Spain for events 2015

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SPAIN FOR EVENTS

Sublimotion, by Paco Roncero. Hard Rock Hotel, Ibiza

SPAIN FOR EVENTS 2015

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SPANISH CREATIVITY 06

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BASQUE COUNTRY 72

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COVER FEATURE - SUBLIMOTION, BY PACO RONCERO. HARD ROCK HOTEL, IBIZA Editor: eventoplus medios s.l., Diputació 256 5º 1ª, 08007 Barcelona España t +34 902 90 31 90 f +34 93 272 09 12 Madrid Glorieta de Quevedo 5, esc. izda, 1 izda 28015 - Madrid t +34 902 90 31 90 f +34 93 272 09 12 web www.eventosmag.com Madrid: Glorieta de Quevedo 5, esc. izda, 1 izda 28015 - Madrid t +34 902 90 31 90 f +34 93 272 09 12 News and content: noticias@eventoplus.com Director: Eric Mottard Editor in Chief: Neus Duran Editorial Commitee: Elena Lea, Cristina Muñoz Soro, Andrea Samano Art Direction and Design: Maria Leone Events and Communication Manager: Lynn Wong Communication: Cristina Sentís Events Department: Beatriz Osorio, Laura G. Velasco, Ana Borja Advertising: Alex Barbero, Carmen Mallavibarrena, Agata Puigmal, Carmen Sánchez, Carolina Ulloa, Andrés Zavala International: Pilar Lafuente Post-sales: Esperanza Iglesias Sales and RRPP Madrid: Mónica García Subscription: suscripciones@eventosmag.com Administration: Noemí Ordóñez, Nabila Katira Advisory: José García Aguarod Legal registration: B-37.971-2005 ISSN 1885-4699 - Printed in Spain.

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Spain: an outstanding country in the meetings & events sector There’s no doubt: Spain is a powerhouse in the events sector, one of the world leaders, something we should be proud of. Ten reasons to be impressed by Spain (and to hold your events here!)

1. ICCA Ranking. Two Spanish cities are among the four biggest destinations for international conventions. Two out of four! No other country has two cities in the top 10, and here we are, with two top cities.

2. International events are successful when held in Spain. In issue 55 of Events Magazine we have published a fascinating interview with Isabel Bardinet, who explains how Barcelona has contributed to the enormous success of the latest European Cardiology Congress, which welcomed 30,000 visitors.

Get ready for issue 56 where we publish an interview with the head of the European Society for Medical Oncology, which saw an increase of 23% in visitors to its highly successful Madrid 2014 conference. Few cities are capable of hosting these types of events, and Spain has two that are outstanding at it.

6. The hotel sector. Spain is a world leader in the hotel sector. The Eurobuilding, perhaps the most modern and technological hotel in the world today, is just one example of how the hotel industry has managed to incorporate technology, gastronomy and the environment.

The biggest hotel chain in Spain, Meliá, has launched its own hotel research centre. Two examples of leadership and innovation we can be proud of Our industry is a benchmark, as well as our convention centres (the organisers of ESMO and Cardio spoke positively of Fira and Ifema).

7. The country with the best outlook for 2015. According to the American Express study we mentioned above, “Spain is seeing the most positive recovery and is expected to see large increases in both meeting activity and meeting length”. Spain has suffered during the economic crisis (and is still hurting, which may explain its lack of optimism, despite its reputation as positive Latin country), but it has seen in 2015 with a recovering economy and a very competitive events market (lower prices).

3. Sublimotion. When Paco Roncero created Sublimotion, he didn’t just create ‘the world’s most expensive dinner’, he created one of the most innovative formats we have seen in recent years. Not just a dinner: a complete experience. Roncero (as well as all of Ibiza, now at the top of the world music scene) has shown his ability to innovate, become a global leader and do it well.

8. Let’s go out! Spaniards are no longer staying home. Companies have begun to explore abroad in their search for clients and partners (half of Spanish agencies have been involved in ventures in Latin America in recent years). Spain is represented on the global boards of events associations such as SITE (Olga Navarro), ICCA (Juanjo García) and IAPCO (André Vietor).

