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We change mobile almost every year, we throw away hard drives and USB sticks that have become too small, we buy cheap smart bracelets or smartwatches that we put on twice and eventually discard ... Recordable batteries, CDs, and DVDs that We no longer need ... We generate an immense amount of electronic waste ... where does it go?

Technological waste is a big problem because most of it is highly polluting, and its effects can last more than a thousand years. It is a responsibility that falls on all the links of the chain: manufacturers who do not use greener materials because they are more expensive, consumers who want to pay as little as possible for our devices and change them every year without needing it for fashion or custom, and governments that do not invest enough in recycling plants or in properly treating waste.

According to the UN, in 2018 the world generated 50 million tons of technological garbage. That means that each inhabitant of Earth produced 6.6 Kilos of technological waste. In Spain, a million tons of electronic waste is generated, and according to Orange,  we throw away 20 million mobiles every year, and we keep an average of 3 old mobiles at home.

What happens when we throw a cell phone or batteries in the trash or take it to a recycling center? 

We will try to find out, even though it is not easy to keep track of the waste.

The types of 'electronic scrap'

Technological waste, electronic scrap, or technological waste is also known under the technical name of WEEE (Waste from electrical and electronic equipment). Technological trash is considered any electronic waste powered by electricity or electromagnetic fields that no longer works, or its useful life has ended.

These technological residues are grouped into seven categories. The division is important because each group has a different recycling method. It requires its recycling and handling process plants.

These are the categories:

• Temperature exchange devices (stoves, air conditioning, etc.)
• Monitors, screens, and devices with panels greater than 100 cm²
• Lamps
• Small computer and telecommunications equipment (less than 50 cm)
• Large appliances (with an external dimension greater than 50 cm)
• Small appliances (less than 50 cm)
• Large photovoltaic panels (with an external dimension greater than 50 cm)

Why is it so dangerous and polluting?

The problem with scrap metal, even more, serious than other waste such as plastic, is that electronic devices are made of metals and other toxic chemicals. These toxic materials are enclosed in containers, such as a battery or the inside of a screen, or they are not toxic to the touch but they can be deadly if you ingest them. When a battery or monitor ends up in the landfill and breaks or degrades, they release those toxic metals that seep into the soil and water. They go to the plants and animals, and we end up ingesting them.

In other cases, toxic materials travel as gases when garbage is burned or electronic devices themselves, to extract the precious metals they also contain (gold, silver, platinum, and other rarer ones).

These are some examples of toxic metals contained in technological waste, and their effects on our body, or the environment.

There are more than two dozen toxic and harmful materials that are released through technological waste.

Another additional problem is that they are not biodegradable, and their harmful effect can remain active for hundreds or thousands of years.

The first problem is ourselves

To be responsible for the technology we consume, the first thing to do is to recognize our mistakes. Consumers are the first to contribute to increasing the mountain of technological waste irresponsibly.

We change mobile phones every year even though we do not need it, we use dozens of disposable batteries when we could use the rechargeable ones, we buy small or very cheap USB memory sticks or micro SD cards, and soon we throw them away because they do not work or they have filled up quickly. We bought 3 or 4 smart bracelets from different brands, to try because they are very cheap. And there are many other examples.

We throw away products that are still working, or have a minor breakdown, when we could fix them, or donate them, to the trash.

If we try to extend the lifespan of technology, we buy only what we need without being carried away by fads and fads, and we try to repair or give a second life to products that we no longer need, we would greatly reduce technological waste.

The scandal of planned obsolescence

Much of the blame for the excess waste we generate is also the fault of the manufacturers who create technological products.

We have already talked about the irresponsible use of toxic materials, simply because they are cheaper, but there are many other open fronts.

One of the most controversial is planned obsolescence. This is called a premeditated action by the manufacturer of a product so that it stops working correctly when it reaches a certain date.

The clearest examples of programmed obsolescence that we have experienced in recent years are the expiration of the batteries, which stop working after a time and in many cases, especially in cheap products, are not non-replaceable.

