The Alimentaria and Hostelco joint congress, dedicated to the agri-food industry, hospitality, and catering, opened its doors this Monday at the Fira de Barcelona, ​​on the very day that Brussels announced the provisional entry into force of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, a treaty that could change the food sector in the years to come. The congress, which takes place every two years, expects around 110,000 attendees, according to organizers last week. It would surpass both the Mobile World Congress and Integrated Systems Europe in visitors. (ISE), currently the two trade fairs with the highest visitor numbers held in Barcelona. However, unlike these two congresses, where the majority of attendees come from abroad, Alimentaria has a majority of visitors (approximately three out of four) from within Spain.

This Monday, March 23, and running until March 26, 2026, the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona will host an edition marked by the 50th anniversary of Alimentaria, created in 1976 as the first major professional trade fair in Spain dedicated exclusively to the food industry. Fifty years later, the event, together with Hostelco, will bring together its offerings in 100,000 m² spread across seven pavilions, with 3,300 participating companies. Alimentaria+Hostelco is taking a leap forward in internationalization this year. With more than 1,200 companies from 70 countries, it has broken its record, increasing the number of companies from outside Spain by 30% and the space they occupy by 40% compared to the last edition, now representing 36% of the total. Europe (with Poland as Country of Honor), Latin America, and North America have a strong business presence, reinforcing the trade fair's strategic importance as a meeting point for the global food industry.

The Alimentaria and Hostelco trade fair for the agri-food, restaurant, and hospitality industries will increase the number of exhibitors this year compared to the last edition and expects to reach 110,000 visitors, organizers announced on Thursday. With this figure, the event would surpass the total number of visitors to the Mobile World Congress (MWC) and ISE, the two most attended events held this year at Fira de Barcelona. The congress, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, will be held next week at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona, ​​in Hospitalet de Llobregat. In total, it will occupy seven pavilions with an area of ​​100,000 square meters. Organizers have highlighted the international nature of the event. "It will be by far the most international Alimentaria in history," declared Antoni Llorens, president of the trade fair, at the press conference presenting the congress this Thursday. "A congress comes of age when an international visitor comes to visit an international exhibitor, because borders are transcended," added Pere Taberner, president of Hostelco. In total, some 3,300 companies will participate in the 2026 edition, 1,200 of which are from abroad. Thus, the number of exhibitors from outside Spain represents a 30 percent increase compared to the previous edition, although the increase in exhibition space occupied by international companies will be 40 percent.

The Mobile World Congress (MWC), as an international event, is always exposed in global turbulenceThis year's edition has been impacted by the war against Iran, resulting in 4,000 fewer delegates compared to previous years. with last yearAttendance reached nearly 105,000 attendees "despite the disruptions to travel worldwide," as explained by the GSMA, the organizer of MWC, in its summary of this year's event. Following the US and Israeli attacks the previous weekend, just days before the Mobile World Congress began, some attendees faced difficulties reaching Barcelona due to the cancellation of numerous flights caused by the closure of Middle Eastern airspace. This affected not only travelers from the Near and Middle East, but also those with layovers, as is the case with many flights originating in Asia. It's worth noting that some of the main companies at this congress (Xiaomi, Huawei, LG, Samsung, and SK Telekom) are Asian. They will likely face similar difficulties returning home. The impact was especially noticeable in the first few hours of the first day, Monday, but it diminished as attendees filled the stands and pavilions of Fira Gran Via. "That's 105,000, a slightly lower figure than last year; therefore, we must assume that there were obviously some visitors who came from certain regions or who were affected by the airspace closure and ultimately couldn't attend," said the CEO of Fira de Barcelona, ​​Constantí Serral. However, Serrallonga assured that they are very "happy" with the results, since anything that involves exceeding 100,000 visitors is a "spectacular figure." Thus concludes the twentieth edition of MWC in Barcelona, ​​which has consolidated itself year after year as the most important trade show held in the Catalan capital. “Twenty years in Barcelona and MWC continues to surprise and exceed expectations. From the beginning, the GSMA and the host city's organizations have shared a common vision: to build something that matters to the world,” reaffirmed GSMA CEO John Hoffman, who praised the infrastructure, ecosystem, and commitment. With 2,900 exhibitors and more than 1,700 speakers, Mobile World Congress revolved around the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, the future of the space economy, and the 6G horizon. This is yet another example of how the event has evolved from the Mecca of mobile phones to become the global showcase for advances in connectivity and new technologies, with 58% of attendees coming from sectors other than mobile.

