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.

The Catalan family-run industrial group MatHolding, specializing in irrigation systems and the production of phytosanitary products, achieved record revenue last year, reaching €406 million, 17% more than in 2023. MatHolding, which will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2025 as Industrias Químicas del Vallès Inversiones, plans to invest around €20 million this year, although this budget is open to increase if acquisition opportunities arise, as explained by the company's president, Pau Relat, in a meeting with journalists this Tuesday.