Brandishing its Business Pride
Experience a new side of MICE in this prestigious Catalan capital, which according to ICCA ranking, is the second most popular destination for meeting tourism and host of EIBTM, the main European business fair. Be it world class conferencing/events facilities or an opportunity to indulge your shopaholic doppelganger, Barcelonian boulevards welcome you with open arms for an unforgettable MICE experience…
An exceptional event deserves an exceptional space. And to make your corporate event an instant success, Barcelona provides you with options such as the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) and Fira de Barcelona among other stand-alone venues.
Barcelona’s International Convention Centre (CCIB)
This Convention Centre provides a versatile, multifunctional space, open to the sea. It comprises 38 spacious rooms dispersed across 3 levels and 2 mezzanine floors (which can be combined). These rooms include the large Exhibition Hall (Level 0), which, in turn, can be adapted into 8 separate spaces and an extravagant Banquet Hall on Level 2 with the view of the Mediterranean.
The Forum building houses the Forum Auditorium, which can accommodate 3,140 people and is connected to the Convention Centre by an underground connecting avenue. The Auditorium has hosted numerous plenary meetings for conventions, conferences, board meetings of large corporations and shareholders meetings of sports bodies. In addition to this, it has recently been recognised as the new venue to host concerts and other such events.
Fira de Barcelona
Fira de Barcelona, an institution opened in 1932, manages Gran Via and Montjuïc, the historic venues, whose names are synonymous with successful international meetings, conferences and exhibitions business. The venues boast of the most contemporary facilities. Also, Fira Gran Via hosted EIBTM 2011.
Near both the Gran Via and Montjuïc venues there are many hotels. For instance, within a radius of few kilometers around the Gran Via venue and just 30 minutes away from Europa Square, where the Southern entrance of the venue is located, there are hotels, offering a total of 25,996 rooms. Barcelona is known for its large accommodation offering, especially for its four and three star properties.
Incentivising Barcelona
Explore this beautiful city to your hearts content because Barcelona has a plethora of architectural and cultural attractions in every imaginable way. Be it the ancient Roman city, Barcino founded in 1 AD to the relics from Middle Ages it has inherited in the form of religious and civil buildings, Barcelona has retained its legacy astoundingly well.
Modernisme, the home-grown art-nouveau style that emerged towards the end of the 19th century, is certainly one of the elements that best identifies Barcelona.
In addition to the historical marvels that highlight the cultural milieu of Barcelona, there is a green Barcelona which emphasis on the green city. The Barcelona green-scape in this city often combine nature with its home-grown artistic elements such as modernisme and contemporary sculpture.
Like a cherry on the top, Barcelona has nearly five km of beaches, offering every amenity for bathing and easily accessible by public transport. From the Barceloneta to the Forum Park, you will find the following beaches: Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta, Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella, Llevant and the Forum swimming area.
Barcelona Every Shoppers’ Delight!
Having given brands such as Prada and Armani to the world, Barcelona will surely give you plenty of reasons to part with your money. Be it the vintage fashion shops or other boutique stores, the Catalan capital will
present you ample choice. In addition to this, you can shop in the rich food and flea markets of Barcelona. Also, browse through the bookshops, antique stores or explore the plenitude of gift and souvenir shops or buy bags made out of recycled PVC posters.
Barcelona: For a Foodie’s Soul
When in Barcelona, treat yourself to the traditional Catalan Food. Savour Mediterranean cuisine with a Catalan twist the specialities of which are based on fish and seafood. You can also try sumptuous rice and meat dishes (beef, duck, chicken, lamb and rabbit). Or eat healthy fresh salads and vegetables.
You can savour Catalonian Cava, some delicious Spanish farmhouse cheeses. La Boqueria Market is a must visit if you wish to treat anyone.
Travel Fira, the official travel agency operating for Fira de Barcelona, offers customised packages for each event, depending on the specific characteristics. These are designed together with the event organisers. Generally, the package includes hotel and local transport, restaurant bookings as well as leisure activities or any other personal request.
Exploring the Catalan Capital
Travelling to and within Barcelona can be a smooth experience. Due to its opportune location, close to France and in the Mediterranean, Barcelona has very good transport links with the rest of the world, either by land, sea or air.
The city has an extensive rail network and a number of mainline stations linking the city with other towns in Spain and the rest of Europe. It also has a large fleet of buses to compliment this service.
In the context of maritime transport, Barcelona has consolidated the leading cruise port in the Mediterranean and now has seven cruise terminals, where 800 ships docked in 2009, bringing more than two million passengers. The city also has three ferry terminals serving the Balearic Islands and Genoa.
In 2009, Barcelona Airport launched its new terminal, T1 that can handle 30 million passengers a year, making Barcelona a well-connected city when it comes to air travelling.
Stay in Barcelona
Barcelona offers its visitors a wide range of state-ofthe-art accommodation vis-à-vis hotels, apartments, guesthouses, halls of residence and campsites.
Even as the city’s hotel infrastructure continues to grow, it currently includes more than 321 establishments offering over 61,000 bedspaces. The city has a wide variety of hotels of every category and in every neighbourhood, which cater to the diverse demands of the travellers. Which means, the type of ambience the delegates cherish, equipped with the latest technological breakthroughs (computerised assistance service, broadband, etc.), can be made available. And all of them, of course, backed up by a highly professional and friendly service that makes you want to go back.
So, is Barcelona your next MICE City?