If you’re looking for a location for your next European conference, Barcelona is probably high on your list. Not only is the Mediterranean hub a fun and cosmopolitan city that will energize your attendees, but there is also a huge range of conference spaces in Barcelona.

When you also consider the people, spirit, economy, and location of Barcelona, it becomes an even more attractive choice. And many other companies agree: over 200 large-scale conferences are held each year in Barcelona.

From tech to pharma and beyond, the needs of these companies are well served. Over 10,000,000 m2 of space makes this a perfect destination. But which of that space is right for you?

To help you plan your conference, here’s a closer look at the best conference spaces in Barcelona for your event.

1. The Barcelona International Convention Center

With 100,000 m2 on offer, Barcelona International Convention Center is the foremost conference space in Barcelona. It was designed by one of the most celebrated Catalan architects, Josep Lluís Mateo. He focused upon ensuring that the multifunctional space is provided with lots of light.

You’ll find a huge amount of space available – 39 well-lit rooms are found across three main floors and two mezzanine floors. There is also a dynamic area which can be adjusted to your needs, and a fully-fledged banqueting hall that offers stunning views onto the sea.

If you’re planning a seriously big conference, this is a great option to consider. The center itself has a great location, found just 20km from the airport and very close indeed to the Estació de França train station. Your attendees will love being just 500m from the stunning beach, allowing them to enjoy all that Barcelona has to offer.

There are also a huge number of hotel rooms around the space, meaning that your attendees can enjoy close proximity to the conference itself while also being just 6km from the city center. All in all, this is a highly flexible space that hosts the largest conferences.

2. World Trade Center Barcelona

The World Trade Center in Barcelona is beautiful to look at. It was designed by Henry N. Cobb and he fashioned the structure to resemble a ship – perfect for its location on the port beside the Mediterranean Sea.

If you’re looking to host your congress or convention in Barcelona, this is a great option. You’ll have an incredible 4,000 m2 at your feet and this is spread across 20 adaptable rooms. This means that you can really put your identity into the event whether you decide to use the auditorium, Port Vell rooms, or more.

The World Trade Center is located just by the Columbus statue at the bottom of Las Ramblas, empowering your attendees to enjoy the city while also staying in very close proximity to the venue.

3. Hotel Arts Barcelona

Looking for a conference space in Barcelona that has on-site accommodation? Hotel Arts Barcelona is a great way to keep your attendees all in one place and ensure that they can conveniently and effectively attend all of the sessions that you have planned.

This stunning seafront tower is found close to the Olympic Village and not too far at all from the city center. At seven miles away it’s not too far from the airport either, and Barcelona’s cheap taxis make getting around incredibly simple.

There are four key meeting spaces available in this hotel which is found directly on the coast. Aside from all of the on-site equipment that you might need, your attendees will also be able to enjoy walking up and down the coast to explore Barcelona’s wonderful beaches and food. It’s a great way to roll fun activities and team-building events into your conference.

4. MACBA

The MACBA is found right at the heart of Barcelona’s city center. Washed with natural light throughout the day, it is a unique and trendy space that could be a perfect option for a company looking to break the mold and pick a unique space.

The nine rooms available within the facility are stunning, offering completely different moods and looks. The Atrium is the sleek and modern dining area, while there are also large meeting rooms and an auditorium available to guests. The auditorium is capable of holding 200 people, so you will be well catered for.

Smaller rooms also mean that breakout sessions and satellite conferences are a possibility, helping you to easily and effectively plan your various meetings and events.

5. Eurostars Grand Marina

This stunning facility has a beautiful minimalist design and benefits from superior views onto the ocean. The location of Eurostars Grand Marina on Barcelona’s Port Vell will give your attendees a literal and metaphorical breath of fresh air while they enjoy your conference.

There is a range of meeting rooms and dining spaces available, each of which can be configured to fit with your specific needs. The team are very accommodating and will be happy to discuss your needs and fulfil them.

The location is once again very central, found just on the port. This gives your attendees privileged access to the rest of Barcelona and an easy way to get back to base! There are rooms available in this 5* hotel, should you be hoping to secure on-site accommodation.

6. Barceló Sants

If you are looking for a hyper-modern location, Barceló Sants could be it. The hotel is, in fact, found just above the Sants Central Train Station, ensuring that your attendees have easy passage to and from the airport. The guests can also enjoy quick access to the city center, or enjoy the variety of bars and restaurants in the local area.

