What could possibly go wrong with our plan to display waterproof handsets in fish tanks?
Well, it all happened even before we arrived in Barcelona, after the gentle suggestion that it might be nice to have the handsets inside the tank showing a screensaver of fish.
The idea was simple but effective.
However, it turned out to be anything but simple, as this idea this sparked no less than eight weeks of discussions between four departments across three continents.
It grew to the consideration of robotic fish and finally the idea of using real … and the potential pitfalls and PR response required to animal cruelty and the creation of a Q&A to respond to ‘a fish going belly up’ during the event.
In the end … we just used fish wallpaper.
That was a build-up weeks I won’t forget in a hurry!
It was well past midnight and I was stuck in a UK journalist’s rented apartment in Barcelona, with the company of a very unhappy Russian housekeeper.
After a heavy night on the Estrella, I just wanted to go back across town and get to bed. However, even through the beer fug I realized that if I left, so would the housekeeper, and then the only option still open to my journalist friend (let’s call him Dave, to protect the guilty) would be to spend the night on the sofa in my own single-bedroom apartment.
Meanwhile ‘Dave’ was drunkenly in search of a cashpoint to find the Euros to pay his deposit for the apartment, which he’d rented for a few days during Mobile World Congress. He’d promised to pick up the key “around 8” but somehow this had been forgotten in the maelstrom of the evening. Then, when he finally found a cashpoint, he ended up getting mugged.
It had started so well. I’d arrived in Barcelona a day ahead of my media briefings, and was planning on a few tapas before an early night, ready for the first of three full days. Then I bumped into Dave when we were picking up our badges at the same time, and we decided to catch up over a “swift beer”. Or two. Or ten. We were in the closest bar to the Fira, in fact I think the bar was actually located ON Placa Espana. It was only two stops down Parallel on the subway and then a couple of blocks to reach the apartment, except that the subway had stopped running. We decided it wasn’t far and therefore we’d rather walk than take a taxi.
After we’d found the flat and discovered that the housekeeper wanted cash, Dave eventually returned with the money and I was able to grab a taxi across town and get to bed – only to get up a few hours later with a thumping headache. As for Dave, he looked healthy enough when we met later in the day for our official briefing but declined my client’s offer of a “quick post show drink” – since he and I had to go to the local police station to report his mugging …
After three months of preparation and having successfully secured press interviews, we finally reached the big day, when we’d do most of the interviews with the highest profile publications.
Best suit on, and my samples were charged … we were ready to go!
After I’d greeted the first journalist to arrive on our stand, I guided them towards the pre-booked meeting room. And that’s when things started to go off the rails.
On arrival at the reception desk, I’m taken to one side and told: “We have a problem.”
Optimistically, I’m thinking the previous session has over-run, so I ask: “How long do we have to wait?”
The answer will stay with me for ever …: “A senior manager went into your room to do some work and has fallen asleep and we can’t wake him because he is tired.”
Photo: AlanGregerman.com“Are you serious,” I managed to ask.
Mobile World Congress draws thousands of visitors from all over the globe to descend upon the great city of Barcelona. But with so many people cramped into one city for several days, this can also bring “unwanted guests”.
On our last day of the show, we headed to the taxi pick-up line which at times can seem long and never-ending. As a result, many visitors opt to take other forms of transportation such as the metro. So off we went, venturing into the underground labyrinth of Barcelona’s subway system with hundreds of others.
As we cramped each other into a train, I ended up face-to-face with a stranger that kept coughing and sneezing. I didn’t think anything of it at the time aside from trying to cover up as much as possible. Upon finally arriving home from my long journey back I realized I had brought home the bird flu. And a few days later I learned that my colleague arrived home just the same. Fortunately, we both came out unscathed but a couple of days later reports of a bird flu outbreak in Barcelona dominated the headlines…
Mobile World Congress is a three-ring circus, resulting in mass pandemonium throughout the city with people visiting from all over the world to check out the latest in mobile. However, the city of Barcelona is always prepared to ensure its visitors have a fantastic, memorable experience despite its economic woes. On occasion, there are issues that arise that are out of anyone’s control such as in 2012 when a civil unrest shut down the public transport and clogged all roadways at the conclusion of the first day of the event.
Leaving the event venue is always a challenge, yet when a public issue arises there’s complete pandemonium that has a ripple effect across the city. Imagine hosting a C-level dinner across town and very few of your guests can reach the venue due to completely clogged roadways. Better yet, imagine your CEO awaiting guests and realizing the months of planning have resulted in poor attendance, and ROI.
Fortunately the issue was out of anyone’s control so eventually we shrugged it off as a Mobile World Congress nuance, when in reality it was driven by the poor economic climate in Spain that oftentimes sparks civil unrest that impacts the city, its residents and guests.
Adventure tales from Mobile World Congress 