I’ve just returned from the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress, where more than 60,000 people gathered in Barcelona for this mega event focused on the latest developments in mobile communications. MWJ editors David Vye and Richard Mumford joined me as we met with many of the leading test & measurement, semiconductor and component providers serving this dynamic industry. Watch for Richard’s report on the show this week. If you were one of our advertisers in the November Mobile Communications supplement, the February issue or the debut issue of MWJ China, I’m happy to report that the hundreds of copies distributed in the Networking and Application Lounges were quickly snatched up by attendees. This year, the MWC also provided QR codes in the lounges, linking all partner publications to their digital editions. A photo of the February issue display can be found in our online photo gallery. The February issue gets additional bonus distribution at the Satellite 2012 event this month. If you’re exhibiting or just planning to attend Satellite, look for editor Pat Hindle and Mike Hallman roaming the aisles. You can also find Mike next month in sunny Cocoa Beach, Florida at the WAMICON 2012.

Following Satellite 2012 and WAMICON, we’ll be turning our attention to the CTIA Wireless show, the US mega event for the mobile comms crowd. For the fourth straight year, Microwave Journal has organized the RF/microwave Zone as part of the exhibition, and this sold-out technology pavilion is the largest one ever. In conjunction, we’re also organizing two technical sessions this year. On Wednesday, May 9th, we’ll present “OTA Signal Challenges and Implications-Recommendation for LTE RAN” and on Thursday, May 10th, we’ll feature “MIMO OTA Measurements-The Next Generation Platform for Wireless Testing”. If you’ll be attending, please stop by “The Zone” or take in one of the sessions of interest. If you would like to reach this audience of more than 30,000 professionals, book your ad in the April issue of MWJ, which will be distributed in the literature bins and in the pavilion. The deadline for ad space is March 14th.

It’s certainly not too early to start your marketing campaigns for the always important IEEE MTT-S IMS. We’re in major planning mode for the May show issue, our biggest of the year. We’ve had numerous inquiries from clients investigating an assortment of inserts, outserts and other novelty ad options. Consult with your sales representative to discuss opportunities to meet your requirements. We will be producing our annual IMS Show Daily newsletters, offering exclusive sponsorships to help promote your presence at the event. The sponsorships are going quickly, so reserve one soon if you’re interested.

Lastly, I encourage you to visit the new www.mwjournal.com to check out the completely revamped site and to view the new banner ad options, Buyer’s Guide, Channel marketing and enhanced Whitepaper program. We’re all about integrated marketing solutions and we’ve added new products to the mix.

I hope to see you soon at one of the upcoming shows.

Happy Spring!

Carl Sheffres