New white paper by Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe on future role of national convention bureaux
The Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe published a white paper on “The Future Role and Purpose of Convention Bureaux”, providing a shared vision of the convention bureau of the future and a visionary roadmap for further developing the role of convention bureaux in the coming decade.
Intended as a conversation starter for the events community and industry in a post-Covid-19 world, the white paper identifies the main roles that will define national convention bureaux in the future, the challenges to be tackled in order to create sustainable value, the new players and established partners future national convention bureaux will be collaborating with, and the key qualifications and skills needed to thrive in the coming years.
Convention bureaux of the future: strategists, facilitators, experts and communicators Exploring the future market and stakeholder needs that will impact on the roles and purposes of national convention bureaux, the alliance with 28 national member organisations pinpointed four crucial roles around agenda setting and strategy provision for
the events industry, facilitating connections between a wide range of communities and sector, providing expert know-how to all stakeholders and serving as communication platforms.
Rebuilding and future proofing the event ecosystem through partnerships and skills With a view to longer term challenges and opportunities, the white paper highlights the need for joint action and collaboration to rebuild the business events ecosystem in a more resilient and sustainable way and suggests the creation of a European Centre for Business Events Data & Knowledge, having identified harvesting, analysing and sharing open data as an area
of mutual interest and a key asset for future business intelligence and value creation in the events industry.
Looking at beneficial relationship with new stakeholders, the authors highlight the Triple Helix model of dynamic university-industry-government interactions as a blueprint to build new ecosystems for knowledge generation, entrepreneurship and innovation. To positively affect outcomes and the cultural development inside and outside organisations, the white paper also stresses the importance of specific soft skills, including user-centric and humancentric thinking or agility, flexibility and resilience, alongside a set of hard skills that cover future strategy, policy, technology and communication needs.
The “Future Role and Purpose of Convention Bureaux” white paper is available for download here.
Catalonia sustainable MICE offer
Discover the Catalunya Convention Bureau members with sustainability certifications.
Catalonia’s commitment to the environment has been recognized with the Biosphere Responsible Tourism Destination certificate, granted by the Institute of Responsible Tourism, an organisation linked to UNESCO.The Biosphere certificate recognizes the quality, environmental sustainability and social responsibility of tourist destinations.
#CatalunyaInspires MICE influencers campaign
The Catalunya Convention Bureau has launched an influencer marketing campaign aiming to highlight Catalonia as an innovative, safe and sustainable MICE destination. #CatalunyaInspires key message focuses on hybrid and nature-connected events, and on applied-to-MICE new technologies. The campaign is led by the German events and tech passionate, Sina Bünte, a CMP-certified meetings professional with extensive knowledge in organizing hybrid, online and in-person events. Bünte is Co-founder & Director Events at SheSharp, which aim it is to foster diversity and inclusion in technology and entrepreneurship, and manager at EventProfsBreakShit, a passion project to bring event professionals together to test Event Tech.
The campaign has started in July with Sina’s attendance to the Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2021 (first big in-person trade show since the pandemic started) followed by a site visit to Catalunya with the support of: Barcelona Convention Bureau, Baix Llobregat Convention Bureau, Sitges Convention Bureau, Costa Daurada Convention Bureau, Girona City Convention Bureau, Lloret Convention Bureau and Costa Brava Girona Convention Bureau. Throughout the campaign for the next few months, Bünte will be posting about her trip experiences and meetings with Catalan event professionals.
“I’ve noticed that the entire region really focuses on technology and innovation. Everybody is somehow connected in this network of tech startups. But not only that. Within a couple of minutes or hours you are in the nature. So that makes this region truly unique”.
Download your Rethink Meetings e-book
The Catalunya Convention Bureau has published an e-Book with inspirational ideas for an innovative event. The Rethink Meetings publication has information and suggestions (including MICE & TECH providers) about hybrid and virtual events, gamification, low-tech activities, immersive experiences, health and safety emerging technologies, multi-site meetings… The publication features, among other interesting content, the testimonial of Carlos Grau, CEO Mobile World Capital Barcelona.
This e-Book is part of Catalunya Convention Bureau’s strategy to catalyse forward-looking professional events, to rethink meetings. Due to its continuous innovation spirit, Catalonia is firmly committed to use new technlogies as a transforming driver for MICE.
