More than 60 000 people from over 200 countries attended last year’s Mobile World Congress. This year, the organisers are hoping to see a specific increase in the number of CEOs and senior level delegates.

The 2012 MWC takes place at the Fira Montjuïc in Barcelona, Spain from Monday, 27 February through Thursday, 1 March 2012. The theme for this year’s congress is ‘Redefining Mobile’ and was chosen to underscore the multiple roles played by mobile in our lives today: Mobile technology is embedded in our homes, workplaces, cars and even our governments. It deserves, as such, a redefinition, and a reassessment of its potential couldn’t have come at a more exciting time.

The congress is divided into various components. The pass that you have will determine which you will have access to.

The thought-leadership conference is the central component of the congress, and will feature keynotes and panel discussions by renowned speakers, including Li Yue (President, China Mobile), Bret Taylor (CTO, Facebook), John Donahoe (CEO, eBay) and Rene Obermann, the Chairman and CEO of Deutsche Telekom. More than 30 focused conference sessions will cover the latest technological trends and growth strategies for the global mobile industry. This is not to be missed!

In addition, the congress will host an exhibition, boasting over 1 400 stands. On display will be everything from hardware and device manufacturers to service providers, software developers and application innovations. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a broader range of mobile-related products and services under one roof.

An important goal of the congress is to unite the world’s key app players. App Planet provides an opportunity for app developers and mobile professionals to unite, brainstorm and bring to life their potential. This component of the MWC is open to all pass-holders and includes an app-specific exhibition, an App Lounge (for networking) and, by invitation, App Developer Conferences.

A new feature at this year’s event is mPowered Brands. Much like App Planet was created to bring together the app developer community, mPowered Brands will assemble global marketers to educate and foster mobile’s potential in engaging consumers.

Donald Jackson, Panacea Mobile's CTO at the Mobile World Congress last year

As an international showcase of excellence in the mobile industry, the 17^th Annual Global Mobile Awards will also take place during the congress. A shortlist of 158 organisations has been announced for this prestigious award.

Plentiful networking can be done before, during and after the event – a golden opportunity that Panacea Mobile (represented by its two founders, Donald Jackson and Stefano Sessa) will be sure not to miss. Follow Donald and Stefano on Twitter and stay up-to-date on their impressions of the MWC 2012.

Detailed information on the event location, dates and times can be viewed here.