With all of the accomplishments and accolades Spain has been celebrating recently, you’d never know the country was going through an economic crisis.
Let’s face it: Economics aside, España is hot right now and it’s only getting hotter. On July 1, Spain’s La Roja became the first European soccer team in history to win three major international tournaments in a row: the Euro Cup 2012, the World Cup 2010 (its first ever) and the Euro Cup 2008. In June, Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal broke Bjorn Borg’s French Open record with his seventh title. A few years ago, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, now married, became Spain’s first actor and actress to win Oscars. And after Spanish celebrity chef Ferran Adria ignited a culinary revolution, some of the most innovative chefs in the world are coming out of Spain, and the Michelin stars keep rolling in. As No Reservations TV show host Anthony Bourdain puts it, “Outside of Asia, this is it—the best, most exciting place to eat in the world.”
It’s a great time to be experiencing this ever-energetic and evolving Iberian locale, and what’s not to celebrate, especially with an endless supply of Rioja, tapas and flamenco? Whether groups gather in the vibrant, culturally rich metros of Madrid and Barcelona, in idyllic coastal resorts on the Mediterranean or in Old World countryside hamlets, Spain—and its engaging locals—are bound to leave a lasting impression.
Best of both worlds
What makes Spain such a compelling destination for the meetings, conventions and incentives market nowadays starts with its well-balanced infrastructure and settings, according to Jorge Rubio, director of the Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago, which handles MICE promotion, marketing and outreach for the U.S.
“Spain is a perfect mixture of the old-fashioned and the modern, and you have an ideal infrastructure for meetings and incentives,” he says, pointing to the country’s many unique venues, conference facilities, hotels and coastal resorts.
Indeed, Spain is graced by some of the world’s most distinctive architecture, from centuries-old castles and palaces to the fantastical creations of prominent architects such as Antoni Gaudi, Santiago Calatrava and Rafael Moneo. Best of all, numerous standout buildings are available for meetings and events, even the small Parador Hotels housed in monasteries, castles, palaces and other structures.
“It’s so modern that it can seem like the 22nd century, and you have that against the backdrop of the ancient and historic,” says Patricia Wood Winn, press and public relations manager for the Tourist Office of Spain. “That’s what makes it extremely cool because you have that blend.”
The alluring mix also translates into the overall experience in destinations throughout Spain.
“The thing that makes Spain so unique is the combination of culture, gastronomy and so many activities in every destination,” says Jose Puebla, president of the Spain Incentives and Meetings Association (SIMA) and owner of Malaga-based Tecnica Incentives.
Business perspectives
Puebla says North America is Spain’s second-most important market for MICE after Europe, and while incentive business is picking up throughout the country, meetings and large congresses remain its bread and butter.
According to Rubio, association business, especially large congresses in major metros, is on the rise, and there are emerging areas of interest popping up across the board.
“Barcelona and Madrid are still in the top position, especially for the big international conferences, and there is a lot of demand for them, but we are also seeing an increase in business meetings and incentive programs in different destinations,” he says. “We now consider places like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and Seville more for international conferences plus business meetings and incentives, and other places are more appropriate for incentives, such as Costa del Sol, Palma de Mallorca, San Sebastian, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or even Zaragoza or Santiago.”
magic of madrid
With its sophisticated infrastructure, bustling plazas, nonstop nightlife and thriving cultural and culinary scenes, Spain’s capital city lives up to its tagline, “Making Business a Pleasure.”
“The enigmatic thing about Madrid is that you can work like you are in the north [of Europe] because you have everything you need in terms of great infrastructure and services, and live like you are in southern Europe—you can go to have tapas, the weather is good, we have fantastic museums, the people are open-minded. You have fun,” says Alessandro Sansa, director of the Madrid Convention Bureau.
The message the city is sending to North American meeting planners nowadays is that Madrid is their home in Europe—and an easily accessible one at that.
