The visible face of Mobile overflows with optimism. After a few years of suffering and nerves, he seems calm and especially excited when he talks about the future that lies ahead with the expansion of the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue.

Last week the first stone of the new pavilion was laid. What expectations do you have for those new 60,000 square meters?

It will be a spectacular addition. When visiting the works last week we were remembering when in 2017 we first had a conversation about how great an extension would be. There is a kind of distinctive mark on the 300,000 m2 in the large fairgrounds around the world and Fira Gran Via was at 240,000. It was a kind of vision.

It has ended up being fulfilled.

The pandemic has delayed the project, but it will be a milestone. Adding conference space, meeting rooms and exhibition space will provide greater flexibility. It will be a great improvement for Fira and gives us the ability to expand.

The inauguration is expected in 2027. Will they need that space sooner?

This year we are already going to fill the venue at pre-pandemic levels, like we had not seen in recent years. The real challenge now is to find a way to fit it all in between 2024 and 2027. We are evaluating different solutions. One of them is to gain size upwards, but it is expensive. We can also build temporary structures…

They already resorted to them in 2019.

Yes, and I don’t like them. Temporary structures if they are for the right activity are fine, but building something low-cost for a high-level event doesn’t quite work. It will be expensive for us, but we will do everything necessary to remain attractive.

Moving part of the congress to Montjuïc would be another possible solution.

Maybe, but they have to be the right things. Until 2019 we had the 4 Years From Now [the entrepreneurs’ show held parallel to the MWC] there. There was a lot of internal debate about whether to keep them separate. The pandemic forced us to put them together and, oh my God, it was incredible. I don’t think we should separate them again because it makes the interaction between the two much easier. They are a walk apart, but they are together under the same roof.

So, if something was separated, would it be another area?

If there’s something that can be separated naturally, then maybe, but one of the best things about MWC is the ability to bring everyone together in one place. I don’t see anything on the horizon that I can say is going one way and the rest going another, but we will evaluate it.

How many people are they expecting?

Lots and lots.

How much is that?

To be honest, we don’t know yet. Last year it was 88,500, we plan to exceed 90,000, but we never worried about the numbers of attendees. What we need to focus on is offering the right attractions and giving reasons for people to come and do business from anywhere in the world, even if it is a long and expensive trip.

What are the sectors that will lead the next Mobile?

It is still called Mobile, but we changed the name to MWC. We did it precisely because mobility is essential, but digital transformation impacts all sectors. 57% of attendees last year were not from mobile telephony. There were from the education sector, industry, transportation, finance, biotechnology…

And artificial intelligence?

Yes too. Now it seems as if it has appeared suddenly, but it has been many years of preparation. Combined with the capabilities of 5G technology and big data, artificial intelligence is something of a rocket.

Does it scare you or excite you?

We have to use it correctly and we have to find the right governance. I’m glad I don’t have to do it myself because I think it’s complicated. It will be a very useful tool and no, it will not replace your job.

I hope so…

It will mean great advances in things that are repetitive or do not require brain power and human interaction. You will be able to transcribe this interview if you listen to my recorded words, but you won’t understand the nuances or be able to see my body language if I’m sweating because you’re asking me difficult questions.

Or recurring. Since you signed the renewal of the contract until 2030 and with the commitment to automatic renewal, have you continued to be asked if you are going to go to another city?

This time I have only given an interview to La Vanguardia, but I’m afraid I’m still waiting for the question in the future. Still, there is one point I must make: don’t take it for granted, because we will leave if things deteriorate and we cannot celebrate the event in a reasonable way. It’s not a threat, it’s just a way of doing business. We must have good transport links, good hotels, a clean and safe city, welcoming to people from all over the world. If something force majeure happened, we would talk about it. That said, we hope to stay forever.

Is there anything that could be improved?

Livability is essential. I give Mayor Colau a lot of credit for some of the changes she pushed to make the city more livable. It modified urban patterns and will generally improve the livability of the city. That, in turn, improves the visitor experience.

Can the new mayor make things easier for you?

He is the fourth mayor since we have been here. We have had the support of all of them. Mayor Collboni is a good friend with whom we have been working for many years since he was responsible for the economic area. We will continue to understand each other just as well.

In addition to the MWC, in 2024 the city will host the America’s Cup in the summer…

Yes, we have quite a bit of interaction with them.

Are you considering possible synergies?

Let’s talk again in January and I’ll explain.