With world-class facilities, great weather, and comparably inexpensive hotels, combined with features like great cultural offerings, fine dining, and beautiful beaches, Spain is a destination that any group meeting in Europe should consider.
“Spain has always been a good destination for us, and it has been picking up since 2009,” says Julie Benson, director of buying and planning for Minneapolis-based relationship building firm Carlson Marketing.
A key factor in choosing Spain is value, particularly when it comes to hotel room prices. Room rates in Madrid and Barcelona “are more affordable than you would find in other classic European cities,” says Jane Schuldt, president of Minneapolis-based World Marketing Group, which represents overseas destination marketing companies—including Spain-based CitiTravel—in the United States.
Benson notes that those low rates are beginning to increase. And other costs, like food and beverage charges, can be high, she warns. But when dining there, you get what you pay for. “Spain is known for cuisine,” says Schuldt. “Gastronomy is highly important. You can do a group event making paella, or have wine and olive oil tastings. And tapas are a unique food experience.”
The Heart of Spain
“In Madrid, planners can find everything they need and want at an excellent price,” says Alessandro Sansa, director of the Madrid Convention Bureau. But costs are not the only reason more and more planners are discovering Spain’s capital, he says.
A key selling point is Madrid-Barajas Airport, which he calls “a natural entrance to Europe.” Sansa adds that many planners don’t realize it is under seven hours from the U.S. East Coast. And at less than six minutes from Madrid’s main convention center by an efficient, modern metro system, it is among the most convenient airports in Europe.
On the cultural front, Madrid has great museums within walking distance of one another along the Paseo del Prado, says Sansa. These include the Museo Nacional del Prado, with works by Goya and Velazquez. Among its facilities is the new Jeronimos auditorium for 414. The Reina Sofia, home to Picasso’s Bombing of Guernica, has three auditoriums, indoor venues like the Nouvel Building’s lobby, and an outdoor garden and rooftop terrace with capacities of 400 and 425, respectively.
Benson also recommends the Cibeles Palace, a 17th-century royal palace now enclosed in glass. Its nearly 26,000 square feet of space is available for private events. Another facility worth a look is the Madrid Stock Exchange, she adds, calling it “beautiful and elegant.”
Barcelona Rising
“Barcelona has transformed itself into a very sophisticated city in the last five years,” says Benson. “It is walkable and safe and has beautiful venues for groups.”
It also has one of the largest convention centers in southern Europe in the Fira Gran Via, Benson notes. More than a half-mile long, the complex is home to EIBTM, the European meetings and events exhibition run by Reed Travel Exhibitions, says Elena Altemir, manager of international promotion for the U.S. and Canada for the Barcelona Convention Bureau. The city is also working to bring more direct flights from the U.S. to Barcelona El Prat Airport, aided by a major new terminal that opened in 2009, she adds.
A new facility that planners must see is the Cupela Las Arenas. A bullfighting ring transformed into a shopping center near the Fira Montjuic convention center, it has two venues: the Rock and Roll Museum with a capacity of 150 and the glass dome at the top of the old arena that offers spectacular 360-degree city views for up to 1,100 attendees.
Benson recommends the Palau Nacional, located on the Montjuic hills overlooking the city. Home to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, its venues include the domed Sala Oval, which holds up to 1,400, and the outdoor Podi terrace, for up to 300. Another choice is Casa Battlo, a house by famed modernist architect Antoni Gaudi. Now a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site, it hosts groups of up to 1,500.
What Debt Crisis?
While Spain is one of the five European countries with debt problems, along with Italy, Ireland, Portugal, and especially Greece, it hasn’t really affected business tourism so far.
Elena Altemir, the Barcelona Convention Bureau’s manager of international promotion for the U.S and Canada, says, “The country is feeling the crisis, like everyone in Europe, but tourism is good.” In Madrid, Alessandro Sansa, director of the Madrid Convention Bureau, notes that in his city, overall tourism increased about 10 percent in 2010 and was up 5.5 percent in the first half of 2011. And it jumped from 22nd place in ICCA’s top association city rankings in 2008 to sixth place this year.
The issue planners need to address, says Julie Benson, director of buying and planning for Minneapolis-based relationship building firm Carlson Marketing, “is not debt but the riots and unsafe travel like we saw in Athens,” which has seen disruptions ranging from riots to taxi drivers blockading cruise terminals.
While Greece’s debt crisis runs far deeper than Spain’s, Carlson Marketing is still focusing on ensuring the force majeure clauses in its contracts are specific about covering unrest. Spanish suppliers “are always working with us,” she says, adding that the firm has had “no pushback” in getting contract language clients are comfortable with.