Or the operating systems, which stop updating after two years of the launch of the mobile, forcing users to change to finish even if it is like new, to enjoy the new features of the latest version of iOS or Android.

Another outrageous example is that of reparations. It has happened to all of us, take an appliance to be repaired to the technical service and tell you that it is cheaper to buy a new one than to repair it. Or directly, that it cannot be repaired because there are no parts.

Not to mention the traps. In 2017, it was discovered that most manufacturers programmed printers to indicate that a cartridge is out of stock when there is still 20% ink left.

Another recent controversy with Apple batteries took place in 2017 when it was discovered that Apple was intentionally slowing down old iPhone 6s when the battery was starting to show signs of wear.

The excuse that he put is that the iPhone is reset when the battery is in bad condition, and by reducing the speed, consumption is reduced and unexpected restarts are avoided. But many experts called it a " dirty trick of planned obsolescence " by failing to warn users that their iPhone was running slower, making it easier for them to buy a new one.

Where does electronic scrap end up?

When a technological device stops working or is outdated or we don't want it, several things can happen.

Some unscrupulous people throw it in open fields or illegal dumps. This garbage is never recycled and ends up polluting the area.

It is also irresponsible to throw it away. In landfills, attempts are made to recover the technological garbage that is in plain sight, but that which is buried in mountains of garbage is never recycled, degrading in the garbage dump and filtering toxic materials into the earth and water. Either it burns and these materials are spread through smoke and gases.

The most sensible option is to take it to a clean spot. There they will recycle everything possible.

80% ... to China or the Third World

The countries that generate the most waste are the most advanced, or those with the most populations. According to Iberdrola, China, the United States, and Japan are the most polluting. Small countries like Tuvalu or Micronesia, the least:

However, based on the kilos of technological waste per inhabitant, the most polluting in the world are the Nordic countries: Iceland, Norway, and Denmark, followed by Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

As recognized by UNEP itself, the United Nations Environment Program, 80% of technological waste ends up in landfills in China or Africa. We sell electronic scrap to them because they earn money therefrom recycling, second-hand sales, sale of spare parts, or extraction of precious metals from devices.

But the result is that a good part of the polluting waste from Europe or the United States ends up polluting these countries.

The largest technological landfill is located in the city of Guiyu, in China. There the entire population, 150,000 people, are dedicated to processing electronic waste. There are almost 6,000 companies, mostly family-owned, that dismantle electronic products to obtain gold, copper, lead, and other valuable metals.

There, the levels of lead and copper are 300 times higher than the average in other nearby cities. The water is no longer drinkable, and they have to supply the city with tank trucks. If a shoe touches the river, it must be thrown away.

Another of the largest landfills is located in Agbogbloshie, Ghana, where 30,000 people work. The country imports 250,000 tons of electronic waste from the First World. The concentration of heavy metals in the area is a thousand times greater than the average. In schools near the landfill, lead, cadmium, and other pollutants are more than 50 times risk-free.

Also, the practice of burning plastics so that only metals remain is widespread. That toxic smoke stretches hundreds of kilometers.

Other technology dumps are located in the Philippines, Nigeria, and India.

Recycling plants

The electronic devices that we take to a clean point or throw in containers enabled for it, go to the recycling plants. But in 2018, it barely accounted for 20% of all technology that is discarded. As we have seen, the remaining 80% is lost in the garbage or sold to the Third World.

These recycling plants try to recover as many parts and materials as possible, for reuse. If this is not possible, an attempt is made to eliminate or minimize the effect of toxic materials.

We can take Ewaste as an example, a recently created electrical and electronic equipment waste treatment plant in the Canary Islands, which is considered the most modern and advanced in Europe.

Ewaste is capable of treating more than 100 different types of electronic devices, with a decontamination rate of 99.8% of greenhouse gases.

It has five independent electronic waste treatment lines: electrical and electronic appliances with refrigerant gases, small electronic and electrical appliances, televisions and monitors, large household appliances, and computer equipment.

