Four types of venue for four needs
Each event format calls for a different kind of venue. This is how we organise our selection:
Convention hotels
Plenary, breakout rooms, meals and bedrooms in the same building. It is the most common option for company conventions, kick-offs and multi-day meetings. Compare capacities, meeting rooms and bedrooms in our selection of convention hotels.
Convention centres and exhibition venues
For congresses with an exhibition, large plenaries and breakout sessions, Barcelona has the CCIB, the Fira venues, two Palaus de Congressos and the World Trade Center. We compare them under convention centres.
Meeting and seminar rooms
Auditoriums, professional associations, cultural institutions and historic buildings with rooms for 20 to 300 people. They suit meetings and seminars, training, board meetings and press briefings. See them under meeting rooms.
Unique venues
Museums, Gaudí buildings, Gothic exchanges and viewpoints for gala dinners, receptions, product launches and incentives. You will find them under unique venues.
How we choose the venue for your event
Before suggesting a venue we always review the same things: the objective of the event, number of attendees and set-up format, dates and alternatives, budget by line item, group profile (national or international, executives or sales team) and what happens before and after: accommodation, transfers and dinners. With that we prepare a shortlist of two or three options with confirmed availability, not a catalogue of fifty.
How we handle the search and booking
- Availability check. We ask each venue for date, capacity and terms with a clear brief, so the answers can be compared.
- Options and provisional bookings. We hold the date with an option, usually at no cost, while you decide, track every deadline and manage first and second options if there is competition for the same day.
- Site inspections. We visit with you or on your behalf. We check access, loading and unloading, catering office, backstage, power, acoustics, wifi and an outdoor plan B.
- Negotiation. We compare day delegate rates, minimum spends, set-up and breakdown hours, overtime, catering or AV exclusivities and cancellation terms. For hotels, also the room block and its release schedule.
- Contract. We review deposits, payment schedule, cancellation, force majeure, insurance and permits. We explain every clause before you sign.
- Production. Once the venue is confirmed, we coordinate catering, AV, staging, staff and logistics with a single point of contact.
Which venue suits each format?
| Format | Usual type of venue | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Congress with exhibition | Convention centre or exhibition venue | Convention centres |
| Multi-day convention with accommodation | Hotel with ballroom and breakout rooms | Convention hotels |
| Meeting, seminar or board meeting | Meeting room, auditorium or institutional venue | Meeting rooms |
| Gala dinner or reception | Museum, palace or historic building | Unique venues |
| Product launch | Unique venue, restored factory or auditorium | Product launches |
| Incentive | A mix of hotel, unique venue and activities | Incentive travel |
Many programmes combine several venues: a plenary at a convention centre or hotel, a welcome dinner in a historic building and client meetings in a city centre meeting room. Designing that sequence, with realistic transfers and timings, is part of our job.
Rules worth knowing
Many of Barcelona's venues are listed heritage buildings or public facilities. That means slots outside visiting hours, quick set-ups, limits on sound and fixings, approved suppliers in some cases and permits for performances or effects. During major trade show weeks such as ISE or MWC, availability drops and terms change. We take this into account from the very first proposal so there are no surprises.
Venues where we have produced events
We have produced events at venues such as Llotja de Mar, the MNAC, the Drassanes Reials, La Pedrera, the Torre de Collserola, Torre Bellesguard, Espacio IMO and the Hotel Miramar Barcelona. You can see the projects in our case studies.
Ask for options for your event
Tell us your dates, number of attendees and format. Within 24 business hours we will send you a first proposal with venues that have real availability.