The Governing Council of the Generalitat has given the green light this Tuesday to the new collaboration agreement between the Catalan executive and the other shareholder entities of Fira 2000 for the financing of the expansion of the Fira de Barcelona venues. Within the agreement, it stands out that the cost of the so-called Hall Zero, the new Fira building at the Gran Via site in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, will increase from the initially planned 200.8 million euros to 365.4 million, as reported by the Generalitat this same Tuesday. This "variation in the budget" for the construction of the building, amounting to nearly 165 million euros, is due to "the increase in construction costs and expropriations, and the built surface area of the project," according to a statement from the Government. The complex, located just opposite the Fira de Barcelona's current venue in L'Hospitalet, will feature an exhibition hall and an office building, and is approximately halfway through construction. The construction of the new Hall Zero pavilion on Gran Via is intended to expand Fira de Barcelona's capacity to host large congresses. Currently, world-class trade fairs such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC), held this week, or ISE, which took place last month, have expressed their desire to remain in the Catalan capital while continuing to grow in visitors and exhibitors, which will require more space. Furthermore, the office tower will initially be occupied by the Generalitat and Fira itself, although the door remains open to renting it out to third parties.

Just days before the Mobile World Congress (MWC) kicks off, Barcelona is gearing up for one of the winter season's flagship events, with over 100,000 attendees filling hotels and restaurants. This is the most vivid description of the business generated by the congresses hosted by Fira de Barcelona, ​​but the trade fair institution has put it in black and white and quantified the economic impact of the various shows held at its different venues. Fira de Barcelona's activity generated more than €6.1 billion in 2024, according to a report prepared by the Barcelona Institute of Economics (IEB) at the University of Barcelona (UB). This figure represents a 28% increase compared to 2019, the year before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many considered the trade fair sector doomed.

Fira de Barcelona is looking towards a near future where it will be able to compete at the highest level of European and international exhibition centers. The organization is beginning to consider the new possibilities that will open up when it acquires the 60,000 square meters of the new Hall 0 at its Gran Via facilities in Hospitalet de Llobregat, and with the expansion in Montjuïc, coinciding with the centenary of the 1929 Barcelona International Equestrian Exposition. The institution is also working on attracting trade shows related to the world of medicine and biomedicine, following the success of the congresses it has hosted in recent years at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB).

Consolidating the impact of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) beyond the days of this trade fair in Barcelona, ​​the most important in the audiovisual sector, which began today, Tuesday, and runs until this Friday, is the objective behind the creation of the ISE Foundation, in which the Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Government participate. It is a similar model to the one established following the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Mobile World Capital Barcelona, ​​in which the Spanish government also participates.

Barcelona Wine Week, the Spanish wine congress held annually in Barcelona, ​​will once again grow this year in terms of exhibitors, visitors, and square footage, organizers announced Wednesday. The sector is meeting at a time of challenges due to climate change, trade tensions between the European Union and the United States, and concerns about declining wine consumption worldwide. A total of 1,351 wineries from across Spain are registered, a 5% increase compared to last year. the 2025 edition and 880 international buyers, 14% more than the previous edition. The fair, which will be held next week from February 2nd to 4th, will occupy 10,900 square meters, 800 more than last year, at the Plaça d'Espanya venue of Fira de Barcelona. With 320 wineries present, Catalonia will be the autonomous community with the largest presence at the event, followed by Castile and León, La Rioja, and Castile-La Mancha.

