Mobile World Congress cancellation “not about money”: GSMA

Reuters: The decision to cancel a major telecoms conference in Barcelona slated for later this month, after mass withdrawals due to fears over a coronavirus outbreak, was motivated only by a desire to protect people’s health and safety, organisers said on Thursday.

“This is not about money - it’s about health and safety and the reputation of our show,” Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA telecoms association that hosts the event, told a news conference the day after announcing its cancellation.

Granryd added this was a “force majeure” situation, and “there is no way you can insure yourself out of a force majeure situation.”