4. From Adrià to the Roca brothers In an article on events we won’t talk about Spain’s sporting achievements... but we can’t avoid mentioning Spain’s status as a world leader in gastronomy. Spain almost consistently heads the rankings of the best chefs in the world, and its cuisine is an important asset. As you know, if people eat well at meetings, everything goes more smoothly!

9. The EUBEA awards in Seville. When the organisers of the European awards ceremony for the events sector decided to hold the event outside of Italy for the first time, they chose Spain, opting for the (impressive) Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento. Numerous Spanish agencies received awards at the event: Sorensen, Eventisimo, EDT Eventos, Spaintacular, SCP, Aim Group, Acciona PyD...

5. A capacity to innovate. A study presented by American Express at EIBTM highlighted Spain’s capacity to innovate: “A few countries - such as Spain - are experimenting with hybrid more than others”, they observed. As an example of this innovative capacity, check out this event where Eventisimo connected 24 attendees to a product presentation with a highly innovative format, using immersive technology.

10. Spain is home to the company that most loves this sector: Eventoplus Group. Thank you everyone and let’s continue making this country a world leader in the events sector.

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Spanish Creativity Spaintacular event invades the new MACBA The contemporary art museum of Barcelona recently added more square meters to its original building. DMC Spaintacular managed an exclusive event for the presentation of this venue, by the Meier Atrium Building, the Convent dels Angels and Plaza dels Angels with a gala dinner full of show.

The event filled with magic the new spaces that the museum also wants to offer for events, apart from its cultural uses.

Castellers (the famous Catalan human towers), ciberflamenco (fusion of the traditional dance with modern special effects), performances by String Ladies and White Fantasy characters, among other surprises, gave an spectacular touch to the gala dinner also for its beautiful architectural environment; a fusion of modern and Gothic touch.

A staging which involved professional dancers in the field of flamenco, accompanied by a cutting edge laser scenography, accompanied all by a musical production tailored for the dinner.

Mini makes a real racing track in the Madrid subway Agency Tango surprised the subway passengers with an exhibition of the new Mini models (John Cooper Works). White smoke coming from the tunnels and the thunderous roar of engines were the starting gun for this spectacular event.

The cars appeared over the track driven by professional drivers that showed passengers the driving possibilities of these vehicles, in a frantic race.

The media were the first to see and experience in first hand the Mini Metro Race. The press presentation also featured the exhibition of rally driver: Luis Monzon and the presence of the ambassadors of the brand Maria de Villota and Nani Roma.

This event got the special jury award at the eventoplus awards 2014.

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Spanish Creativity Shackleton’s ‘ephemeral drive-in cinema’ triumphs at the John Caples Awards This action that got the “Special Audience Prize of 2014” in the Eventoplus Awards, was awarded a gold, a silver and two bronze awards, in addition to the Special Award “Courageous Client” in the John Caples Awards which recognize the best worldwide campaigns regardless of their budget.

To promote a short movie festival, the agency’s idea was to create an extremely short drive-in in Madrid. To transmit the idea that a short film gives you a great movie experience, the agency created a drive-in cinema at traffic lights. In the time it took for the light to turn green again, bewildered drivers could see a short film of 30 seconds projected on very simple screens installed in just a few seconds by two people, and have a refreshment and popcorn served by waitresses in rollers. At the end, a message said “Many movies in a very short time”. The shortest drive-in action ever, indeed!

GLOBAL EVENTS MANAGEMENT ABOARD BOATS

Corporate Events Sailing Barcelona from the Sea

Reebok dives into immersive events

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To bring fitness to the street and reach new generations (those that are hooked to a screen, consume audiovisual content in any situation and demand more interactive experiences), Reebok held The Project Tour: Immersive Fitness. The last stop on this European tour took place in the Moll de la Marina in Barcelona last October.

Inspired in the world of video games and with the help of the technology and its powerful possibilities when designing and recreating 3D worlds, athletes were able to pedal down the slope of a glacier, practice yoga on the top of a mountain or dodge objects during the event.

