MWC 2017 is upon us in a couple of days and it is now time to polish those shoes, do a last long run to get the cardio system ready to go, super charge the mobile phone, plan meetings and routes to get from meeting A to meeting B with precision that would impress the most tenured business and sports coach. In fact, visualization exercises could make or break the whole experience, it is about visualizing how to get from A to B 10 mins before the next meeting and keeping that super charged, and excited demeanor.
This is my 8th or even 9th MWC in a row and it never stops to amaze me how it keeps changing with the tides of time but some things never change such as the first Monday morning which is always the same… and the last sigh of relief when that last meeting is done and it is time to head to the airport.
This year I am fully expecting to be talking about several exciting topics such as the 24 hour user (yes that is you and me and an increasing population) that increasingly surround ourselves in a 24 hour digital mesh – melding our personal and professional life – putting immense pressure on customer experience excellence in an increasingly complex digital world. I fully expect every conversation to be around the post-app era and how our app usage behavior is shifting, and how we are using VPAs and messaging apps now and in the future … and the potential for conversational commerce. And how brands should reach customers in the brave new AI world we are heading towards. In addition, I foresee every conversation to be about how enhance the customer experience. A great customer experience has always been important but what works today may not work tomorrow or in the coming years, it is about innovation but not innovation for the sake of it but to understand which innovation is needed and when for the 24 hour user. It is about finding that perfect, or near perfect, timing for innovation.
On a personal note I hope I will try to have at least one very short “conversation” with Pepper the Robot at some point at the event, last time I spoke to her/it (?) she/it told me I was a *lot* younger than I am. How can I possibly not adore her/it for it? I am also fully expecting to try out at least 3 VR headsets/experiences.. and eat tonnes of Manchego cheese and white bread and drink gallons of double espressos!
So here is to 3.5 days – 33 meetings and a handful of evening activities. It is never the same but always the same, Barcelona let’s go!
Check out our latest press releases about #MWC2017 and my latest press release on apps http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3614818 and if you want to know more about 24 hour users and technologies, come to LA in June and immerse yourself www.gartner.com/us/tech #GartnerTGI @GartnerTGI
My latest views on the impact of virtual personal assistants on our lives and the promse of connected homes ahead of Mobile World Congress 2017 http://gtnr.it/2kQkoac
Also see my colleagues’ @MobileAnn and @RobertaCozza_ #MWC2017 release on “Smartphone Vendors Look to Artificial Intelligence to Differentiate Their Offerings” http://gtnr.it/2mfaKeh
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