It’s hard to believe that MWC19 ended just over ten days ago. MWC took over Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. Over 100,000 key decision-makers and 2,400+ exhibitors came together to explore the hottest topics influencing the mobile industry. The Congress keeps growing, and it’s remarkable how many people, from all over the globe, attend the event to explore intelligent connectivity, digital transformation, and how mobility is changing the world.
Which topics dominated MWC Barcelona this year? What was the general outlook? Here are some of my top highlights from #MWC19:
1. Reinventing your customer relationships
Digital transformation was the buzz of the conference agenda. It was exciting to see so many members of the Salesforce Ohana (the Hawaiian word for family) sharing their stories on the mainstage. Leyla Seka, EVP & GM Salesforce Mobile, delivered a keynote at #4FYN focused on The Future of Customer Experience and joined a cutting edge panel (Reskilling for the Robots) focused on the impacts of AI in the workplace. AI is fundamentally changing the mechanics of how we work and has excellent potential to help us scale productivity.
“AI is breaking down man-machine barriers and augmenting human potential. Einstein democratizes the power of artificial intelligence for every Salesforce user, empowering everyone to deliver smarter, more personalized and predictive customer experiences. Mobile is going to be the primary touchpoint in this experience, so we are doubling down on the level of personalized experiences we deliver on mobile,” said Seka during the panel discussion.
John Carney, Salesforce SVP of Industries, Communications and Media and Adil Belihomji, CIO Visible, contributed to the Digital Transformation: Reinventing your Customer Relationships discussion, and shared how communications service providers are transforming to meet customer expectations and engage them across every touch point. They looked to the future together to paint a picture of where mobility is going and what the roadmap looks like to get there.
2. Trailblazers sharing success at MWC19
At Salesforce, Trailblazers are at the heart of what we do, and we’re pleased so many of them were able to share their stories in the Customer Success Theater at MWC19. Verizon, Vonage, Telecom Argentina, AT&T, and Telia each gave insight into their transformations and strategy to engage customers. Many of our partners, including Nokia, Vlocity, Deloitte, CloudSense, IBM, Capgemini, Tata Consultancy Services, and Enxoo highlighted extensive uses of the Customer Success Platform. You can check out many of the session recordings shortly here.
3. Solutions on display — build an app in 3 minutes
Mobile applications, augmented reality, and intelligent technology were on display across the Fira. Memorable displays included virtual concerts, robots playing pianos, and rapid application development. MWC attendees got hands-on with Salesforce and were inspired by how easy it is to build a mobile app on the Lightning Platform! Guests were lining up all day to get a closer look at Salesforce solutions and to learn how it can make a significant impact on their businesses.
4. The GLOMO Awards
Every year GSMA, the organizing body of MWC, recognizes companies across industries with awards focused on mobility, transformation, and innovation in business (The Global Mobile Awards). Salesforce has won GLOMOs in the past for Best Mobile App for Business (2017) and Equality (2018), and this year was a finalist for the Best Mobile Innovation for Enterprise award. The GSMA recognized how the Lightning Platform is fundamentally changing how mobile app development is done, empowering businesses to bypass expensive development work and deliver beautiful apps that are fast, future-proofed, and tightly connected to customer data. Congratulations to the Salesforce Mobile team on this incredible nomination!
5. Networking garden and reception
MWC19 was a busy conference. Attendees were able to escape the buzz at the Salesforce Networking Garden. Together we brought the energy of the Ohana to MWC19 and re-connected with our peers, experts, trailblazers, and Salesforce partners! Networking is key to gaining insight on how to deliver value to customers, especially as we enter the era of Intelligent Connectivity.
6. Connecting with the community
Every year Salesforce employees spend thousands of hours volunteering with non-profit organizations, in schools, and in their communities. I spend my time volunteering with the Greater Bay Area chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and with The University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. At MWC19 we had the chance to give back to the tech community and meet with students from Ireland who presented their ideas on the future of connected cities. Charlie Isaacs, Salesforce CTO for Customer Connection, spent time sharing ideas on IoT, connectivity, and the future of intelligence. Connecting with these students was a highlight of the conference for our entire team.
Don’t wait until MWC Barcelona next year to tap into the great insight shared by your fellow mobile industry peers. Find Tthe top six moments (and many more!) on our MWC Barcelona site. See you again in Barcelona next year!