The instructors showed the movements of each exercise perfectly synchronized with music and graphics, creating an immersive fitness experience, integrating in one sesión technology, exercise and design.

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Spanish Creativity Women’ Secret celebrates a convention… on the beach The lingerie brand presented its employees the spring-summer collection in their own offices, but in which the decor and ambience moved all participants to the beach, where they could meet the season swimwear between shells and starfish.

The company’s convention is held twice a year, coinciding with the calendar that marks the fashion season and as one would expect, for the spring-summer convention event, a salty smell was present.

Among the facilities of the Cortefiel group in Madrid, where Women Secret has its offices, a room was adapted to convert it on a beach in midsummer.

Umbrellas, decoration with bamboo and wood, sailor’s details in white and blue, fishing nets and floats received 150 employees.

Esma Projects Agency was responsible for the design, production, stage management of the event and the fashion show casting which was integrated into this convention. Yes, a runaway because to do a more visual convention and discover the collection in their natural environment for which it was created, attendees met the new clothes sitting in a beach bar.

DMC Spaintacular made the most of the Maritime Museum by using it for the Global HCV Forum, organising a gala dinner set in the sixteenth century, the golden age of Spanish navigation. Spaintacular organised a dinner in the royal Drassanes of the Maritime Museum to give the impression of being rowed in a boat. The 350 guests were hosted in the gardens by mediaeval characters: six minstrels singing to entertain them. While sipping cava, guests witnessed sailors landing to recreate the port atmosphere of the time, leading up to the appearance of Christopher Columbus, who was the master of ceremony. The atmosphere was enhanced with decoration and lighting in gold and vermilion in the huge shipyards, and a reproduction of the Royal Galley of Juan de Austria.

L’Oréal Training Experience in the Crystal Pavilion Another eye-catching space is the Crystal Pavilion of the Casa de Campo. More than 1,500 professional clients of L’Oréal gathered to learn about current trends in hair styling. The company did not want to simply offer workshops, presentations and catwalks: a beauty and innovative ideas show was organised at the hand of the agency Staff Eventos. To do so, 30,000sqm of the pavilion had to be converted into a stage to be used for catwalks, training, performances and a gala dinner. A 500m catwalk was adapted to the needs of the training session by combining a lengthwise walkway for the catwalks with a large ring surrounded by stands where master classes were offered, together with workshops and presentations.

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since 2003

Our expertise is in creating and managing your corporate event in Barcelona using our unique knowledge of the city.

+ Unique Activities With a portfolio of over 300 activities, we have one of the largest portfolio of fun things to do in and around Barcelona.

+ Transportation We offer from small VIP transfers of 2 pax to conference style transportation logistics for up to 1,000 pax.

+ Conferences From stand building to full AV equipment and hostessing services.

+ Restaurant bookings We are continually researching new restaurants and are able to recommend the most suitable restaurants for all types of event from 10 pax to 1,000 pax.

+ Workshops Working with some of the top international executive coaches, we are able to offer learning workshops which can help build teams towards optimum performance. + Venue Hire Catalunya has some of the best venues in Europe, from old casinos and country mansions to historic buildings steeped in history.

+ Hotel Bookings We can recommend the best 4 and 5 star hotels in the city to suit your needs based on hands on experience and expert knowledge. www.lifestyledmc.com info@lifestyledmc.com +34 93 270 2048

Creating Corporate Events with Style

2015

260 -262 Calle Mallorca Barcelona 08008 Registered Travel Agency GC-1490 www.lifestyledmc.com info@lifestyledmc.com +34 93 270 2048

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Spanish Creativity Barcelona metro opens to the Discovery Underground night race

United Nations Bootcamp at Betahaus Betahaus is a five-storey building in the Gràcia district, the largest coworking space in Barcelona. It was built in an industrial style building of 2,000m2 spread over six floors and five terraces, three of which were set aside for professionals and the remaining now available for events.

