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MWC Barcelona 2027

Navigating MWC for two decades. Now it's your turn.

For 20 years we've helped telco brands like Vodafone IoT, Ciena and Amdocs cut through the noise in Barcelona. We start months before the show, secure the briefings that matter and make sure you're known, understood and chosen, by buyers and the AI tools helping them shortlist.

Book A Discovery Call Read: The MWC 2027 Blueprint
PRmoment Awards 2026 Tech Agency of the Year Certified B Corporation
20 yearsat MWC Barcelona
100+media and analyst briefings every MWC

Trusted in Barcelona by

The MWC reality

Making an announcement is no longer enough.

After MWC 2026 we audited the coverage across 45 Tier 1 publications. The message was clear: journalists reward brave, differentiated opinions, and buyers now build their shortlists with AI.

1,500+

distinct AI mentions in MWC 2026 coverage

Babel audit of 45 Tier 1 publications
3x

more coverage for AI than for 5G

Babel audit of 45 Tier 1 publications
32%

of buyers who chose a new vendor found them through AI tools

The Mental Av-AI-lability Index
5 or 6

briefings a day: one senior telco journalist's new limit

TelecomTV's James Pearce, via Babel
Read: Why brave opinions won the media at MWC 2026
The MWC 2027 Blueprint

Mastering MWC 2027: your strategy Blueprint

Success at MWC is decided months before you land in Barcelona. Drawing on insights from Babel's senior leadership team, our Blueprint maps what to do, and when, so your brand is noticed and, crucially, remembered.

No forms, no gate. Just the plan.

Read: The MWC 2027 Blueprint Take The Quiz
Mastering MWC 2027: Your Strategy Blueprint BABELNEWBUSINESS@BABELPR.COM
  1. You are here October to December

    Lay the strategic foundation

    • Set SMART objectives
    • Define your Ideal MWC Profile
    • Revisit your positioning
    • Develop thought leadership and a hero asset
    • Plan your content cadence
  2. You are here January to February

    Build awareness

    • Launch your MWC landing page
    • Keep messaging and visuals consistent
    • Launch your hero asset
    • Secure bylines and commentary
    • Book analysts, then media
  3. You are here Late February and March

    Own the show

    • Meticulously prepared spokespeople
    • Tight briefing logistics
    • Content captured live from the Fira
    • Virtual briefings for those not attending
  4. You are here March and beyond

    Follow up is everything

    • Follow up every contact
    • Run sustained nurture campaigns
    • Keep your landing page live
    • Measure share of voice and share of recommendation
Plan early

Start strategic planning at the start of Q4 to build a solid foundation.

Define your focus

Identify your Ideal MWC Profile for messaging that cuts through.

Create a hero asset

Anchor your campaign with research that generates news and content.

Execute and follow up

Prepare spokespeople and commit to post-event nurture.

How we help at MWC

Everything you need, from Q4 to follow-up

One integrated team for PR, content and marketing, so your story is consistent from the first byline to the last nurture email.

01

Strategy and positioning

Objectives, your Ideal MWC Profile and a fresh narrative built for the show.

Explore positioning 02

Thought leadership and hero assets

Research-led whitepapers that anchor your campaign and generate news.

Explore research 03

Media and analyst relations

Briefing programmes built from December with the journalists and analysts who matter.

Explore media relations 04

Speaker and awards submissions

Pitches aligned with GSMA themes that earn you a place on stage.

Explore events 05

Spokesperson preparation

Media training so your executives are ready for every briefing in Barcelona.

Explore media training 06

Content from the Fira

Video, social and blogs captured live during the show.

Explore video 07

Paid media and landing pages

Consistent creative across every touchpoint, tested before you arrive.

Explore advertising 08

AI visibility

Make sure LLMs retrieve your brand and describe it accurately.

Explore the AI audit
The MWC readiness quiz

How MWC-ready are you?

Eight questions. Two minutes. Find out whether you'll arrive in Barcelona with momentum, or join the scramble. Your results appear instantly, no email needed.

PlanningWhen did (or will) you start planning for MWC 2027?

From the press room'The best time to pitch me was yesterday, don't leave it until the week before!' Ewan Spence, Forbes

ObjectivesDo you have SMART objectives for MWC tied to a business goal?

From the BlueprintShare of voice still matters, but share of recommendation is becoming an increasingly useful measure of PR effectiveness.

AudienceHave you defined exactly who you want to reach at MWC?

From the press room'The biggest mistake we see? Pitching the plumbing to the people who care about the PnL.' Babel, after speaking to five MWC journalists

Point of viewDoes your spokesperson have a distinctive point of view?

From the press roomAI generated over 1,500 distinct mentions in MWC 2026 coverage. Only differentiated, pragmatic and sometimes challenging views cut through.

Hero assetDo you have a hero asset, such as research or a whitepaper, for MWC?

From the BlueprintLaunch your hero asset well before MWC so your spokespeople have a substantive story to take into briefings.

BriefingsWhen will you book analyst and media meetings?

From the press roomTelecomTV's James Pearce now caps his MWC briefings at five or six a day, down from thirty or forty in his early years.

