- Title: Organisers of canceled mobile conference play down compensation chances
- Date: 13th February 2020
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (FEBRUARY 13, 2020) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF VENUE WHERE MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS WAS SET TO TAKE PLACE WITH SIGN READING (English) "WELCOME" WORKERS ON SITE MOVING MATERIAL WORKER DRIVING FORKLIFT MATERIAL OUTSIDE VENUE UNFINISHED STAND OUTSIDE VENUE VARIOUS OF GSMA CEO JOHN HOFFMAN AND MATS GRANRYD, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE GSMA, MEETING WITH CATALAN REGIONAL LEADER QUIM TORRA AND PAU RELAT, PRESIDENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL OF BARCELONA'S FIRA, THE ORGANISATION THAT RUNS THE VENUE WHERE THE MWC WAS GOING TO BE HELD HOFFMAN AND GRANRYD AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) GSMA CEO JOHN HOFFMAN, SAYING: "Unfortunately, very unfortunately, it is impossible to continue to hold MWC Barcelona 2020." GRANRYD AND HOFFMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) GSMA CEO JOHN HOFFMAN, SAYING: "We did not take this decision lightly. We looked at many, many things. It was a very fluid situation that changed day by day, and literally hourly by the hour." GRANRYD AND HOFFMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) GSMA CEO JOHN HOFFMAN, SAYING: "We look forward to hosting all of you, all of our partners from around the world here in Barcelona for MWC 21." BARCELONA MAYOR ADA COLAU, RELAT, GRANRYD AND HOFFMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE GSMA, MATS GRANRYD, SAYING: "This is not about money, this is about health and safety and the reputation of our show." MAYOR OF HOSPITALET DE LLOBREGAT, LOCATION WHERE THE MAIN MWC VENUE IS LOCATED, NURIA MARIN MARTINEZ GIVING HOFFMAN A KISS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE GSMA, MATS GRANRYD, SAYING: "This is a 'force majeure' situation and we don't comment on the insurance policies, but clearly there is no way that you can insure yourself out of a 'force majeure' situation." GSMA AND REGIONAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES PREPARING TO DEPART HOFFMAN KISSING AND SHAKING HANDS WITH AUTHORITIES BEFORE DEPARTING
- Embargoed: 27th February 2020 13:10
- Keywords: China GSMA John Hoffman Mats Granryd Mobile World Congress cancellation coronavirus
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001C0G50ZR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: THIS IS A BROADCAST QUALITY EDIT WHICH UPDATES EDIT 4151-CHINA-HEALTH/MOBILE WORLD
Companies that have spent money on a major telecoms conference in Barcelona that has been cancelled after mass withdrawals due to the coronavirus outbreak cannot expect compensation under the organisers' standard insurance, they said on Thursday (February 13).
The GSMA telecoms body cancelled the Feb. 24-27 event on Wednesday (February 12) despite assurances from local and national health officials that it would have been safe to hold it.
The GSMA takes out standard insurance cover on behalf of exhibitors. This does not cover the spread of communicable diseases unless health authorities issue travel restrictions, according to the event's website.
"This is a force majeure situation," GSMA Director General Mats Granryd told a news conference in the Spanish city, whose economy usually enjoys a $500 million boost from the event.
"We don't comment on insurance policies but clearly there is no way you can insure yourself out of a force majeure situation," he added.
Companies invoke force majeure when they cannot meet contractual expectations because of circumstances beyond their control.
Anchor European members of the GSMA, including Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, BT and Nokia all pulled out of the event in recent days, forcing the GSMA's hand to cancel it.
The GSMA is a non-profit organisation.
(Production: Jordi Rubio, May Ponzo, Catherine Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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