There are huge spaces available, each of the four offering a comfortable and flexible space that will be sure to fulfil your needs. The aesthetics are incredible throughout the hotel, which pays homage to the classic movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. In addition to rooms and gourmet dining, there is also a gym available for your health-conscious attendees!

The moment you decide to investigate Barcelona as a potential host city, you will immediately begin to discover why so many companies choose to host their conference here.

We hope that this post has helped to give you some inspiration. While you have your attendees in Barcelona, it’s a great opportunity to offer some incentives and team-building experiences. If you’re looking for inspiration in that department, be sure to check out our deep dive into activities in Barcelona.

Featured image: World Trade Center Port Vell Room

Der Beitrag The Best Conference Spaces in Barcelona for Your Event erschien zuerst auf Barcelona Segway Tours.

If you’re looking to plan a team building event in Barcelona, you’ve chosen the right place. Barcelona is a wonderful city that can act as the perfect backdrop for your team to socialize and bond with one another.

There are so many reasons that Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. It has fantastic beaches, an intriguing history, and all of the excitement and vitality that a big city offers.

With so much to do and see, it can seem a little overwhelming when you begin to plan your team building event. We are proud residents of Barcelona and we love our city. To help you get the most from your business trip to Barcelona, here’s a breakdown of how to plan a team building event in Barcelona.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Team building events are super fun. They represent a great chance for your team to bond and share new experiences in a unique setting. The positive vibes extend into the future and if you’re looking to boost morale, it’s an amazing technique.

But are there some specific goals you’re looking to achieve? Perhaps you have noticed a lack of cooperation between departments in your business and you’re looking to improve that area. Maybe you’re looking to reward your employees after a year of hard work.

Identifying your goals will help you to plan your team building event in a cohesive way.

If your goal is to welcome new team members after rapid expansion, for example, you’ll want to choose group activities that give your team the chance to socialize. This could mean booking a session in one of Barcelona’s many escape rooms or booking out a private function room.

Step 2: Begin to Consider Activities

Now that you have an idea of what goals you’re hoping to achieve, think about which activities you might use to achieve them.

Here are some examples to give you some inspiration! (You can always check our blog for the latest news and activities too.)

Energizing a Large Team

Our imaginary business from the UK has noticed that energy levels are low in the office. The team of 20 has been hard at work for a long time and there hasn’t been a good time to host a team building event. A window of opportunity has opened, and the business wants to use an exhilarating trip to Barcelona to help the team bond and celebrate while recharging their batteries for the year ahead.

The potential activities to galvanize this group might include:

• A cava making workshop where the group can learn new skills while blending a fun social activity into the mix.
• A Segway tour to give the team an energetic way to see lots of one of Europe’s most beautiful places.
• A delicious dinner that rewards employees while also helping them to bond and energize themselves in a casual setting.

Boosting Cooperation

This time our company has noticed that the sales and marketing departments are finding it difficult to cooperate. A new CMS has led to some friction and the teams have had minimal contact in the past. A team building event in Barcelona could help them to become more familiar and help with the new project. Our client might want to look at these activities:

• A game of bubble football that energizes the team and leads to a lot of laughs and unforgettable memories.
• A treasure hunt where the team can get active and move around the city, finding new experiences together.
• An escape room event where the team can unite and conquer a common goal.

Step 3: Do Your Research and Book

With a good idea of which events you would like to book, it’s time to do your research and start booking! You’ll find that there are many agencies online offering these types of activities, but many of them don’t run the activities themselves – they simply act as an acquisition channel for the operator in Barcelona.

This is why you might want to consider booking directly with the providers that you find. You should also be sure to leverage the size of your group to try and achieve the best prices possible. Be sure to find a provider that can collaborate with you to help you achieve the specific goals that you have in mind.

Step 4: Understand Barcelona

Of course, you will also want to know about Barcelona! Be sure to do your research into how to keep your team safe and secure. You’ll find that Barcelona is a diverse and energetic place with lots to do and see. If your team is prepared properly, you’ll ensure that the team building event is one to remember and that everyone has a blast.

We hope that this overview of how to plan a team building event in Barcelona has been useful for you. If you have any questions or concerns, then be sure to get in touch with us – we have lots of local knowledge and it would be our pleasure to help!

Our Segway tours are enjoyed by countless groups each year and the fun can really bring teams together and give them shared, unique memories.

Der Beitrag How to Plan a Team Building Event in Barcelona erschien zuerst auf Barcelona Segway Tours.

Incentive travel is a tool to stimulate employees with an activity designed and planned to motivate and to reward people who have achieved certain goals in the company. Its purpose is to strengthen the team and create a special atmosphere to help increase its performance and that of the company.