“Madrid is really the natural entrance to Europe,” Sansa says. “In 2011, we had 5,200 direct flights from nine different cities in the U.S. to Madrid. A lot of people don’t realize there are direct flights from Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, New York and Boston. And it’s less than seven hours from most places.”
Moreover, the destination’s central location and high-speed train network make it an excellent hub for exploring the rest of Spain.
“With the high-speed trains, you can be in Malaga or Barcelona in 2.5 hours and in Valencia in 1.5 hours,” he says.
When visitors arrive, they’ll find value-inherent facilities and services, cultural draws and excellent cuisine, according to Sansa.
“We say, for example, that for the price of one night at a five-star hotel in London or Paris, you can get two nights at a five-star hotel in Madrid,” he says. “We have fantastic museums—the Prado, the Thyssen-Bournemisza, the Reina Sofia—we have the second-largest fish market in the world after Tokyo and 30 restaurants with Michelin stars, and we are the only city in the world with six World Heritage Sites within a one-hour drive: Alcala de Henares, Toledo, Segovia, Avila, El Escorial and Aranjuez.”
It’s also a green city with one of the most relaxing places for a stroll: Retiro Park, perhaps after a Sunday afternoon aperitivo, a favorite local pastime of getting together to eat, drink and be merry in hip districts like La Latina and Chamberi.
On the development front, Madrid is planning another convention center that will be located in a new financial and business area in the northern part of the city next to four new skyscrapers. The architecturally significant building will be the largest and most avant-garde convention center in Spain.
New hotels in the city include Hotel NH Ribera del Manzanares, located in the new Madrid Rio development, Hotel NH Palacio de Tepa, Eurostars Madrid Tower, AC Atocha and Radisson Blu, Madrid Prado.
Outlying options
Roughly one hour from Madrid by car or 20 minutes on the high-speed train, the ancient walled city of Toledo is a top excursion option as well as a meetings destination in its own right. The city just opened “El Greco,” the Conference Center of Toledo, designed by Rafael Moneo.
Approximately 1.5 hours via high-speed train from Madrid is the charming city of Valencia, famous for its paella, orange groves and historic streets.
“Valencia is becoming more and more popular for meetings because it is a new city that is now open to the sea,” says SIMA’s Puebla. “And it’s a very nice destination to combine with other places like Barcelona or Palma de Mallorca because of the distances.”
Valencia has grown significantly in the past decade. It has one of the newest hotel supplies in Europe, with 30 percent of its properties built after 2003. Meanwhile, the city plans to expand its main conference center by 2015.
Barcelona bound
The magnetic Mediterranean metro of Barcelona is one of Europe’s most sought-after destinations, perfect for attendees keen on history, culture and cosmopolitan flair.
The city brims with medieval districts soaked in character, the bold architecture of Antoni Gaudi and other Modernist architects, a revitalizing waterfront, cuisine ranging from traditional to radically modern, and intriguing art museums and cultural institutions.
Barcelona is growing as a business and leisure destination, and North America is its second most important market for corporate meetings after the U.K., according to Christoph Tessmar, who became the new director of the Barcelona Convention Bureau in March.
“In the last five years, I have seen the evolution and it’s really inspiring,” he says. “Barcelona is improving every day, and for the meetings market we can offer everything. Obviously the economic situation in Spain isn’t so easy right now, but in Barcelona you don’t have the impression this is happening. Tourism is growing, meetings have grown by 7 percent between 2010 and 2011, we are opening new hotels, and we have won a lot of important congresses over the next few years, including the Mobile World Congress, which this year had 67,000 attendees, and next year we expect 70,000 or more. We will have that congress until 2018 and be the Mobile World Capital until then.”
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s infrastructure continues to expand.
“An important opening for the American market was the Renaissance, and we have opened a Mandarin Oriental,” Tessmar says. “One different hotel is Porta Fira, an amazing new building that you see immediately when you arrive to the city because it’s like a red tube. It’s very close to another hotel, the Catolonia Fira, which will be managed by Marriott and also be quite a different architectural project.”