The world's largest audiovisual trade show, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), expects to attract more than 90,000 people to its next edition in Barcelona, ​​which will take place from February 3 to 6 and will focus on boosting the creative industries and cybersecurity. With the motto Push Beyond "Going further," the show plans to hold its biggest edition ever, with an expected increase of at least 7% in visitors, up from 85,351 last year, and a 9.7% increase in exhibition space on Barcelona's Gran Via, reaching 101,000 square meters. The ISE estimates that last year's show generated an economic impact of €520 million for Barcelona, ​​11% more than the previous year, and expects to surpass that figure this year, as announced Wednesday by the show's CEO, Mike Blackman, at the press conference announcing the event. The show, which will fill all the pavilions of the venue, will grow from 1,605 exhibitors to 1,710 in 2026, featuring names like Samsung, LG, Epson, Blackmagic, Microsoft, and the organizers of the Tomorrowland music festival. Spain will have 150 exhibitors, including companies such as 3Cat, Simon, Mediapro, and SONO. Blackman stated that they are working closely with the Barcelona City Council to strengthen their relationship with the city and emphasized that geopolitical tensions have not impacted the growth of international visitors, especially from Latin America. In fact, registrations from this region have increased by 17% in 2026, while total registrations are already 7% higher than the previous year. The markets with the strongest presence are Spain, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, and the United States. Among the new features of the show is "Spark," an event dedicated to the creative industries that aims to connect professionals from live events, video games, and marketing to explore audiovisual narratives and immersive environments. In addition, the CyberSecurity Summit will be held, focusing on analyzing the cybersecurity challenges facing the audiovisual industry and chaired by Pere Ferrer, former Director General of the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police). Artificial intelligence will also play a leading role, as ISE has organized the EdTech Congress Barcelona within the event, which will explore how this technology can be integrated into the education system. The event will feature a total of 340 speakers.

The premise is clear: anything can be turned into a souvenir. Obviously, refrigerator magnets still reign supreme as the most popular tourist souvenir, but they're facing a host of competitors; many of them unexpected, like glasses for viewing this summer's solar eclipse or plush toys shaped like Iberian ham for pets. A wide variety of these items can be discovered this weekend at the Souvenir Expo Spain fair, held for the second time in the Catalan capital. Of course, there are also personalized t-shirts, caps, and mugs, reflecting the new empire of... tote bags They're making a strong impression, but the exhibitors are also offering wooden boards for cutting cured meats, bottles of oil, chocolate tablets, or nougat, regardless of whether it will be hot or cold when they're sold.

Around sixty playful, creative, and educational initiatives make up this year's Children's Festival program. For the last five days of the year, the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona will once again be transformed into a large space for children to play and learn. Reading and solidarity will be the Festival's main themes.

A new record, just like last year. Fira de Barcelona closes the 2025 fiscal year with revenues exceeding €350 million, 17% higher than in 2024. These are "excellent results," according to the mayor and president of the entity's general council, Jaume Collboni. He added that Fira is consolidating its position as a driver of economic activity, boosting innovative sectors with an economic impact of over €6 billion and generating 50,000 jobs in Barcelona and Catalonia. Operating profit (EBITDA), despite the cancellation of biennial trade shows like Alimentaria – which will take place next year – grew by 8% to €60 million.

With the constant hum of cranes and the hammering of workers, the expansion of the Fira de Barcelona venue in Hospitalet de Llobregat is progressing well. Conference attendees and local workers can see the new pavilion taking shape and the large dome that will cover it almost completely in place. The roof, which has a mesh-like structure, is made up of steel tubes that fit together like a puzzle of some 9,000 pieces. Construction began in the summer and will be finished in the coming weeks. This dome will envelop one of the two exhibition floors of the future pavilion, known as Hall Zero. The hall will be the same size as ten Olympic swimming pools, two football fields, or a city block in the Eixample district of Barcelona: 120 meters wide and 135 meters deep. "The entire Palau Sant Jordi could fit inside," says Albert Civit, managing director of Fira 2000, the Fira de Barcelona holding company carrying out the work. Construction of the floor will begin next week with the arrival of the first beams. The main feature of this hall will be the absence of any columns in its 20-meter-long interior, allowing for activities beyond trade fairs, such as concerts and sporting events.

The Used Car Show will once again fill the Montjuïc fairgrounds with nearly new, pre-owned, and zero-kilometer cars from tomorrow until Monday the 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This event returns after the sudden cancellation of the 2024 edition, but with a change in organization. While the show was organized by Fira de Barcelona and Fecavem, the Catalan automotive distribution association, until the canceled 2024 edition, this 2025 edition is being organized by the Gremi del Motor (Motor Guild). The president of this Guild, Jaume Roura, explained the philosophy behind this organizational change to ARA. "It's not a fair for presenting products, but a show for selling. Exhibitors are there to sell, and the previous organizers were more focused on a presentation show," he explained. According to Roura, the 2024 edition was canceled "because the costs didn't make participation worthwhile for the exhibitors." "We've sought a model better suited to cost reduction," says the president of the Guild.

A little more than usual, but the GSMA, the telecommunications trade association in charge of organizing the Mobile World Congress (MWC), has explained the first details of what the 2026 technology congress will be like, which will be held between March 2 and 5 at the Fira de Barcelona. The IQ EraAn event that will focus primarily on advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and the ethics surrounding this technology, as well as robotics, connectivity, and the quantum industry.