In this scheme we can see the line of treatment of small electronic devices:

A pre-crusher allows mechanical dismantling (1) and has a dust extraction system to remove contaminants. Eight operators (2) manually separate certain toxic components: batteries, batteries, cables, motors, toner cartridges, etc.

With decontaminated waste, a shredder reduces its size. Then there is an automatic separation of ferrous metals (4) and non-ferrous metals from plastics (5). The plant processes 5,000 Kilos of waste per hour.

In the case of monitors and televisions, the cables, housings, printed circuit boards, capacitors, and copper coils are manually disassembled and separated, which will be deposited in specific containers.

Afterward, the cone and screen glasses are cut and separated, and the phosphor is aspirated.

Computer equipment goes to a manual disassembly line to recover each of its components: memories, printed circuit boards, CDs, and hard drives. They are subsequently destroyed.

What can we do about it?

We have seen how only 20% of electronic waste is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills in Asia and Africa. This vicious circle must be changed, for responsibility and ethics. What measures are we taking?

Fight against planned obsolescence

Fortunately, some governments have been serious about fighting planned obsolescence. The European Union is a pioneer: A few years ago,  the warranty period for all products was increased from 1 to 2 years, to force manufacturers to delay planned obsolescence. Initiatives such as including a shelf life label on all products are also being debated.

In France, the Law on Energy Transition and Green Growth (Law 2015-992) has been approved, which criminalizes proven planned obsolescence, with penalties of up to 2 years in prison and fines of 300,000 euros, or 5% of the company's annual sales.

There are also private initiatives. TENNIS is the Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Innovation without Scheduled Obsolescence and has created the ISSOP seal to indicate products that are not obsolete.

Most responsible companies

It is also vital that companies take responsibility. Fortunately, some are already doing so.

20 years behind schedule, beverage companies will stop using plastic rings and wrappers in 2020 and 2021, replacing them with cardboard rings.

Some, even more innovative, have developed edible rings that not only do not pollute but serve as food for fish if they end up in the sea.

When we consider how the world of work has evolved in recent years, and the new tools we use today to carry out different tasks, it is easy to see that technology has played a very relevant role in the job market in recent decades.

All jobs have changed in one way or another due to technological advancements. Robotics, artificial intelligence, and other types of technology have saved us from doing tedious or risky work, and have allowed us to perform other tasks much faster.

Some jobs currently could not be done without the help of robotics, and many others that simply would not exist if the technology had not advanced to the current state. It has become an essential part of our lives with little awareness of it. 

For this reason, each technological advance tends to be accompanied by concern about how it will affect jobs. Machines are capable of doing some jobs much faster than anyone, and more precisely, so they are viewed with suspicion in some fields. 

Furthermore, automation is much more present in our lives than we tend to be aware of. And perhaps precisely because of how normalized it is, sometimes it is easy to forget the problems it brings.

Some jobs have completely disappeared over the years because they are now carried out by robots or artificial intelligence. Other tasks have simply ceased to be completely necessary, also due to the existence of such technologies. 

Jobs left in the past

Automation is the major concern of workers in various industries. And if we pay attention to the story, it is not an unfounded panic. Since the Industrial Revolution, there have been consequences in the labor world due to the incorporation of technology that has negatively affected workers. 

If we remember, we can think of numerous jobs that are currently performed entirely by different types of robots, machinery, or artificial intelligence. For example, a large part of the objects that we use in our day-to-day life has been manufactured, at least partially, by automated systems. 

The clothes we wear, the means of transport on which we depend, the ATM from which we make money… Most likely, several robots have taken part in the creation or operation of all of them, even though in the past they would have depended completely on the manual labor of different people. 

A couple of centuries ago this would have been difficult to imagine. But today, it would be difficult to imagine the opposite situation, especially if we consider current consumption patterns, which require a dizzying speed of production.

