Updated: MWC cancelled after number of vendors pulled out

Huge trade show in jeopardy tech firms decide against attending

Updated: Mobile World Congress has been cancelled after the coronavirus outbreak prompted dozens of high-profile vendors to pull out of the trade show.

In a statement John Hoffman, CEO of MWC organiser GSMA, said:"With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event.

"The Host City Parties respect and understand this decision.

"The GSMA and the Host City Parties will continue to be working in unison and supporting each other for MWC Barcelona 2021 and future editions.

"Our sympathies at this time are with those affected in China, and all around the world."

Mobile World Congress, held in Barcelona, is one of the largest tech trade shows in the world, pulling in more than 100,000 visitors a year as well as some 2,400 exhibitors.

Several high profile vendors confirmed they cancelled their attendance due to the coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a global emergency in late January by the World Health Organisation, earlier this week.

Cisco, Amazon, Intel, Nvidia, Vivo, NTT Docomo, LG, Nokia, Facebook and Sony, among others, all issued statements confirming that they will not be attending MWC.

In a statement, an Intel spokesperson said: "The safety and wellbeing of all our employees and partners is our top priority, and we have withdrawn from this year's Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution. We are grateful to the GSMA for their understanding and look forward to attending and supporting future Mobile World Congress events."

"Due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020," Amazon said in a statement.

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins had been expected to deliver a keynote, but in a statement the vendor said: "While we are extremely disappointed that we cannot continue with this event as planned, we believe this is the right decision given the current circumstances."

The latest official word from GSMA is that the event is still going ahead, although a report from Wired claims MWC's organiser is lobbying the Spanish government to declare a health emergency in order to cancel the event.

On Sunday, GSMA released a statement claiming that it is moving ahead as planned and will host MWC Barcelona between 24-27 February.

It claims that historically around five to six per cent of its total attendees (5,000 to 6,000 people) travel from China.

The organisers has already imposed a ban on any attendees travelling from the Hubei province in China. All travellers that have visited China must also provide proof that they have not been in the country for at least 14 days prior to the event.

Vendors including Apple, Google and Microsoft have already scaled back their operations in China to prevent the spread of the virus, with some predicting it could disrupt the channel's supply chains.