GSMA and Sónar Release First Details of xside

The GSMA’s successful Four Years From Now (4YFN) start-up platform and Sónar, the international festival devoted to advanced music, creativity and technology, today announced further details of their hotly anticipated co-curated event, xside. Taking place within the 4YFN venue, from 24-26 February 2020 at Fira Montjuïc, in parallel to 4YFN and MWC Barcelona 2020, xside is a new gathering including conference, networking and music to explore the role technology, design and innovation play in the future of creativity, cultures and business.

As the creative heart of 4YFN and MWC Barcelona, xside is designed to create links between Sónar’s audience of creative communities, and the technological and entrepreneurial attendees of the world’s largest mobile event. It is the first integrated convergence event of its kind on this scale, co-created by leading event brands of music, creativity, technology, design and entrepreneurship. xside will welcome over 25,000 attendees across three days and over 5,000 revellers each night.

“xside is a fantastic meeting of cultures, industries and creative minds, bringing together two of Barcelona's premier events, each representing significant but distinct communities,” said John Hoffman, CEO GSMA Ltd. “By launching such a hub of creative excellence, that celebrates the ideas, skills and people that are leading future change, we will shape the relationship between design, culture and technology for the benefit of everyone these industries as well as other sectors.”

“xside is the creative and content hub of the biggest tech week in the world, a ground-breaking gathering to explore the role of technology, design and innovation play in the future of creativity, cultures and business. The collaboration with the GSMA’s 4YFN and MWC Barcelona for the creation and organization of xside, is increasing our long-time effort to increase public awareness of the important role that creativity technology plays in society: changing our present and imagining new futures,” said Ventura Barba, Executive Director Advanced Music, SL (Sónar and Sónar+D).

Design and Creativity Converges with Technology
Celebrating its 20th anniversary next year, the prestigious design and creativity festival OFFF has signed as xside’s first content partner. OFFF will deliver conferences and performances by Berlin-based electronic music composer Ben Lukas Boysen together with digital and new media artists Joëlle Snaith and Joshua Davis.

OFFF is exploring the boundaries of creativity and technology by hosting its prominent conference on stage at xside. The first speakers announced by OFFF are:

• David Vogel, Executive Director, Experience Design, AKQA
• Irene Pereyra and Anton Repponen, Founders, Anton & Irene
• Josue Ibañez, Co-Founder and Interaction Design Director, Cocolab
• Verònica Fuerte, Founder, Hey Studio

By day, the xside experience, co-curated by Sónar, will feature industry discussions and keynotes. Events will include live music, a showcase of immersive technology, interactive art installations and gastronomic delights. When 4YFN and MWC Barcelona close their doors for the day, ‘xside-by-Night’ takes over, with late-night keynotes and a dedicated music stage until 23:00 each night. To accommodate these new changes to the 4YFN programme, the event will double its footprint, moving venue from Hall 8 at Fira Montjuic to the Halls and the courtyard where Sónar by Day is traditionally held.

4YFN is the start-up event of GSMA MWC supporting start-ups, investors and companies to connect and launch new ventures together. Hosted at the same time as MWC Barcelona, the event in Barcelona attracts more than 23,000 attendees, 1000 investors, 700 start-ups and exhibitors and hosts more than 400 speakers.

For more information on how to participate at 4YFN, please visit https://www.4yfn.com/barcelona/xside/. Tickets are on sale now with a 20 per cent off early bird discount at 4YFN.com.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors
Sónar is a pioneering cultural event focused on electronic music and digital arts. A pioneering festival in terms of content, production and strategy, Sónar has become an international reference point, thanks to its love for combining the avant-garde and experimental, with the newest trends in urban culture. Sónar+D, its congress of creativity, technology and business, was launched in 2013 and runs concurrently to the Barcelona festival as well as other events throughout the year. It attracts more than 20,000 professionals from the creative industries as well as from the world of science and technological innovation.

OFFF was founded in 2000. Today, OFFF has become the most influential creativity festival to attend. OFFF is a community inviting all those who are eager to learn, to participate and get inspired in a three-day journey of conferences, workshops, activities and performances. OFFF hosts innovative and international talents to share their insightful experiences.

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators and nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

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Contact information

Pau Guerrero
+34932360923
PGuerrero@webershandwick.com

Jen Roberts
+34678403933
jroberts@gsma.com