continue to look for new opportunities to meet and network with our target customers. Whether or not that includes MWC remains to be seen, but we’re always interested in anything that is relevant to our industry… so expect to see us again soon. 

Where do you go to learn more about the industry? Do you attend trade shows? What about networking events (event online networks)? Let us know in the comments. Maybe we can be a part of it too!