And there are times when the standardization of technology in the workplace has made us not even consider what life was like before the presence of certain automation processes. There are several jobs that we probably haven't even imagined existed at some point.

A curious case is that of the alarm clock. Today it is very common to use our smartphone as an alarm clock, even though there are devices created specifically to wake us up. And it is such a widespread practice that perhaps in a few decades, an alarm clock will be a completely unknown item for several generations.

But before the smartphone and alarm clock, workers also had to get up early to start their workday. The hours with controlled hours arose mainly from the eighteenth century as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution. 

And at that time, using an alarm clock was not a possibility. Some clocks rang small bells at a certain time, but they were very expensive and out of reach for working-class people.

Faced with the need to maintain much stricter schedules, the human alarm clock arose: in countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, the so-called knocker uppers used to go house to house, waking up their inhabitants by knocking on doors and windows so that they arrived on time for work.

The knocker upper was a job like any other, and very necessary, especially in working-class neighborhoods. They were a very common figure in the nineteenth and twentieth-century England, to the point of even appearing in one of Charles Dickens' novels. 

But with the standardization of the alarm clock in the mid-twentieth century, the work of the upper knocker ended up being obsolete. Probably the idea that someone today would go from house to house waking people up was almost comical.

And with current population figures, it would be impractical, to say the least. However, the fact is that it is an example of the many jobs that have ceased to exist due to automation. 

The same has happened with other works, especially those related to the manufacture of products, which currently rely heavily on various technological devices to carry them out. Some studies suggest that by 2030, more than twenty million such jobs will be lost to automation.

And there are also jobs in the world of leisure that have completely disappeared due to the implementation of machines. This is the case of the cinema projectionists, formerly in charge of operating the projectors in each room, and whose work became unnecessary when the projections were digitized. 

Something similar has also happened in the bowling alleys. A few decades ago there was a person in charge of placing the bowling pins on each court, and of straightening them when the players knocked them down. Today we probably all have in mind the image of a machine that picks them up and puts them back when each shift ends. 

The need to use a machine instead of a person, in that case, is perhaps debatable. It is certainly one of those situations where technology can perform a task faster than anyone. But this apparent urgency to leave everything done as soon as possible has caused a job to disappear completely. 

Robots that accompany us in our day today

The effects of automation in the workplace are not limited to the past. In very subtle ways, they are increasingly present in our day-to-day and affect many areas on which thousands of jobs depend.

If we stop to look at how businesses have changed in recent years, for example, automation may be somewhat more obvious to us. Not so long ago we were fully dependent on store assistants and ATMs to make any purchases.

But today, many supermarkets have machines distributed by the store so that we can consult where to find a product, or the price thereof, making the help of workers unnecessary.

And it is also increasingly common to find self-service boxes, in which we can scan and pay for everything we are going to buy. Self-service boxes create the deceptive feeling of speeding up purchases, despite not being so, and they also eliminate other types of workers from the store.

The self-service model is also increasingly applied outside of supermarkets. When we go to the cinema or to any show that requires buying tickets, it is very normal that we make the purchase online, without having to go to a box office at any time. 

And even if we do not buy tickets online, there are kiosks where we can make the purchase or collect tickets already purchased, again, without the need to interact with any employee in the process.  

The same is happening with increasing frequency in fast food restaurants. In any McDonald's or Taco Bell, we can find kiosks in which to select our order and pay for food. Then we just have to take the ticket to the counter, so that an employee is in charge of preparing the order.

This has caused that there are fewer and fewer employees to serve the public in this type of restaurant, making it clear that technology is taking the place of the workers of these companies. 

There is a tendency to think that this type of progress will not eliminate the need for workers in jobs with those same tasks. And most self-service stores indeed have a worker supervising or doing additional tasks, to help customers if necessary.

But we already went through a similar process with employees of other types of businesses: gas stations. Years ago, when we were going to put gasoline in the car, an employee of the gas station was in charge of both filling the gasoline and charging the customer. 

