By Ed Finegold

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Barcelona in mid-February for Mobile World Congress, you might want to plan a schedule that lets you score career points while entertaining you just enough.  This year’s agenda is full of expected topics like mobile broadband, apps, and LTE. There are a few surprises, like an 80s pop-celebrity sighting, and a some must-sees, like the dream team of Asia-Pac carrier executive panels.

MWC’s Exhibitor list is massive, so make sure you grab a map when you arrive and mark your targets off. Leave plenty of time between sessions and meetings to maneuver through traffic, greet old friends and colleagues, and to horde swag “for your kids.”

If apps are your thing, check out App Planet, which is one of those events that occurs during and in the content of the MWC event. The App Lounge sounds like it’s worth checking out. MWC’s website describes it as “a retreat for attendees and developers to relax, meet with fellow attendees, and catch up on the day’s news via our media partner and sponsor publications. In addition, attendees can enjoy happy hour Monday to

Wednesday between 18:00 and 19:00 at the Damm Bar located directly opposite the App Lounge.”

A full calendar looks good from afar, so here’s our picks for your agenda. All you need to do is sit in a few sessions and listen; or copy our recommends into your Outlook and scribble some fake notes on a legal pad. Either way, here are Pipeline’s top picks from MWC 2010’s conference agenda:  

Afternoon: If you want to hit a museum or see the sights, Monday’s the day to do it. A lightweight schedule Monday afternoon screams “hit the beach.”

TUESDAY FEB 16

Morning: Refreshed from Monday’s recreation, catch the 9 am keynote on Tuesday. Chief Executives from Vodafone and Alcatel-Lucent talk about LTE and mobile’s Internet-driven future.