will.i.am to Headline at the GSMA's Mobile Backstage

LONDON, Jan. 27 -- The GSMA today announced that Black Eyed Peas front man, writer and producer, Founder and Chairman, Dipdive, will.i.am will be among the headline speakers at Mobile Backstage, a special one-day Mobile Entertainment focused conference on Thursday 19th February, as part of the world's leading mobile communications industry event, the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Two-time Academy Award-winning actor and director Kevin Spacey will host the Mofilm Short Film Festival, and social networking entrepreneur Chris De Wolfe, founder and CEO of MySpace lead the speaker line up for the one-day conference. Mobile Backstage brings together leading music executives, filmmakers, broadcasters and gaming industry insiders in a program that aims to get to the heart of the challenges and opportunities for the mobile phone as a global entertainment medium.

As well as star-powered keynote interviews, Mobile Backstage will feature innovative case studies and panel sessions that explore the role of mobile entertainment within the vision of a mobile lifestyle. Topics will include how to harness the potential of the mobile device as the fourth screen; creating a new mobile gaming experience; the role of mobiles in the changing face of broadcast; innovative new business models; social networking on mobile; and the power and potential of Mobile Broadband to deliver multimedia digital entertainment.

In his keynote interview, Emmy(R) Award-winning musician will.i.am will share his perspective as a world-leading music artist on the potential to reach a global fan base via the mobile phone. The role of mobile as a distributive, collaborative and creative tool for music will also be explored, as well as the political impact of music, with will.i.am drawing upon his experiences of writing and performing the Barack Obama song "Yes We Can" using sound bites from Obama's speeches.

"Mobile is the medium for the masses," said will.i.am. "With nearly four billion mobile connections across the globe, the potential for mobile to change not only how the world consumes entertainment but also interacts with it is enormous. Mobile Backstage provides a unique forum for discussing both the business of delivering and the art of creating content."

  Mobile Backstage confirmed speakers include:

  -- Kevin Spacey, two-time Academy Award-winning actor and director
  -- will.i.am, singer/songwriter and founder of Black Eyed Peas
  -- Alex Caccia, Chief Executive Officer, Ideaworks 3D
  -- Chris De Wolfe, CEO, MySpace
  -- Dan Keegan, Head of Games, Orange
  -- Dave Springall, Chief Technology Officer, Yospace (EyeVibe)
  -- Elizabeth Schimel, Head of Global Music, Nokia
  -- Florian Stronk, Head of Mobile, Konami Digital Entertainment
  -- Grahame Riddle, Head of Content, O2 (EyeVibe)
  -- Martin Blomkvist, Head of Content Acquisition & Partner Acquisition,
     Sony Ericsson
  -- Pete Watson, Head of Business Development, RIM
  -- Rob Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, Omnifone
  -- Steve Koskie, Producer, Dip Dive
  -- Ty Roberts, SVP and CTO, Gracenote
  -- Volker Hirsch, Chief Executive Officer, Connect2Media
  -- Xavier Carrillo Costa, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Legends
     Entertainment



"With master-class insights from artists and mobile industry thought leaders who are pioneering new and innovative ways to create and deliver mobile entertainment, Mobile Backstage will provide a unique glimpse behind the content curtain," said Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer for the GSMA.

The GSMA's Mobile World Congress is the world's premiere meeting place for the global mobile industry, with more than 50,000 visitors expected. For more information on Mobile World Congress, please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites more than 750 of the world's mobile operators, as well as 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA is focused on innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for its membership, all with the end goal of driving the growth of the mobile communications industry.

For more information, please visit http://www.gsmworld.com/