The United Nations Bootcamp is one of those recently hosted. ‘Thinking-out-of-the-box´ sums up this event designed by Betahaus itself. Informal formats, fresh ideas based on design thinking and one objective: to make the training a real experience.

More than 50 workers from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) dedicated to protecting safety in pregnancy and birth, met in Barcelona at the Big Data Bootcamp along with experts from the academic world, the private sector and specialists from United Nations bodies. The objective: to know what big data is and how to apply it to their strategies.

The intensity of the programme was lightened with different meeting formats: large, small, and in groups. The whole event took place in a single room; the change from one to another was performed by turning out the lights between sessions and having the participants help to change the layout of the furniture. On the second day, the objective was that they should learn to use these new tools in their work. Just as prototypes are made in designing products, real situations were recreated, staging problems for people to feel immersed in the situation; for example putting on wigs to ‘feel´ like a Ukrainian adolescent.

All of the meetings were held in a room while catering was offered in the next room all day in a highly informal format, practically like a picnic, offered by Foodisms by Mayya Papaya. Those attending ate and sat as they wanted, often working at the same time.

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If last year it was the tunnels of the Madrid metro that hosted the first edition of the Discovery Underground race, this year it was Barcelona that opened its metro in the early morning to house the only underground urban race in the world. The race saw a highly successful response, with 15,000 people registered, however only 300 were chosen to take part in this unique race: running 10 km through the metro tunnels from Universitat to Gorg stations on line 2. The event, which was held in the early morning when the underground facilities are closed to passenger traffic, also served to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the opening of the city’s Metro.

Madrid Urban Turf: thoroughbreds gallop into Madrid The Madrid Racecourse made the most of its 80th anniversary to present the new season of activities with an event that combined sport, the atmosphere of horse racing, and music: Halcón Viajes Madrid Urban Turf.

The main focus of the city, the Paseo de la Castellana, was closed and turned into a horse riding track in an almost historical event. For the first time in a city, a sand track one thousand metres in length was installed in an urban space. Four races, a paddock in the forecourt of the Santiago Bernabéu to get to know the thoroughbreds participating and a programme of live performances, DJ sessions and a horse show were the ingredients on this day at the races. The event organised by Naturact had its most delicate point of production in the construction of the track.

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Madrid Only the French capital beats Madrid in its sharp rise in the ICCA ranking over the last few years. The destination was in the 22nd position just six years ago; this year it already has the silver medal, exceeding sacred cows like Vienna and Barcelona. The annual conferences that it hosts are close to 200 in number, including some very important ones like the ESMO-European Society of Medical Oncology, the 16th World Congress on Psychiatry and the World ATM Congress. Fun, dynamic, open, with a hotel scene of more than 80,000 bed places on offer and with one of the best night lifes in the world, Madrid is gaining ground.

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BMW turned the Cibeles Palace into a ‘blue forest’ for the presentation of their latest model. The Auriga agency flooded the event with electric blue as a reference to the electric engine of this line of cars, to unify the decoration and lighting of the event. The screen was backlit with blue tones that made a new vehicle appear. Lighting that flooded the whole gallery accompanied the blue, to convey a forest (it is the most ecological sporty vehicle), where the branches of the trees greeted 300 guests. “There are doors that only a few can cross” was the concept of the event. After the presentation, which was held in the crystal gallery of the Cibeles Palace of Madrid, the screen opened up at the end so that the new i8 was presented by a mirrored catwalk and accompanied by a violinist who played the electric violin.

Three of the most important conferences held last year in Madrid, the World Psychiatry Congress, ESMO and the Word ATM Congress alone, gathered more than 34,000 delegates and created an economic impact of more than 40 million euros for the city, and for the coming years others have already been confirmed like the World ATM Congress in 2015 and 2016 (12,000 delegates) and the World Congress of Transplants (5,000 delegates), in 2018.

Corporate events are also on the rise in the city. The Mix & Shake Convention, in one of the city’s fashion spaces, the cultural space Matadero Madrid, with a participation of 4,000 people and an Industry Function for C-Print Visual Communication, with around 5,000 participants, are just two examples.

