GSMA insists its flagship event MWC Barcelona must go on as scheduled and will begin in seven weeks despite a growing global crush of COVID-19 cases.

The event organizer and global telecom association’s current struggles bear echoes of 2020 when it was forced to cancel the event for the first time in 33 years — and less than two weeks before the event was set to get underway.

It’s been a rough slog for GSMA and most event organizers since COVID-19 initially swept across the globe. 

By June 2020, the telecommunications industry’s largest and most consequential body, which reportedly earns about 80% of its annual revenue from MWC Barcelona, cut 200 jobs or about one fifth of its workforce. 

Every subsequent GSMA event has been lightly attended, including 2021’s Barcelona event that was pushed back to the summer, and the most recent MWC Los Angeles event that was largely a dud. 

“Global circumstance continues to evolve and one thing is becoming apparent — we will be dealing with the effects of COVID-19 for years to come,” GSMA CEO John Hoffman said in a prepared statement. 

“Considering this and the fact that present circumstances have made connectivity profoundly critical, the GSMA would only consider a change to our plans under the direction of the Spanish authorities,” he added.

Similar to GSMA’s annual events in Shanghai, Los Angeles, and Barcelona in 2021, the organization said it will coordinate with local public health officials to help ensure the safety of staff, exhibitors, suppliers, and attendees. MWC Barcelona 2022 attendance requires proof of vaccination against COVID-19, a valid certificate of recovery, or a negative test result that will only be considered adequate for a 72-hour period.

GSMA maintains it still expects more than 1,500 exhibitors and attendees from 150 countries, but it will also make programming available online as it has done since the beginning of the pandemic.

“A lot has changed in the past two years but our resolve to reconvene the industry is unwavering, and I encourage every member of this community to support one another,” Hoffman added. “MWC will always be available online, but I hope to see you in Barcelona.”

GSMA, of course, isn’t alone. Event organizers have been in a near-constant state of turmoil since early 2020, scrambling amid recurring surges of COVID-19 infections globally.

CES earlier this month went ahead as planned, after going completely online in 2021, but it was sparsely attended and the event was cut short by one day. The annual RSA security conference pushed its plans for a hybrid event from early February to June, and video game conference E3 earlier this month canceled its show that was scheduled to take place in June.

Some large companies and industry event organizers have lucked out throughout the pandemic, effectively squeezing an in-person event in between surges of infection and hospitalization. 

It’s an awful reality we’ve all learned. Depending on personal circumstances and the state of the pandemic at any given time, one week can feel relatively safe and the next can feel like a jump ball.

As event organizers, exhibitors, and attendees confront this dispiriting and recurring reality, the outlook for live industry events is increasingly unsettled. It’s left some wondering: Is the trade show dead?

This pandemic has painfully reminded us many times that plans can and almost certainly will change. For now at least, it appears some large events will push through, stick to their plans, and make the most of an awful situation. Meanwhile, other events will likely continue with the pure digital format through much of 2022.