Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories?
No, thank you Accept
X
6 Tips for Choosing Contact LensesiOS 17 Wish ListAI in FitnessShokz Headphones on SaleMeal Subscription vs. TakeoutBest Solar CompaniesVerizon 5G Home InternetBest Credit Cards
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

MWC 2020 offers refunds, discounts following cancellation due to coronavirus

The mobile show is keen to maintain the loyalty of its attendees.

katie-collins_1.jpg
katie-collins_1.jpg
Katie Collins Senior European Correspondent
Katie a UK-based news reporter and features writer. Officially, she is CNET's European correspondent, covering tech policy and Big Tech in the EU and UK. Unofficially, she serves as CNET's Taylor Swift correspondent. You can also find her writing about tech for good, ethics and human rights, the climate crisis, robots, travel and digital culture. She was once described a "living synth" by London's Evening Standard for having a microchip injected into her hand.
See full bio
Katie Collins
2 min read
gettyimages-527013070

MWC 2021 planning is already in the works after this year's canceled show.

 Matthias Oesterle/Corbis via Getty Images
Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure
This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

The list of events canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic seems to get longer by the day. But one of the first major events to be canceled was MWC , the annual Barcelona mobile show that was due to take place a month ago.

A big concern for many exhibitors set to attend the show was the money they'd lose as a result of its cancellation. On Wednesday, the GSMA, which runs MWC, substantially relieved this burden by announcing it would offer all attendees a 100% refund on their tickets. The money will be returned by the original method of payment.

Exhibitors spending big money (above £5,000, $5,933 or approximately AU$9,800) have a number of options for recouping their money. They can either choose to claim a 50% refund now (capped at £150,000, $178,000), or opt for credit to spend on exhibiting at future shows, which will amount to 150% of their original fee, spread over three years.

Those exhibitors who spent less than £5,000 on their exhibition slot have a choice between claiming a 100% refund immediately, or opting for the same 150% credit plan as larger exhibitors.

As a further gesture of goodwill, prices for MWC 2021 will be the same as those for MWC 2019, said the GSMA. Major exhibitors already committed to returning to the show next year include NTT DOCOMO, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone .

"The GSMA values the loyalty and support our members and partners in the mobile ecosystem worldwide," said GSMA CEO John Hoffman in a statement. "More than ever, our sincere thoughts remain with those affected around the world in these trying times."