Boom in terraces as venues for events The offer for culture and leisure is extensive. Along the Paseo del Prado three of the most complete museums in the world can be found. The National Museum of Art, the Reina Sofia Centre, which has Picasso’s work of art Guernica on show, the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum and the Prado Museum, with works of art

by Goya and Velázquez. Its night-life is unbeatable, this is indeed the city that never sleeps; in Madrid first the cinemas open, then the theatres, the opera, the musicals, the concert halls, then bars, trendy clubs and so on until the early morning. The city has a vibrant street life by nature.

Furthermore, in recent times, there has been a boom in hotels that open their terraces, patios and swimming pools for events, but they are not the only spaces on offer. Amongst the establishments most commonly used for events, are the Me Madrid; the Hotel Santo Domingo with its spaces like the Cuevas el Sando and its terrace, the Hotel Jardines de Sabatini, the Oscar Room Mate or the Silken Puerta América.

The surrounding areas should not be forgotten, because they have three sites that have been declared as World Heritage Sites

by UNESCO. Aranjuez and El Escorial have been residences of Spanish kings, their palaces and gardens have enormous natural and artistic value. Alcalá de Henares, Ávila, Segovia and Toledo, for their part, have monumental centres from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Your transport solution in Spain Transport is the first experience your guests will have when coming to your event in Spain. Make sure they get the best vehicles, the best service… the best experience!

Tabor-Bus is specialised in incoming transport, crews and congresses. Our buses are modern, with a 3-year average age, equipped with toilets, wi-fi, minibar, leather reclining seats, tables, DVD, and CO3 air-conditioning.

Treat your guests as they deserve. Welcome them in Spain with Tabor-bus

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autopullmanluxe@taborbus.com www.taborbus.com teléfono oficina: +34 91 671 55 05 S P E C Iteléfono A L S P24 A I horas: N F O R+34 E V609 E N 976 T S 390 15

Madrid Trade Fair Madrid, Ifema, will celebrate 500 events this year, amongst which are FITUR, ARCOmadrid or the Mercedes-Benz Madrid Fashion Week, the EAU Annual Congress of the European Association of Urology, EAGE Congress and Exhibition of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers and the CPhi Worldwide Congress in the scope of the chemistry and pharmaceuticals industry.

Wine, football and lots of history with Events by tlc

ESMO achieves 23% more participants in its last edition in Madrid The last congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) brought together 20,000 experts from 131 countries last September in Madrid, 23% more than the level of participation achieved in the last edition held in Vienna. Five congress sessions, 265 hours of conferences and sessions, 400 journalists, 2,292 exhibitors... One of the major challenges was technological, with more than 8,000 users connecting to the congress WiFi at the same time, which required 600 MB of broadband connection as well as the installation of seven VLAN networks, on behalf of IFEMA.

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Enjoying the culture and essence of Madrid was the objective of an incentive that Events by tlc organised for 300 representatives of a North American logistics wholesaler. The event had been held in previous editions in the Bahamas, Bangkok, Hawaii and aboard cruise ships like the Queen Mary 2, so the “wow” factor was fundamental!

The incentive was organised in such a way that they could enjoy not just the city but also the surrounding area and even other Spanish cities, making the most of the AVE high-speed train which connects them with Madrid in 2-3 hours, with days out that are designed to give each participant some knowledge of the history of Spain: for this reason they went to Toledo, El Escorial, Segovia, Barcelona and Valencia.

One of the most popular activities was the wine sampling routes in the region of Aranjuez, visiting two wine cellars, flagships of the Designation of Origin Wines of Madrid. Another trip that they loved (in fact it almost never fails... and we recommend it) was the visit to the Real Madrid football stadium.

The group enjoyed a private visit of the Santiago Bernabéu Museum, with a glass of champagne on the playing field and dinner in the royal box. After dinner, the Free Style show took place, followed by drinks and dancing in the stadium itself.