ConsistencyIs your messaging consistent across web, ads, social and your stand?

From the BlueprintOur research shows LLMs heavily reward brands that demonstrate one consistent message across their online presence.

Follow-upWhat's your plan for after MWC?

From the BlueprintMWC doesn't end when the doors close. The telco buying cycle is long, so the real value comes afterwards.

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Fira-ready

You're ahead of most exhibitors. The job now is sharpening your story and landing the right briefings.

Book A Discovery CallRead: The Blueprint
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On the right track

The foundations are there, but gaps in timing, focus or follow-up could cost you cut-through.

Read: The BlueprintBook A Discovery Call
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Lost in the halls

There's still time, but only if you start now. Q4 is where MWC is won.

Book A Discovery CallRead: The Blueprint

Your breakdown: coral marks a focus area

  • Timing. Start strategic planning at the start of Q4, and remember December's downtime.
  • Objectives. Ladder every MWC objective back to one business goal, with a measure and a timeframe.
  • Audience. Build an Ideal MWC Profile that goes beyond job title to challenges and buying situations.
  • Point of view. Turn the opinions already in your business into a clear, defensible stance on an industry theme.
  • Hero asset. Commission research or a whitepaper and launch it before the show.
  • Briefings. Approach analysts in December and media from mid-January.
  • Consistency. Carry one message and visual identity across every touchpoint, and test it early.
  • Follow-up. Plan your nurture campaign now, so it is ready the week you get home.
From the press room

We asked the journalists. Here's what they want from you at MWC.

Every year we sit down with the editors, reporters and analysts who decide what gets covered in Barcelona. Their message is consistent: bring a genuine point of view, get in touch early and know who you're talking to.

MWC 2026

What catches your eye?

Something with a good angle and an interesting hook, that understands where our editorial line is, is definitely more likely to catch my eye.

Saskia KoopmanCity AM

Read the interview
MWC 2026

How many briefings will you take?

Five or six a day, down from thirty or forty in his early years. His focus is the enterprise opportunity: private 5G, digital sovereignty and B2B revenue.

James PearceTelecomTV, as told to Babel

Read the round-up
2022

When should brands get in touch?

It's not just a Feb/March thing. You notice the emails/calls from the names you're familiar with.

Iain MorrisLight Reading

Read the debrief
2022

What do smaller companies get wrong?

Don't underestimate your own value of interest. Everyone wants to know who the cool companies coming up are.

Keith DyerThe Mobile Network

Read the article
2022

Any advice for challengers?

If you're a small company, get out there early. You'll get some visibility, generate some interest: I think it's the only way to go.

Ray Le MaistreTelecomTV

Read the article
2022

Announcements or pitches?

We'll cover product announcements but not sales pitches.

Catherine SbegliaRCR Wireless

Read the article
2019

When is the best time to pitch?

The best time to pitch me was yesterday, don't leave it until the week before!

Ewan SpenceForbes

Read the debrief
Analyst view

What helps you before a big show?

I like to get a digest (or 'descriptors') of clients prior to big industry events, such as MWC, explaining what they're talking about.

Teresa CottamChief Analyst, Omnisperience

Read the Q&A
Case studies

Proof from the Fira

From must-attend events to the most talked-about stand at the show, here's what happens when telco brands plan MWC with us.

Vodafone Business

Vodafone IoT at MWC: the story, told by the people who lived it

Paul Campbell and the Vodafone IoT team talk through the challenge, the approach and the results of our MWC work together.

Watch: The Story Telecom Infra Project 1,300+attendees at a must-attend event

Four weeks out with two registrations, we turned the flagship summit round: 70+ analysts and journalists and 136 pieces of global coverage.

Analyst push around MWC Read: The Case Study TelcoDR 700+pieces of coverage

From virtually unknown to one of the most talked-about companies in telecoms, with a keynote and a packed press agenda at the show.

Most popular booth at the show Read: The Case Study Ciena 100+pieces of global coverage

Original research into AI and data centres, turned into a fully integrated campaign. Babel now runs Ciena's largest retained brief globally.

Read: The Case Study Amdocs 5Gleadership, built through research

Research with Ovum on 5G in sport delivered blanket coverage, from The Telegraph and Forbes to TechRadar and TVBEurope.

Visibility built ahead of MWC Barcelona Read: The Case Study Parallel Wireless 3rd to 1stin share of voice

80+ pieces of coverage including the Financial Times and Washington Post, with half driven by thought leadership.

Four MWC panel speakerships Read: The Case Study

59 case studies across telecoms, cybersecurity, fintech and enterprise tech

See how we've helped B2B tech brands become known, understood and chosen.

See All Case Studies
Video case study

Vodafone IoT at MWC, in their words

Paul Campbell, head of our telecoms portfolio, sits down with the Vodafone IoT team to talk through what it takes to stand out in Barcelona, and what happened when we did.

Film coming soon
Meet the Telco team

The team who'll be in Barcelona with you

Telco specialists who know their Open RAN from their AI-RAN, and know which journalists want to hear about each.

