Barcelona Convention Bureau: the value of relationships

We had the opportunity to meet Mrs Cécile Dorian, in charge of the International promotion at the Barcelona Convention Bureau. She is specialized in French, Benelux and Scandinavian markets.

• History of the destination

Back in the past, Barcelona was an industrial city and it is nowadays working on impulse touristic potential both for leisure and corporate industry.
1992 was a turning point for the power of tourism in Catalonia. In fact, the Olympic Games successfully enabled the development of efficient infrastructures which participated in the boom of the city.
In 2009, Barcelona was awarded as the second world destination of convention by ICAAC.
In 2010, we could count 32 000 rooms while in 2014, an increase of 4 000 rooms is expected.

•  What is the Barcelona Convention Bureau?

It has been one of the main actors of the tourism development of the capital of Catalonia for 27 years.
This convention bureau is divided in two teams departments:
- Corporate: commercial team
- Associations: partnership facilitator

This bureau is a non-profit organization mostly financed by the city of Barcelona, Chamber of Commerce and its members (DMC, hotels, event agencies...)

• Its main roles?

- consulting
- site inspections
- intermediary between potential buyers and suppliers.

• What's for the future?

- Turn the airport into a hub as Paris - Charles de Gaulle and London - Heathrow
- Transform the city into a strategic congress organizor*
- Adapt itself to the evolution of the market approach as they become more and more independant.

* 2011 Mobile World Congress (MWC) up to 55 000 people for 4 days !

We would like to thank again Cecile Dorian for having given us few minutes of her precious time.

Marion, Alice & Claire