GSMA and Sónar Release First Details of xside
23.10.2019 14:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
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.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191023005356/en/
Contact information
Pau Guerrero
+34932360923
PGuerrero@webershandwick.com
Jen Roberts
+34678403933
jroberts@gsma.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
FDA Authorizes ZYN ULTRA Nicotine Pouches Following Scientific Review21.8.2026 22:11:00 EEST | Press release
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) today announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Marketing Granted Orders to PMI’s U.S. affiliate, Swedish Match USA, Inc., authorizing the marketing of 11 ZYN ULTRA moist oral nicotine pouch products, including all 9mg variants and one 11mg variant. Additional 11mg variants remain under scientific review. Today’s action further enhances PMI’s leadership role in the smoke-free category. “We are delighted with the FDA’s decision to authorize a range of ZYN ULTRA products, which will build on ZYN’s position as America’s leading smoke-free product brand,” said Stacey Kennedy, PMI U.S. CEO. “We look forward to expanding our portfolio of better choices for the 45 million Americans who consume nicotine products.” ZYN ULTRA positions the brand to further extend its category leadership among legal-age consumers of nicotine products. Like the flagship FDA-authorized ZYN pouches, ZYNULTRA, with its higher moisture content, is fre
58% of Consumers Say They Don't Care Whether a Product is a National Brand or Private Label. They Just Buy What They Need21.8.2026 13:00:00 EEST | Press release
As fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) prices rose 26% globally between 2021 and 2025, consumers have become more deliberate about where they save and where they spend. NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) has released new findings showing that private label is no longer viewed simply as a lower-cost substitute, but as a credible competitor across value, mainstream, and premium segments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260819950224/en/ Private label is no longer just a value play. The findings, published in NIQ’s latest report, A Tale of Two Consumers: The Polarized Mindsets Reshaping Global Consumption, created in collaboration with World Data Lab, show how consumer polarization is redefining value and reshaping competition on the shelf. The report also draws on insights from NIQ's 2025reportFinding Harmony on the Shelfwhich documented changing perceptions of private label products. Key findings from these reports include: 58
Tanium Reappoints Co-Founder Orion Hindawi as CEO to Drive Next Chapter of Growth20.8.2026 22:10:00 EEST | Press release
Tanium, a leader in Autonomous IT, today announced that Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Orion Hindawi has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Dan Streetman is stepping down as CEO and as a member of the Board after leading Tanium for the last three years, during which time Tanium scaled its go-to-market operations and secured strong industry analyst recognition for innovation within the Tanium platform. Streetman will continue to advise Tanium as part of the transition and co-founder David Hindawi will return to the role of Chairman of the Board. With this foundation in place, this transition positions Tanium to deepen its Autonomous IT capabilities and further expand AI offerings across its portfolio and strengthen customer and partner engagement. The Hindawis co-founded Tanium in 2007 to build the central nervous system of enterprise security, giving organizations unified visibility and control over their endpoints. During his prior tenure as CEO from 201
PCI Energy Solutions to Join Mitsubishi Electric, Reinforcing Long-Term Commitment to Customers, Employees, and the Energy Industry20.8.2026 20:46:00 EEST | Press release
PCI Energy Solutions ("PCI"), a leading U.S.-based provider of enterprise software for energy management and optimization, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. The agreement was executed on August 20, 2026 (Japan Standard Time). The Transaction represents a strong endorsement of PCI's business, technology, employees, customer relationships and position in the energy industry. Mitsubishi Electric intends to retain PCI's core management team following completion of the Transaction, enabling PCI to preserve leadership continuity, industry expertise and its customer-focused operating model while benefiting from Mitsubishi Electric's global scale, complementary capabilities and long-term investment capacity. The agreement has been signed, but the Transaction has not yet closed. PCI and Mitsubishi Electric will continue to operate as separate companies until closing, which is subject to applicable regulatory approv
Perma-Pipe Secures More Than $67 Million in New Orders in the Second Quarter of 202620.8.2026 20:02:00 EEST | Press release
Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPIH), a global leader in engineered piping and corrosion protection solutions, today announced that the Company secured more than $67 million in new orders during the second quarter of fiscal 2026, representing strong demand across its strategically important end-markets and geographies. The orders further strengthen Perma-Pipe's backlog and provide increased visibility into future revenue growth. The Company's backlog remains well diversified across geographies, customers and end-markets. The Company continued to see strong demand across its core Oil & Gas and infrastructure markets, while also securing important new business in emerging applications, including advanced leak detection and monitoring solutions. During the quarter, Perma-Pipe secured sizable Oil & Gas awards in both MENA and Canada, reinforcing the Company's position as a trusted supplier to customers undertaking significant energy infrastructure investments. The Company
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom
