Back at my desk in the UK, it feels great to be back in the real world. Mobile World Congress is undoubtedly great fun, and there’s always a real buzz about the place, but it’s absolutely manic too, and to a certain extent, we’re still playing catch up with some of the news coming out of MWC and elsewhere, so we’ll run one of our news in brief round-ups on Monday.
The organisers say the event was a great success, noting that more than 47,000 people attended, though the gloss is taken off this figure somewhat when they point out that this figure includes not just visitors and exhibitors, but also the press (2,400), and even the people who built the stands. No idea how many they account for, but with 1,300 companies exhibiting, say two per exhibitor at a rough guess, and you get some idea.
Coming out of an event like MWC, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the future for mobile marketing. So in the interests of balance, we’ll offer something of a reality check this afternoon at around 4pm, with a Guest Column from John Wade, Director of Digital Strategy at direct/digital agency Wunderman, who argues that this is no time for brands to be experimenting with mobile, and explains why. Read it if you dare, and whether you think he’s talking sense, or complete hogwash, please leave a comment to let us know what you think.
Think of the debate as the perfect way to start a weekend that anyone who was out in Barcelona, or is still heading back, will be looking forward to with unparalleled relish.

David Murphy
Editor