Now the normal thing is that the client himself performs both tasks, being able to pay at the pump itself, without even having to interact with employees at any time. This has led to even gas stations without a single employee, which has caused the loss of more than 2,200 jobs, according to INE data. 

When nothing is out of reach of technology

One might think that certain jobs that require highly personalized attention, manual dexterity, or creativity would be free from the threat of technology. But with each new technological advance, it is demonstrated that no field is free from automation. 

This is the case of customer service jobs, where technology increasingly takes on more tasks. Movistar has been serving its customers for several years with a Twitter bot that can handle all kinds of information management and technical service tasks. 

And for those who do not want to manage via Twitter, Movistar also offers its customers telephone service in which they do not have to deal with a single agent. For example, they have automated SMS services that can even detect incidents on the line and arrange a visit by a technician. 

Sometimes, after all those computer programs that assist us when we have an incident, a person is controlling the software. But often the person who controls the software has a very low level of control and is required to manage the data of multiple clients at once, allowing companies to hire fewer people.

Furthermore, it is not clear how often people are handling customer service software due to companies' lack of transparency. There have been several cases in which, despite what some companies claimed, it has been found that there was no one behind the robotic voice on the other end of the phone. 

For example, in 2013 an American company started using software known as Samantha West to attract customers. They claimed that it was not a robot, but operator-controlled software. But several media could verify that this was not true since the alleged software reacted strangely if the client left the script. 

Robot software tended to give repetitive answers, sometimes unrelated to the customer's question. Also, for some reason he was programmed so that in case he was asked if he was a robot, he repeatedly denied it and insisted that it is human. 

It certainly makes clear that more technology is not always better. But that did not stop several American companies from using that telemarketing robot for months, despite the numerous complaints that can even be found on the internet about the robot even today. 

We should also keep in mind that the effects of automation do not affect only low-skilled, low-wage jobs. There are examples of high-wage jobs where technology has completely supplanted traditional workers.

It occurs especially among data analysts and financial specialists. If there is one thing computers are especially good at, it is gathering and analyzing information, and with the right algorithms, a single computer can supply several hundred hours of analyst work.

For this reason, in environments such as Wall Street, it is increasingly common for this work to be in the hands of technology, rather than being carried out by individual employees. And we are talking about jobs with astronomical salaries: a Wall Street financial advisor earned around half a million dollars a year, a not inconsiderable figure.

And it is that in general, the high-wage jobs that could be most affected are those related to banking and finance. Banks' main expense is the salaries of their employees, and those who charge the most would be relatively easy to replace with new technologies that can do the same job more efficiently. 

It is estimated that in the US alone, more than 200,000 banking jobs will end up being lost due to the implementation of robotics, artificial intelligence, and other types of advanced technology. 

Even in cases where technology fails to replace all workers, it is obvious that enough tasks end up being done to reduce the number of jobs. And when a single machine can save a company thousands of euros in wages, it is difficult not to worry about the future of the world of work.

Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence manage to cause some animosity among employees, since competing with these systems is practically impossible. And the more these technologies are developed, the more work they can do. 

There were tasks that, for reasons of skill, creativity, and other factors, seemed safe from this development. But it is clear that nothing is too complicated for technology and, sooner or later, someone will invent a robot that can do a certain task equal to or better than a human.

This is the case of clothing packaging, until now an impossible task for robots because delicacy is usually not their strong point. Also, discerning between different garments is not an easy task for machines, due to the subtle differences in color and shape of each model. 

But in Japan, they have managed to overcome all these obstacles. The Uniqlo brand, focused on the online clothing trade, has a robot that can select the appropriate garments for each order, fold them and package them for later shipment to buyers. 

Should we give up everything lost?

With the panorama presented by all the examples mentioned, it could seem that technology is an enemy that there is no way to defeat. After all, we live in an era in which technology is constantly developing and has more and more influence in our lives. 

But some think that the fear of automation has been exaggerated and that it is not taking into account the benefits it brings, even for those who work in a field that is theoretically threatened by technology. 