Study on impact of coronavirus on European convention sector – 2021
The Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe, that Catalunya Convention Bureau is member of, has published an update of its 2020 study on “The Impact of Coronavirus on Europe’s Convention Sector”. The report, prepared by Tourism Economics, provides three recovery scenarios to reflect the possible range of developments given the level of uncertainty about how the pandemic situation will evolve over the coming months.
The baseline scenario assumes a rapid recovery after removal of restrictions.
Read the full press release and summary report here.
“The Innocent” locations to organize an event in Catalonia
Why don’t you organize an event at a Catalan venue where the famous Netflix series “El inocente” was filmed?
Director Oriol Paulo has transferred the action of Harlan Coben’s New York-set novel to the streets of Barcelona, alongside other Catalan towns such as Sitges, Figueres, Sabadell, Terrassa, Granollers, Manresa, El Masnou, Lloret de Mar, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat… Shot entirely in Catalonia!
Do you want to impress your guests by organizing an event at one of the venues featured in the series. Discover it:
BARCELONA
Casa Convalescència: Outstanding building of modernist architecture, with spaces to hold all kinds of events.
Sant Pau Recinte Modernista: The world’s largest Art Nouveau complex, declared World Heritage by the UNESCO for its singularity and artistic beauty.
MNAC: The Palau Nacional, one of the most emblematic spaces of Barcelona, is the location of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.
Montjuïc Castle: A former military fortress with a long and storied history linked to the city.
L’HOSPITALET
Hotel Porta Fira: A 28-storey skyscraper hotel designed by Toyo Ito.
Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower: A 29-storey skyscraper, designed by Richard Rogers, topped by a glass dome.
LLORET DE MAR
Santa Clotilde Gardens: Noucentista gardens perched on a clifftop with stunning sea views
TERRASSA
Mas Viver de Torrebonica: A Catalan Farmhouse with a defence tower and a church.
BERGA
Convent de Sant Francesc: A large historicist building built after the Civil War (1936-39). Part of the cloister is adapted as an exhibition hall.
GRANOLLERS
Sports Pavilion: Built on the occasion of the Barcelona’92 Olympic Games to host the handball competitions.
Catalonia, catalyst for meetings & events
The Catalunya Convention Bureau (CCB) has released a new video to reactivate and promote international MICE events in Catalonia. Under the motto “Catalonia, catalyst for meetings & events”, the promo piece highlights Catalunya as a global leading MICE setting that has worked tirelessly towards creating the perfect match between sustainability, safety and innovation.
The video, produced with the collaboration of the CCB members, focuses on the effort made by the destination to become fully prepared to host safe and cutting edge events. “Catalonia, catalyst for meetings & events” features hybrid solutions, legacy, sustainability, safety, personalization, creativity, bleisure, well-being and authenticity as the key pillars of the MICE reactivation in Catalonia.
The Catalan region is outlined by the Mediterranean, a great geographic diversity, and Barcelona, a worldwide-reference city for business tourism. Catalonia offers an excellent network of conference, convention and exhibition centres with a wide range of unique indoor and outdoor spaces adapted and equipped to accommodate all types of customized meetings and events.
The recovery of congresses: EPS & IPS
A conversation about the recovery and transformation of congresses with the Catalonia Ambassador Meritxell Teixidó, CEO/CSO of Gate2Brain and chairman of the 36th European Peptide Symposium (EPS) & 12th International Peptide Symposium (IPS) Approximately 800 delegates from around the world will come together in 2022 for a week in Sitges, sharing the most relevant scientific results in the field of peptides, from their preparation to biomedical uses and in the field of new materials.
The recovery of congresses: ECVIM-CA Congress
A conversation about the recovery and transformation of congresses with the Catalonia Ambassador Xavier Roura, doctor de medicina interna del Hospital Clínic Veterinari de la UAB and chairman (2013-2015) of the ECVIM-CA Congress, to be held in Barcelona in 2023. The ECVIM-CA, 100% online in 2020 (planned to take place in Barcelona) and 2021, is a very well-known event on the veterinary internal medicine calendar.
The recovery of congresses: Smart Ports
A conversation about the recovery and transformation of congresses with the Catalonia Ambassador Santiago Garcia-Milà, president of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) and Deputy General Manager of the Port of Barcelona, organizer (together with 5 other leading ports in the world) of Smart Ports: Piers of the Future. A congress on innovation, sustainability and digital transformation where some of the world’s largest and most influential ports shared their innovative projects and best practices related to smart ports.
