The annual Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona, Spain, has long been a must-attend event for wireless operators around the globe. But now the confab is becoming a key gathering for the broader wireless ecosystem that includes connected cars, virtual reality, security, and the IT industry.

If you were the least bit skeptical about the convergence of the mobile and IT industry, it was clear at MWC 2017 that those worlds are definitely colliding. Traditional wireless vendors were talking about how virtualization is disrupting networks and VMware’s CEO even asserted that without network functions virtualization (NFV), 5G won’t be successful.

The show, which wrapped up last week, attracted more than 108,000 attendees, an increase of 7 percent over the previous year, according to the GSMA, which organizes the event.

More than 2,300 companies exhibited products and services at the show, showcasing everything from virtual reality glasses, to connected cars, to state-of-the-art software solutions.

The GSMA brought back its popular Innovation City, where visitors were able to see a gamut of demonstrations from the latest Internet of Things (IoT) products to smart city initiatives. But GSMA moved it to Hall 4 so it was in close proximity to delegates attending the panel discussions and keynote sessions.

New to the event this year was a Women4Tech program that focused on women in leadership and support for gender equality. The GSMA noted that while female attendees to the show are just 23 percent of total attendance, that number has increased. In 2017 there were 14 percent more female attendees to the show than in 2016.

The SDxCentral team was in Barcelona, Spain, last week covering the show. To see all our coverage from the show, click here.