What type of convention do you need?
"Convention" covers very different formats. Before talking about venues it helps to be clear which one is yours, because it changes the programme, the duration and the type of space.
| Format | What it is for | Typical length | Must-haves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales conference | Presenting results, targets and news to the sales team | 1 to 3 days | Strong plenary, regional breakouts and awards |
| Sales kick-off | Aligning the whole company with the year's strategy | 1 or 2 days | A clear leadership message and a team night |
| Annual meeting or anniversary | Bringing the whole workforce together to celebrate a milestone | 1 day | A venue that fits everyone and simple logistics |
| Dealer or partner convention | Training and building loyalty in the external network | 2 or 3 days | Practical training, networking and quality accommodation |
| Hybrid convention | Reaching teams spread across several countries | 1 day or several sessions | Studio, reliable streaming and live participation |
Many projects mix two formats. A sales conference can end with an anniversary dinner, or a kick-off can include an incentive day for the top sellers. If that is your case, see also incentive travel.
How do we organise a convention?
The method repeats because it works, even though every convention has its own content.
- Brief. We talk to whoever defines the message (leadership, sales or HR) and whoever manages logistics. We set objective, audience, possible dates, attendee numbers and budget.
- Proposal within 24 business hours. We send two or three venue options with availability, an outline programme and a first estimate by cost line.
- Site visits and contracting. We visit the venues with you, negotiate rooms, set-ups, schedules and room blocks, and review cancellation terms.
- Programme design. Minute-by-minute running order, plenary content, breakout rooms, breaks, meals and the closing night.
- Production. Set design, technical, catering, signage, registration, rooming list, transfers and staffing. Full rehearsal with speakers the day before.
- The convention. Our team is on site from build-up to breakdown, with one lead per area and a single line of communication with you.
- Close. Final accounts by cost line, attendee survey and a lessons learned meeting for the next edition.
Where to hold a convention in Barcelona?
According to Turisme de Barcelona's 2025 meetings report, more than nine in ten corporate meetings in the city were held in hotels. It makes sense: accommodation, meeting rooms and catering under one roof simplify logistics and cut transfers. Even so, a hotel is not the only option.
- Convention hotels. The most efficient option for two or three days. On the seafront, Hotel Arts, W Barcelona and Hilton Diagonal Mar. Uptown, Gran Meliá Torre Melina. For mid-sized groups with city views, Hotel Miramar on Montjuïc.
- Congress palaces and convention centres. For conventions of more than 1,000 people or with an exhibition area, the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, the CCIB or the World Trade Center Barcelona.
- The client's own premises. A factory, a warehouse or headquarters can be the best stage when the message is about the company itself. That is how we approached Kave Home's 40th anniversary, with the plenary among the shelving of its factory in Tordera.
- Outside the city. Sitges, around 40 minutes by road, is the classic getaway for two-day conventions with a beach and a convention hotel.
You can compare the options with accommodation in convention hotels and in our guide to the best convention hotels.
Convention night
The plenary delivers the message, but what the team talks about on the way home is the night. It is usually a dinner with awards and some entertainment, and it works better outside the hotel: a museum, a terrace with views or a modernista building changes the group's energy. At Edenred's E-Day at Hotel Miramar the recognition awards took place on stage and the celebration carried on with the city as a backdrop.
When the night carries weight of its own, we treat it as a separate project, with its own running order, rehearsal and plan B. More detail in gala dinners.
[re] Conventions Experience: our own format
For companies that want their convention to be more than a string of presentations, MC Group created [re] Conventions Experience, our own format. It is an experiential convention, fully tailor-made and turnkey, built on four modules: spectacular venues, post-congress dinners and activities, turnkey production and networking designed so that connections happen. We tell you more on [re] Conventions.
What we usually advise
- Avoid major trade show weeks. During MWC or ISE hotel rates soar and availability drops. Check the trade show calendar before fixing dates.
- Block rooms at the same time as the meeting space. In Barcelona the bottleneck is usually the hotel, not the ballroom.
- Include the tourist tax in the budget. It went up in April 2026 and is charged per person per night. We explain it in our tourist tax guide for groups.
- Leave time to do nothing. A programme with no gaps is tiring. Long breaks spark more conversations than any icebreaker.
- Rehearse with speakers. One hour of rehearsal saves the five most awkward minutes of the convention.
If you are preparing this year's convention or next year's kick-off, tell us about the project and we will send you a first proposal within 24 business hours.