The Gran Via exhibition center will host, from November 17th to 20th, what is already anticipated to be the largest edition of Piscina Barcelona in almost two decades. Growing by 22% in size, it will bring together more than 400 exhibitors from 30 countries. With nearly 70% of its offerings international, the show reaffirms its European leadership and consolidates its position as the essential event for discovering the latest in swimming pools. wellness and outdoor spaces. Organized by Fira de Barcelona with the support of the Spanish Association of Professionals in the Swimming Pool Sector (ASOFAP), the event positions itself as the strategic meeting point for the sector, while also aiming to be the gateway to the Spanish market, with a forecast of exceeding 15,000 professional visitors, 60% of whom will be from abroad.

When people first started talking about the cities of the future, also known as smart cities, the idea was to install as many sensors as possible to monitor the devices that would be deployed on the streets. Over time, other ways to achieve the same result have been discovered, without needing to invest heavily in new systems, such as existing video surveillance cameras, which have now become another source of information thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The AI craze has made security cameras one of the main attractions at the new edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress, the smart cities trade fair organized by Fira de Barcelona. "It's undoubtedly the hot topic right now, but we wanted to not only talk about AI, but also see solutions," explains the fair's director, Ugo Valenti. From Tuesday to Thursday, more than 1,100 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors will gather at the 14th edition of this fair, which originated in the Catalan capital and has expanded worldwide, with the expectation of surpassing last year's figures. With several countries participating, Israel does not have its own pavilion this year.

Efficiency, self-consumption and digitalization will be some of the central themes of the day Industrial Energy Transition: Driving Competitiveness, Efficiency & ProfitabilityThe event, which will take place next Wednesday, November 5th, at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona, is organized by Fira de Barcelona and the Catalan Energy Efficiency Cluster (CEEC). It will bring together companies with high energy consumption in their production processes to address practical solutions to the challenges of the energy transition. The day will be an exclusive meeting point for managers and energy decision-makers in industrial environments, where they will share real-world experiences, success stories, and strategies that are already making a difference in leading companies. The program, which has the support of the Ministry of Industry, will analyze the electrification process, the role of self-consumption, and the impact of energy costs in energy-intensive sectors. The event aims to boost operational efficiency, competitiveness, and energy resilience.

The aim of the meeting is to provide attendees with concrete tools to boost operational efficiency, competitiveness, and energy resilience in a context marked by cost volatility and new regulatory requirements. The various sessions will cover topics ranging from the impact of energy bills on Spanish industry to the most innovative technological solutions applied in industrial environments. A highlight of the sessions will be a roundtable discussion with representatives from companies such as ROCA Group, DOW Chemical, Alimrall, and Alier, who will share real-world experiences on energy efficiency management within their organizations. In addition, companies like Schneider Electric, Veolia, and Endesa will present cutting-edge solutions that are transforming energy management in the industrial sector. The event will conclude with the presentation of the study "Socioeconomic Impact in Spain of a Competitive Electricity Bill in Industry," prepared by the consulting firm PwC Spain, which will offer a quantitative view of the benefits of an efficient energy policy for the national productive sector.

]]>

Gastronomic Forum Barcelona is preparing for a historic edition that, coinciding with Catalonia's designation as World Region of Gastronomy 2025, will focus on Nova Cocina Catalana (New Catalan Cuisine), a movement that combines tradition, innovation, and product with a clear international focus. The Alimentaria Exhibitions trade show for the hospitality, gastronomy, and tourism sectors will also take place. foodserviceThe event, which will be held from November 3 to 5 at the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona, ​​will bring together more than 400 exhibiting companies, a 10% increase compared to 2024. For the first time, the event will unite all the Catalan chefs with three Michelin stars – Jordi, Mateu Casañas, Eduard Xatruch, and the Torres brothers – alongside Ferran Adrià. Emerging figures representing the next generation of a sector that maintains its capacity for innovation and international reach will also participate. According to the event's director, Josep Alcaraz, "Gastronomic Forum Barcelona is much more than a gastronomic congress: with a 360-degree vision of the hospitality, restaurant, and food industries." foodservice"It's a great business platform that connects talent, product, and innovation." He adds that the event "aims to be a meeting place where opportunities are generated and the creative and competitive strength of the sector is projected to the world."

]]>