Additionally, Sunborn Barcelona, billed as the world’s first luxury yacht hotel, is scheduled to open in September in the city’s new Port Forum Marina overlooking the Mediterranean. It will feature event space for up to 450 people, 180 guest rooms and suites, and a spa.
Additionally, Hilton Barcelona recently wrapped up a major renovation.
In other developments, Moritz Brewery, built in 1864, was recently refurbished and transformed into a center for entertainment and gastronomy, as well as a special events venue.
Another new venue option is the Camp Nou, the home stadium for the FC Barcelona (FCB) soccer team. The nearly 99,000-seat facility, the largest stadium in Europe, recently launched FCB Events, enabling planners to utilize meeting rooms and other areas for gatherings, as well as take advantage of stadium tours.
Seeing an FCB game at the stadium is a highlight of a visit, according to Tessmar, who also says Gaudi buildings such as the striking Sagrada Familia cathedral and event-ready choices like the Casa Batllo are also essential experiences for attendees.
“They should also try Tickets,” he says. “It’s a restaurant by Albert Adria, the brother of Ferran Adria. The menu is based on tapas, but it’s very innovate and creative. This is an experience you can’t imagine.”
standbys and start-ups
Aside from Spain’s two major cities of Madrid and Barcelona, other areas of the country that groups are gravitating toward are mainstays such as Costa del Sol and Andalucia in the south, including Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Jerez, Malaga and Marbella, and Tenerife in the Canary Islands, as well as emerging destinations like San Sebastian and Bilbao in the north and Santiago de Compostela in the northwest.
“The Costa del Sol has traditionally been a big player in the meeting and incentive market because they have the weather, the resorts and the beach, and they also have the history and folklore and the types of activities that are uniquely Spanish,” says the Tourist Office of Spain’s Wood Winn. “You can be in a four- or five-star resort and go golfing, but you can also take them on charming daytrips to towns in Spain where it hasn’t changed in hundreds of years, such as Ronda or Mijas. Plus, you have the bull breeders down there, and groups can practice bull fighting with baby bulls as a team-building activity. And of course, there’s the flamenco.”
Marcelo Molinari, the new director of the Costa del Sol Convention Bureau, is stepping up promotional efforts in the North American market, as his region is enjoying an increasing number of incentives and golf programs.
“Malaga is located just one hour away from magical cities like Granada, Seville and Tanger in Morocco,” Molinari says. “That makes Marbella, the best city for an incentive trip in Costa del Sol and so affordable, even more special.”
New developments include the launch of the Costa del Sol Elite Collection, a luxury hotel brand that Molinari says will help companies organize luxury incentive trips that include world-class golf.
In Seville, FIBES, the Seville Conference and Exhibition Centre, plans to open a new building soon to attract congresses of up to 3,000 people.
Meanwhile, cities in the far northern part of the country are growing in popularity for meetings and incentives, according to SIMA’s Puebla.
“My little treasure now is Bilbao or San Sebastian because when you bring American people there, it’s unbelievable,” he says. “You can make an excellent program between these two cities. Gastronomy is becoming so popular and I would say we have to sell San Sebastian as the gastronomical capital of Spain for sure.”
The region is home to the Old Quarter of San Sebastian, chock-full of establishments dishing out creative tapas, famous places such as Arzak, owned by renowned chef Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena, and numerous old Basque houses that are perfect for leisurely gourmet lunches in the country. Gastronomy schools are also popping up, presenting more options for indulging while learning about the area’s culinary heritage.
In Bilbao, the renowned Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim is available for events, and the city has been completely revitalized.
“Years ago it was a factory city, and now it’s beautiful,” Puebla says. “You can do beautiful cruises on the Bilbao River, and the beaches outside the city make Bilbao an unbelievable destination. I always accompany the FAM trips and when they leave Bilbao or San Sebastian, they always say the same thing: ‘We didn’t have any idea what you have here.’”
That sentiment sums up the country’s overall magnetism. Spain, with its boundless spirit and zest for enjoying life to the fullest, is certain to be a welcome surprise.