One of the main advantages of automation is the possibility of preventing human beings from facing high-risk situations, such as with the use of robots for the deactivation of explosives.

Furthermore, robots can greatly benefit people with disabilities or health problems. For example, in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, robots are being used to enable hospitalized students to attend class remotely, preventing hospitalization from negatively affecting their attendance data.   

And they can also save employees time by performing repetitive or excessively routine tasks. If applied properly, technology can become a very useful tool that makes it easier to do any job, instead of being an obstacle or a way to generate unemployment.

Logically, this depends on how technology is used in each sector and each company. Companies must learn to view technology as an aid to employees, rather than as a way to save multiple wages. 

And the fact is that, apart from business ethics, we are unclear on how automation will affect the world of work in the long term. After each new technological advance, there are specialized jobs that are in charge of its design, development, maintenance, use ... All of this can generate numerous jobs.

Although there are studies that, as we have mentioned before, suggest the loss of hundreds of thousands and even millions of jobs, there is no consensus regarding the certainty of these figures, since they are still forecasts. 

The MIT Technology Review has tried to compare all the existing studies regarding the effects of automation in the world of work, and the results are confusing and contradictory. 

Some studies conclude that automation will create more work than it will destroy, others do not take into account the generation of new jobs, others make considerations based on data from a single country or a single technology and extrapolate the results to the whole world ...

This information chaos does not help to conclude at all and tends to worry those who see their position threatened by technologies that they do not know or that are implemented without explaining to employees how to work with them. 

If we want to stick to what we know for sure, perhaps the best we can do is look at the real data on how automation has affected the world of work so far. 

In a study carried out by the London's Center for Economic Research, the levels of job creation in manufacturing jobs have been compared with the use of robots in the same industry. 

The results show that those countries that incorporate more robots in the manufacturing of products lose fewer jobs in that industry. By contrast, countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have implemented fewer manufacturing robots and have experienced a greater increase in unemployment.

Taking this information into account, it is likely that the key is to adapt and make sure that companies act in the most ethical way possible, training their employees so that they can work collaboratively with the new technologies that are implemented day by day in each countryside. 

The Mobile World Congress that is held every year in Barcelona is one of the essential events on the technological calendar. This fair is considered one of the most important in the world by the manufacturers themselves.

Despite being a conference dedicated to mobile communications — well, in general — the smartphone is the absolute king. The main mobile manufacturers take advantage of the days before the congress — or in the first hours of its celebration — to present their new models, so the event in Barcelona always arouses much media interest.

Far from the brilliance of large events, thousands of companies make significant economic efforts to gain visibility before the 110,000 visitors who visit the fair, paying exorbitant prices for a stand at the MWC. Do you want to know how much it costs to have your stand at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona?

Who can have a stand at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona?

Technology covers everything, but GSMA, the consortium that is responsible for organizing everything related to the Mobile World Congress at its various events (it also organizes the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai and Los Angeles), establishes a series of requirements to justify your presence at the fair.

One of the most obvious is to be established as a company in its country of origin, and that one of the main business nuclei of the company is oriented towards technological innovation in mobility.

This means that, for example, a fashion design company could not be present at the Mobile World Congress, unless an important part of its resources is destined to the creation of mobile technology, such as wearable devices or smartwatches.

This same reason has been the reason that more and more car manufacturers or banks have been able to present their novelties at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, although always from mobile communication, through banking apps, services of connectivity and inflight entertainment, etc.

Different service packages for different needs

Having a stand at one of the most important technology fairs is not cheap, but in return, companies get great visibility and millionaire contracts that make the investment worthwhile in many cases.

To facilitate this space reservation, there are a series of packages in which the organization offers different associated services, ranging from solely the reservation of the exhibition space, to the design and assembly of the stands, as well as the supply of everything necessary to exhibit at the fair including access passes for staff and a certain number of guest passes (valued at more than 900 euros each) depending on the surface contracted.

