Bigwigs expected at Asian mobile show
SINGAPORE--Some 120 luminaries and industry experts will converge at the 3GSM World Congress Asia next week to debate a range of issues in the red-hot Asian mobile market.
Apart from familiar faces in the mobile communications industry, this year's installment will also feature top executives from other mobile-related industries, such as Alejandro Zubillaga, executive vice president at Warner Music Group, and Sachio Semmoto, founder and CEO of Japanese Internet service provider eAccess.
"For this year's 3GSM Congress in Asia, we have assembled a top-class, yet diverse, line-up of speakers that will pinpoint the key trends in the region's dynamic and complex market for mobile communications," said Bill Gajda, chief marketing officer at event organizer GSM Association (GSMA), in a statement.
More than 4,000 delegates are expected to attend the three-day event held on the island-state from Oct. 16 to 20, according to GSMA. There will be 25 conference sessions comprising presentations and panel discussions which revolve around the central theme, "Risk and Reward".
Specifically, the role of China in the global mobile industry will be covered in a session that discusses the growing prominence and visibility of the country's mobile businesses as they look to expand into markets beyond China.
India, the fastest growing market for mobile services in Asia, will also be under the spotlight. Factors inherent to the success of India's mobile industry such as regulation, pricing, and operator strategies, will also be examined.
Apart from China and India, other areas that will be addressed include Japan's mobile content industry, new business models for mobile operators, universal access in emerging markets, mobile virtual network operators, plus infotainment and content.
Recognizing the most innovative
This year's 3GSM World Congress Asia also marks the introduction of the GSMA's Asia Mobile Innovation Awards, a competition designed to support innovation in the Asian mobile industry by bringing together start-up companies, industry investors, mobile operators and vendors.
Said Rob Conway, CEO and board member of GSMA: "Asia is a hot bed of innovation for the mobile world. There is an astonishing array of talent dedicated to developing new ideas for the market.
"However, it's a complex market with many players and small companies with interesting or astonishing ideas have to fight hard to be heard," he noted.
The six short-listed finalists of the Mobile Innovation Awards will present their ideas at the event's Mobile Innovation Forum to a panel of operator and industry experts.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and group managing director at India's Bharti Enterprises, said: "The Innovation Forum and Awards within the Congress provides innovators across Asia with a new international stage on which to make themselves heard, and access to individuals and organizations who can help them move forward."
Other mobile operator head-honchos speaking at the congress include Cho Young-Chu from Korea's KTF; Abdul Wahid Omar from Telekom Malaysia; Arve Johansen from Norway's Telenor; Sol Trujillo from Australia's Telstra; and Alexander Izosimov from Russia's VimpelCom.