Choosing the right incentive trips can determine your success. At present, three of the main factors that influence the choice of these incentive trips are security, digitization, and content.

In this sense, the programs that will be most successful in the coming years will be programs focused on content, which use a lot of stories and immersion in the local culture to create a personalized additional value to the significant experience of the participants.

On the other hand, safety is fundamental and has become the most relevant factor in the choice of activities. Last but not least, digitization is finding its way into the #MICE business (Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions).

There are more and more startups who, already established in individual leisure trips, focus on the provision of intermediation services for the MICE sector, such as the opening of the market for private properties similar to Airbnb. Basics of technology, such as connectivity, are becoming a basic requirement for attendees and participants, who are increasingly using mobile applications.

Knowing the trends of this sector for the next few years you are sure to ask yourself: What are the benefits of incentive travel?

Should I devote a portion of the budget to this type of activities for my team?
Is there really an added value to improve the work environment and increase long-term income? We believe so.

Attract talent

As a company, it is important that you do not let the talent of your team escape and therefore it is imperative to remember each team member. Incentive travel has proven to be effective in many businesses and the truth is that Americans are one step ahead in developing and implementing staff retention strategies through perks, incentives and all kinds of employee benefits.

According to a report prepared by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and Travelport, Asian countries lead the list of countries that grow the most in this specific sector of business travel. Growing countries like China continue to grow steadily on business travel.

The United States is a leader in “spending” for business travel (including incentive travel) followed by China, the UK, and Germany.

Motivation

Incentive travel is a motivational tool, something different that helps employees on their way to success, and the success of the company. An incentive trip has that certain advantage of impacting the employee, that special attraction, that detail that makes the experience a unique motivation for the team.

If an incentive travel program is well planned it has the ability to inspire and encourage each of the participants. It is important that incentive travel is unique, attractive and creative. Companies have to make every effort to find these activities, events or destinations that offer new experiences and the different essence that we seek to achieve our goal.

From PenguinEvents, experts in events for 30 years in the UK, tell us that monetary retribution is not usually a good incentive, but that a single trip is never forgotten, rightfully so.

Unique Experiences

According IncentiveMag, a blog dedicated to incentive travel, it is very valuable to incorporate experiences that can connect with a specific destination or location, so that you create exclusive experiences, such as “hear a Lion’s roar during a Safari In South Africa “,” enjoy an afternoon getting to know Maori culture in New Zealand “or” tour the Monaco Grand Prix circuit “- Wow! These are experiences that would create a connection and unique memories among the people who enjoy them … But perhaps we can think of some ideas something closer to our market, that fits better to the budget of small and big companies, within the European context.

For your next incentive trip to Madrid or Barcelona, you could include a Gastronomic Segway Tour as a special experience and go on a whole tourist route through the city. Many of the participants have never used a Segway and the Tour includes an introduction to the Segway, a guide and local culinary specialties.

Iceland, Croatia, Singapore, Mexico, and Canada are among the top destinations, according to C&IT’s Incentive Travel Report. At the European level, Iceland, Italy, and Spain are the top destinations chosen for incentive trips, followed by Croatia and Monaco. For security reasons, interest in travel to Morocco and Turkey has decreased.

Are you interested? Do you want to download the Travel Incentive Report from C&IT for 2017? Click the link here.

Learning

“It is about finding experiences and not amenities”. Groups tend to be attracted to programs that span learning and unique experiences.

There is a growing demand for incentive travel based on experiences and learning in the United States. Companies are increasingly looking for these unique and special experiences that truly allow a total immersion of the participant and that encourage learning. We believe that in Europe we will follow this trend and companies will have to work harder to attract and retain talent. It is expected that “The business travel sector will grow 3.7% per year until 2027“.

Happiness

The goal must be for the employees to be the ambassadors of your company. A happy employee is much more productive, shares more hours with happier colleagues and helps to foster the good atmosphere between your teams. Incentive travel will enhance collaboration between teams and exclusive experiences will be shared in the office if they have been successful.

There are many theories about how incentive trips impact employee happiness and what the tangible and intangible effects are. The benefit of the company is no longer the only objective in this type of business activities.

Have you been interested in the article? Want to know more about incentive travel? We recommend these books so you can know the topic in more depth:

Incentive travel from Gugg Friedrich

Happiness Economics and Incentive Travel from Thilo Ketschau

Der Beitrag Why incentive travel is an important part of a successful company erschien zuerst auf Barcelona Segway Tours.