Paul Campbell

Paul Campbell

Senior Director, Head of Telecoms

A Babel OG who leads our telecoms portfolio and writes our MWC playbook every year. Foodie, Chelsea fan and, when persuaded, piano man.

On MWC week

'...we'll have sore feet, tired eyes and a lingering tapas addiction (the price we pay for our sins).'

Read Paul's MWC 2026 audit
Ashwinder Bedi

Ashwinder Bedi

Senior Campaign Manager

Joined Babel in 2021 and worked his first MWC in Barcelona that June.

On his first MWC

'The in-person briefings were back. The coordinating of cameras and production crews... The relationships, the drinks and the dinners.'

Read Ash's view from the Fira
India Lilley

India Lilley

Campaign Manager

Writes on data centres and infrastructure, and champions face-to-face relationships with the media.

On media relationships

'At Babel, we pick up the phone, we grab coffee, and we find out what's really on journalists' minds.'

Read India's blog
Eve Baird

Eve Baird

Consultant

Joined Babel in 2024 and supported the Media Village at DTW Ignite 2026.

On working trade shows

'One of my favourite things about trade shows is getting the live reaction from attendees immediately, rather than waiting for the trickle-down of post-event coverage.'

Read Eve's DTW review
Book A Call With The Team
What our clients say

Trusted by telco marketers

The Babel team's proactivity is what stands them apart from other agencies, and we have had great success 'issues jumping' onto breaking stories to get our message out. I love their tenacity to increase our share of voice but also the use of data to make sure we target the publications that matter most.
Eugina JordanChief Marketing Officer, Telecom Infra Project
Babel's support in crafting compelling content and securing international media coverage has been instrumental in elevating our brand. Their work has significantly contributed to our goal of championing sustainability in the telecom sector.
Patrick Lloyd-BradleyFormer Group Chief Marketing Officer, TXO
Their work has meant that our missions and the humanitarian contexts in which we operate, have been shared to audiences across the globe. This reach that Babel has helped us gain will help us get more support and therefore support more people.
Monique Lanne-PetitDirector, Télécoms Sans Frontières
Babel at MWC

Twenty years of sore feet and full diaries

MWC 2026The Babel telco team at the Fira Gran Via
MWC 2026Briefings in full swing
MWC 2026Inside the press room
MWC 2025Filming on the show floor
MWC 2025On the stand with our clients
MWC 2025The team dinner, well earned
MWC insights

The latest thinking from our telco team

Research · 30 March 2026

Why brave opinions won the media at MWC 2026

Paul Campbell Media relations · 11 February 2026

MWC 2026: tips from inside the press room

Paul Campbell Journalist Q&A · 9 February 2026

Q&A with Iain Morris of Light Reading: the news editor's view

Paul Campbell Journalist Q&A · 26 January 2026

The reporter's view: Saskia Koopman (City AM) on MWC 2026

Madeleine Cotterell Journalist Q&A · 19 January 2026

The editor's view: Keith Dyer (The Mobile Network) on MWC 2026

Paul Campbell Analyst relations · 8 December 2025

Why analyst relations needs to be part of your MWC plans

Paul Campbell
Two decades of MWC thinking MWC: The Babel Years (2017) Behind the numbers at MWC (2016) Babel PR's guide to MWC (2014)
FAQs

MWC planning, answered

When should we start planning for MWC 2027?

At the start of Q4. October to December is when you set objectives, define your Ideal MWC Profile, revisit your positioning and create a hero asset. Waiting until January leaves too little time, especially once December's downtime is taken into account.

When do analysts and journalists book MWC meetings?

Analysts from December and January, and some of our clients start securing analyst meetings in December. Most journalists start locking in meetings from mid-January, with some finalising their schedules a week or two before the show.

Do we need a big stand to get coverage at MWC?

No. The brands that win are not the ones with the biggest stand but the ones with the most thoughtful plan. Journalists prioritise spokespeople with a differentiated, pragmatic and sometimes challenging point of view over product news.

How many briefings can Babel manage at MWC?

We typically manage over 100 media and analyst briefings across our client portfolio at MWC, and have been sending a team to Barcelona for two decades.

Is MWC worth it if we are not exhibiting?

Yes. Media and analyst briefings, speaking opportunities, pre-show thought leadership and virtual briefings before or after the event can all build visibility without a stand.

How does AI search change MWC planning?

Buyers increasingly research through AI tools before speaking to sales: 32% of buyers who chose a new vendor discovered them this way. Consistent messaging across every touchpoint and credible third-party evidence make it more likely that AI tools retrieve and accurately describe your brand.

What should happen after MWC?

Follow up with every meeting and contact, run a targeted nurture campaign with the content created during the show, keep your MWC landing page live and keep publishing around the themes you have established.

MWC 2027 starts now

Let's make MWC 2027 your most memorable yet

Tell us where you are in your planning and we'll show you where the quick wins are. Thirty minutes, no hard sell.

  • A review of your MWC 2027 objectives and timeline
  • Where you can win media and analyst attention this year
  • Quick wins you can act on in Q4
Read: The MWC 2027 Blueprint

Prefer email? newbusiness@babelpr.com

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