At Taptica, the first day of February means three things: Dryuary is over, Valentine’s Day will be here in no time, and the countdown to MWC is on. That last one is our personal favorite.

Mobile World Congress is one of the biggest events of the year in the mobile industry, and our team is looking forward to reliving all the excitement again this year.

In 2017 we had a blast meeting all kinds of new characters and catching up with partners new and old – and this year will be no exception. We’re turning things up a notch to make this our best MWC ever. We’ve got big plans for an OTT booth, fresh Taptica swag, and attendance from some of our top mobile experts from around the world. You definitely don’t want to miss us at Hall 8.1 Booth C20.

But enough about us. What we’re really excited about this year is the event lineup. If you’re not quite sure what to expect, we’ve put together a list of the top four things that we can’t wait to explore at MWC 2018:

1. Brand New Phones

If there’s one thing we love, it’s a shiny new mobile device. Lucky for us, MWC is the perfect place to catch sight of the latest and greatest in mobile technology as it’s released.

For one, Samsung just announced that their all new Galaxy S9 launch is slated for this year’s event. Galaxy lovers can get excited about the “reimagined camera” with ISOCELL image sensors, revamped processor, stereo speakers, and more.

Nokia will also be one to watch this year, after making waves with the resurrection of their 3310 model at MWC 2017. Will we see more on the classic, or will they set their sights toward the future? We’re hoping for a little bit of both.

Who isn’t planning a big reveal? Huawei, apparently.

2. Fingers Crossed for 5G

We have high hopes for the latest insights on fifth generation mobile networks. 5G was a major focus at MWC 2017, and this year we hope to see a similar push as it gets closer to becoming a reality.

5G promises stronger wireless systems built for massive volumes of data with faster speed and decreased latency. This has important practical applications in everything from multiplayer gaming and HD video streaming, to smart appliances, driverless cars, and of course, mobile advertising.

Ever worry about your video ads buffering? How about your app taking too long to install? Not with 5G.

3. Ad Tech Takes Center Stage

Where there’s mobile innovation, there’s mobile ad innovation close behind. As such, advertising technology also continues to gain ground as a highlight of the MWC experience.

MWC is the best time to mingle with industry leaders in the mobile advertising space, so take this as an opportunity to get candid on new challenges and strategies, in-demand mobile channels, and the latest evolutions of your favorite ad formats.

Some hot topics that are sure to be on the agenda this year? Rewarded video, playable ads, and everybody’s favorite f-word.

If you’re an app marketer, remember to come armed with questions and an idea of some baseline KPI goals to survey the scene for new partners who can take your strategy to the next level.

4. First-Rate International Attendees

Mobile World Congress is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry, with over 100,000 attendees and 2,300 exhibitors from 208 countries worldwide.

Something we really love about this event is that it attracts so many mobile fanatics, from the biggest corporations to the smallest indie game developers. At MWC there is always someone new to meet and something new that you can learn from them.

A prime example? Tremor Video DSP’s CEO Lauren Wiener will be hosting a killer immersive content session alongside Alphonso’s John Gee on the 28th, where they’ll be discussing the fusion of TV and digital as it pertains to 1-on-1 storytelling. Mark your schedulde, and don’t miss it!

Bringing together the biggest advances in mobile, AI, IoT, big data, and much more, 2018 is on track to be the most exciting Mobile World Congress program to date. With all these innovations and like-minded people together in one spot, we’re all counting down the minutes until February 26th.

What are you most looking forward to this year? Shoot us an email at meetus@taptica.com to set up a time to chat about it in person.