These service packages offer both spaces in the exhibition area, where all visitors can have direct contact with the products, as well as a more discreet place in the form of private meeting rooms where contacts with clients, suppliers, and partners are established.

These packages are classified into three main categories:

Enhanced Packages:

• Exhibition Stand Plus: In which the organization is in charge of the design and assembly of the stand, basic services (security, cleaning, and electrical supply), as well as the exhibition furniture and storage space. It also includes vinyl for labeling the stand with the brand's logo and a screen for displaying promotional videos.
• Outdoor Stand: Stands that are located in the outdoor area between the halls. The stands are not included.
• Upper Walkway Pods: Small spaces located in the upper corridor connecting all the exhibition halls, consisting of a pair of seats, a table, a display screen, and company signage. Perfect to give visibility to startups and small companies.

Space Only Packages :

• Space Only: The company contracts only space and has the basic services (security, cleaning, and electrical supply), but is in charge of designing and setting up its stand. It is the modality chosen by most major brands.
• Space Only Hall 4: Hall 4 offers limited space options because the press and conference rooms are located on it, so this modality is a limited Space Only variant for that specific hall.
• Upper Walkway Space Only: Free variant of Upper Walkway Pods, in which the company only contracts the space in the connecting corridor of the pavilions, but must design and set up its exhibition stand.
• Hospitality Suite: Meeting rooms reserved in Hall 2 with all services included. It is a compliment that many of the large companies hire to hold their meetings with suppliers and customers there.
• Hybrid Stand Hall 2: Some service companies or suppliers do not exhibit their products to visitors, so they set up their private stands where they receive their customers discreetly and show them their products in these stands that are a mixture of conventional stands. and a meeting room. The design and assembly of the stand are not included.
• Hybrid Stand Hall 3: Something similar to the Hybrid Stand Hall 2 modality, but in Hall 3 the exhibition area is public, and a reserved area for meetings is built. This stand is the most crowded since the main exhibitors are there.

Shell Scheme Packages :

• Shell Scheme: It is the simplest modality of the typical exhibition stand, based on a metal frame and white walls. It provides all the services, furniture necessary to display and labeling the space with the company logo.
• Co-Exhibitor: Modality that allows sharing a stand with another related company.

All exhibitors are required to pass a series of security inspections at their stands before opening and must adhere to strict rules on the use of robots on stands, organization of events, use of lights, or decibel level.

Exorbitant prices for the largest technological showcase in the world

The organization takes with special secrecy the official prices of these contracting packages, so the price that companies must pay to have their stand at the Mobile World Congress in 2020 is not known exactly.

According to information published by the Vozpópuli media in 2017, the average of the square meter of exhibition floor in that year was around 1,100 euros, so it is not crazy to think that currently, the price of the land of the Mobile World Congress exceeds the 1,200 euros / m ².

To this figure must be added the design and assembly of the stand, which, based on the average prices offered by some companies specialized in this task, could easily double that figure.

The main manufacturers and brands that exhibit in Hall 3 do so in personalized stands that occupy a complete block of the exhibition, with an average surface area of ​​1,744 m ². This is the case of companies like Samsung, Sony, Qualcomm, or ZTE.

In these cases, a simple mathematical operation serves to know that the stand of these brands at the Mobile World Congress costs an average of 3.5 million euros. Other companies share space within these exhibition blocks, so the cost of their stand is divided in half.

We are talking about companies such as Xiaomi, Lenovo, Microsoft, or Vodafone, which estimate the presence of their stand at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at 1.7 million euros on average.

It is worth noting the presence of authentic mega-spaces, such as the one that Ericsson reserves every year, with 7,000 m ²  of exposure ( already canceled for this edition ) or the no less impressive 3,110 m ² reserved by Nokia, whose invoices could rise above the 14 and 6.22 million, respectively.

To these millionaire figures, we must add the strategy of some brands such as Huawei, which divide their business areas into different stands and hospitals distributed in different halls of the fair.