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Madrid

Cisco Connect brings the internet to Kinépolis

Lately, spaces for clandestine events fill the capital city. An example of this was the event that the agency Drinks Marketing organised for Cutty Sark, recreating a clandestine atmosphere of smuggling boats from the 1920s. The restaurant Dabbawala Underground was chosen, with its low wine cellar clad with brick.

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The city can take you to new heights, with its unique street atmosphere, stunning cultural offer, nightlife

The range of venues in Madrid also includes cinemas. Kinépolis was chosen to receive 1,900 clients and partners of the Cisco Group for Cisco Connect. The event was linked up with a business programme that was developed in screening room 25 and which brought together different presentations by executives, it also included a technical programme of demonstrations carried out by Cisco and by sponsors at their stands. The third leg of the event developed in breakout sessions, where the presentations continued at the hand of the platinum sponsors who completed the program of talks in screening rooms 17, 18 and 19 of Kinépolis.

Ballantine’s takes over the market of San Ildefonso Markets are other spaces that are very unique for holding events that the city offers. San Antón and San Miguel are already two classics. Ballantine’s chose the market of San Ildefonso to offer a visual show with music and its analogue and digital icons. The agency M&C Saatchi was responsible for the decoration, with vinyl curtains, a wall made of CDs that created an optical effect with multicoloured lights, vinyl columns with guitar harps or stairs that simulated a never-ending piano being some of the most visual aspects.

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Madrid

Events ‘on the rise’ in the Madrid Stock Exchange

RedBull Music Academy Bass Camp brings the party to the metro More unconventional venues? This was the case of the last edition of the Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp, an event organised by Last Lap, in which the energy drink celebrates new trends and talents in electronic music, choosing venues as varied as the Medialab Prado, the Madrid Casino or surprising underground locations.

For the main attraction of this Academy Bass Camp, the party MC39, a night-time tour of the city was organised, starting off with a visit to the entrance hall of the metro station Príncipe Pío.

The producer Talktome provided the beats whilst those present waited to find out the secret location of the final party.

To do so, they had to catch the metro, so they got on the train in the station itself. But they equally had to enjoy the trip, on which the DJ Pau Roca played records on the train… the trip ended in the Chamartín metro station, where one of the platforms of the train station invited them to enter the tunnel and access the MC39 party. The surprise of the participants increased upon entering the tunnel where they saw that everything was set up to experience a true underground session, with a DJ , lights and projections on the tunnel walls.

You can organise a trip around some of the most charismatic restaurants and “mesones” in Madrid’s Cava Baja area, such as the Museo del Champiñón, Museo de la Tortilla, Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas and the Taberna de Alabardero.

Cooking live In Madrid you can take courses in tapas and traditional Madrid cookery. For example, you can study at the Verdil restaurant, where Chef Juan Monje will take you on an entertaining journey through some of Spain’s most traditional tapas, combined with cutting-edge hautecuisine techniques.

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Divertia Smile Company chose the concept of an “upward trend”, and the space that best materialised this notion, by organising the annual Advisory Board for the health insurance company Asisa, in the Madrid Stock Exchange. An emblematic space, but one that is not free from production challenges. One of them was the assembly, because they only had two and a half hours.

Gastronomy ‘The Botin Experience’ Botin is in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest restaurant in the world, it is one of Madrid’s veritable institutions.

It has been visited by royalty, Hollywood stars and leading global politicians since it opened, way back in 1725! But what is it like if we don’t just go as ordinary diners, but enjoy a real personalised experience at the hands of the family that runs it? Insider’s Madrid is offering an exclusive ‘Botin Experience’, in which the González family takes groups on a tour of this historic place, uncovering its secrets and recounting some of the best anecdotes about its history. And what better way to end such a tour than by trying some of the ‘Botin classics’, a range of dishes that has to include traditional Castilian-style suckling pig and roast lamb.

Unique venues for different events There are venues for large events and spaces for intimate presentations, for the most exclusive meetings and for the most ground-breaking conferences.

Madrid Destino offers an extensive selection of venues where business and magic meet.

