Voices from the sector
Joan Fontserè DIRECTOR, CIRCUIT DE BARCELONACATALUNYA What led to the creation of the circuit in 1991?
We saw a lot of demand from motorsport and motorcycle fans who wanted a facility where they could see the best riders in the world, such as Sito Pons, Joan Garriga, and Carlos Cardus. Moreover, a rider who was testing his bike got into a major accident. These two reasons pushed the Catalan government to work with the Royal Catalan Automobile Club (RACC) to create the circuit.
What are the key events to be held in 2020?
We will host Formula 1, Moto GP, the Rallycross World Championship, and the World Superbikes Championship in 2020. We are a unique circuit because we host four world championships and the Formula 1 winter test. In total, we hold around 20 races in a year.
The remaining business comes from renting the track and facilities to various private entities or commercial brands. Recently, for example, Porsche rented the track to test its commercial vehicles.
Why is Circuit of Catalunya attractive to rent, and how do you attract clients?
The circuit is attractive for our clients because of its 30-year history and impressive performance pedigree. What could be a better reference than hosting Formula One, Moto GP, Rallycross, and Superbikes?
Marc Rodríguez GENERAL MANAGER, CENTRE DE CONVENCIONS INTERNACIONAL DE BARCELONA (CCIB) Can you give us an introduction to CCIB and its owner, GL Events?
Established in 1978 in Lyon, our company is divided into three divisions. One is the live division where we take care of all the provisional infrastructures or the event. For example, for COP25 in Madrid, we organized all the ground services. The second division is the ‘exhibition division’ and it makes up the core of our business. The company started with this kind of business, taking care of the stands, carpets, and setting up big exhibitions. The third is the venue division, which holds 50 venues all around the world. We are opening a new venue in Aichi, Japan, in 2019, for example, and will open our first venue in Guangzhou, China, in 2020. We are also going to have a new venue in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, which is one of the most important countries for the group, since we already have venues in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In Europe, we are present in Lyon, Paris, Barcelona, the Hague, Brussels, Budapest, Torino, Istanbul, and Ankara.
In terms of working in the MICE sector, specifically in Barcelona, what is CCIB’s biggest market challenge?
There are three things. First, we have to keep the loyalty of our clients. Second, we have to invest in the facility and in the talent of our employees to stay up to date. Training for me is a key point. The CCIB project was started in 2001 when the world was so different that it requires us to be adaptable. The way we connect has certainly changed, but our need to connect has not. Third, green policies are both good for business and sustainable. With these three aspects we need to invest in promotion, facility, digitalization, training of talents, and sustainability.
Gary Gautier CEO, CASA BATLLÓ Can you tell us about the story and evolution of Casa Batlló?
Casa Batlló is a living organism designed and built by Antoni Gaudí. My mother, a newly licensed interior designer, was asked to bring the building back to life. She started a restoration masterplan that took over a decade. During that time events were hosted to finance all the expenses and continue with the restoration works. By 2002, Daniel Giralt-Miracle, a great cultural advisor and friend, convinced her to open Casa Batlló to the public in honor of Gaudí’s international year celebration. We had no idea how to run that business but learned as we went along, and have never closed the doors since.