The Mobile World Congress (MWC) circus rolls into town again this week. It’s undoubtedly one of the mobile industry’s biggest events of the year, with operators, manufacturers and pundits descending on Barcelona to feast on new handsets, services and the like.

It’s proof that face to face interaction is alive and kicking, and hasn’t been replaced entirely by online video demos or email-only conversations about a new product before it shows up at a blogger’s door. MWC provides a unique opportunity to engage with influencers who are also evangelists, which is the sweet spot in terms of reaching out to people with a product, as you get the best of both worlds.

However, fun though it might be (depending on who you talk to), there’s an overwhelming amount of chatter about the conference spilling onto the Web. There’s so much going on, and brands are all talking at once, so the same is bound to happen online.

When there’s so much shouting going on, how do you dissect this and source the most interesting information coming out of the event? Let’s not forget that this is a trade show, so it’s not necessarily a B2C proposition, but the stories trickle through to mainstream media and into the blogosphere – reaching many more than just the ‘mobile leaders’ attending the show.
Is there anyone doing anything interesting with digital that doesn’t rely soley on attendees reporting on the announcements in one way or another? Surely there are smarter things to be said and done. Involving people in a richer way? If a brand has made the decision to go down the MWC route and try to make a splash at the show, it would be prudent to consider that spend on a stand could go so much further with a bit more thought.

Image via CNET.