In this specific case, the Chinese giant Huawei has a 792 m ^{2 stand} dedicated to displaying its smartphones, smartwatches, and laptops, as well as those of Honor, its second brand.

To this space are added the 6,393 m ² of its stand dedicated to business solutions, the 1,996 m ² of its garden area with its restaurant service, as well as 1,356 m ² distributed in different meetings and exhibition spaces throughout the fair. This makes a total of 10,537 m ² of space, which represents an approximate cost of more than 21 million euros.

Far from such astronomical figures, we find a large number of companies that opt ​​for perhaps less attractive spaces, but considerably cheaper.

Most of the companies present at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona opt for a stand of between 9 and 18 m ² provided by the organization. Having this space involves a cost of between 10,000 and 20,000 euros for four days of fair.

To this sum must be added services such as Internet connection or WiFi access, catering services, etc., which must be contracted separately and can raise the final bill. For example, the WiFi connection for the four days of the congress can exceed 2,500 euros.

Say that, as a space reservation, the companies advance 20% of the estimated invoice during the MWC celebration of the previous year, but a few days after its celebration, all the expenses derived from the rental of the space and the construction of the stand are have covered.

This gives us an idea of ​​the million-dollar losses that companies such as Sony, LG, NVIDIA, Ericsson, Amazon, Umidigi, Ulefone, Commscope, NTT DoCoMo, Amdocs, Accedian, Rakuten, Gigaset, Intel, Vivo, MediaTek, Telnet have had to bear. , Facebook, Cisco, and Sprint in their decision not to attend their appointment at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

State grants for small businesses

In addition to the modalities that we have seen before, each country or region groups together a representation of small startups and groups them together in a joint stand, subsidizing part of their presence at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This option is much cheaper, but some additional requirements imposed by each country must be met.

In the case of the Spain stand, the state agency Red.es is in charge of selecting and managing this space. If a company passes the selection process, it will be able to choose a small cubicle of 8 m ² for which it must pay between 6,000 and 8,000 euros, depending on the number of passes requested.

In short, it is a much cheaper solution for a small company that seeks to gain visibility and new international contacts with a showcase in front of which more than 110,000 people will pass during the four days of the Mobile World Congress.

Huawei continues to expand its commercial network of unique brand stores throughout the main Spanish cities. Today it has opened its third premium sale store in Madrid. And to celebrate the opening, there are significant discounts and promotions.

It is comforting to discover that in these times of de-escalation, new physical stores begin to open. 

What Huawei has done is convert its Post-Sale Service and Experience Center located at  29 Principe de Vergara Street, in Madrid, into a new premium sales store, without losing the after-sales service.

Until now, users could only take their Huawei devices here to configure them, carry out repairs and technical queries, or get to know the terminals in the first person.

But with this reopening, it is transformed into a unique brand store where customers can find and buy the latest in mobile technology, wearables, accessories, and the entire integrated ecosystem of Huawei products. But, also, users can continue to carry all their Huawei devices so that the company's technical team can carry out the necessary repairs and manage the after-sales service.

And to celebrate this opening,  Huawei has launched juicy promotions, in open days that begin today, until June 18. The first 300 attendees to the store on Tuesday, June 16, will receive a guaranteed detail. Also during this first day of reopening, for purchases over € 200 you get an additional discount of € 20, not only in the physical store but also in the Huawei Store.

During the first two weeks of operation of the new store, from June 16 to 30, for any purchase or repair customers will be given a free screen protector. Any non-warranty repair will have a 20% discount, and attendees can also enjoy free cleaning and disinfection of their terminal, regardless of brand.

This new Huawei store in Príncipe de Vergara joins the two that already existed: the Huawei Store in the La Gavia shopping center in Madrid, and the large Huawei flagship on Madrid's Gran Vía, which with an area of ​​1,100 m2 is the largest Huawei space in the world.

Last February the Espai Huawei Barcelona also premiered.