CAMPO DE LAS NACIONES

MADRID RÍO

Municipal Conference Centre

Caja Mágica Matadero Madrid

CENTRO

CASA DE CAMPO

Teatro Español CentroCentro Cibeles Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles Medialab Prado Fernán Gómez. Centro Cultural de la Villa Pasaje de Colón Teatro Circo Price Conde Duque Casa de la Panadería

Multipurpose Pavilion I Multipurpose Pavilion II Glass Pavilion Conference Pavilion Puerta del Ángel Outdoor Stage

Contact us: Phone: +34 917 220 400 eventos@madrid-destino.com www.madrid-destino.com

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Madrid A private dinner at the San Miguel market Why not check out one of Madrid’s most charming markets? Madrid’s markets are some of its most traditional and delightful places. Ovation Spain has chosen to host dinners for its groups at the San Miguel Market. The dinners will, or course, include Spanish wines and a wide range of tapas, with a flamenco performance on acoustic guitar.

‘Cooking Madrid’ The best kept secrets of Madrid are revealed at an Imagen Límite event in which the group, armed with iPads, follows a route through old Madrid, discovering the ingredients that will be cooked for their meal in unique shops and markets. And along the route they will enjoy wines and beer in traditional bars. At the end of their journey, the group members become Spanish chefs for a day.

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Wine schools Rebelión de los Mandiles is a wine school in the very heart of Madrid. In addition to guided tours and wine tasting courses, it is also available for events and private tastings. It has its own wine cellar with space for 70 people seated and 100 standing.

A wine tour of the best of Spain through its wines without leaving Madrid, created

by Imagen Límite. Javier Gila, President of the Madrid Sommeliers Association and one of Spain’s leading wine experts, will lead the guests through a stunning world of emotions and flavours, with the nature of each region being defined through its wines. The experience takes place in one of a number of very special locations in the city, depending on the number of guests. This journey is accompanied by a selection of some of Spain’s most exquisite home-made products, from its best unpasteurised cheeses, olive oils and Iberian hams to Iberian goose products.

Combining tradition and innovation... From classics such as oxtail in settings like Casa Alberto to the most cutting-edge cuisine... Madrid offers dining for all tastes.

From molecular gastronomy to the catering of El Bulli ‘Undiscovered Madrid’ is a multi-faceted event created by Imagen Límite kicking off with workshops in a very special location, the Madrid stock market. This is followed by a cocktail in the most spectacular area of the refurbished Prado art gallery, a moment of exclusive relaxation with private viewings of some of the masterpieces, after it has closed to the public. The event ends with a cocktail dinner in one of the most historic and evocative buildings in the city, the spectacular glass dome of the Palacio de Cibeles. Here the guests enjoy a magical gastronomic experience at the hands of one of Spain’s leading chefs, Paco Roncero (two Michelin stars), who takes diners on a fantasy voyage of discovery into the secrets of molecular gastronomy.

This will be followed by an unforgettable dinner served by El Bulli Catering, run

by Ferran Adriá, considered the greatest chef in the world. The dinner will also feature a show.

WELCOME TO SPACE IFEMA CONVENTION AND CONGRESS CENTRE

At IFEMA´s Convention and Congress Centre you can rent spaces for international events, conventions, congresses and meetings.

Myriad spaces with infinite possibilities.

www.convencionesycongresos.ifema.es 2015

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Madrid Full-throttle team-building Spain’s passion for motor-sports is overwhelming... Why not enjoy the city’s excellent motor-sport facilities? Auriga Motor offers adrenaline-drenched teambuilding experiences, such as the BMW Experience: two and a half hours of test-driving on a specialist circuit, including theoretical training, testing in the paddock and on the track, and an open bar with fleets of BMW Series 1, BMW Series 3 and BMW M vehicles.

The Carlos Sainz Center has two circuits: go-karting in Madrid and Las Rozas, with team-building experiences on the indoor and outdoor Carlos Sainz tracks.

The indoor circuit has 3,000sqm of track full of bends and real-time timekeeping, making the group, dressed in striking driver’s outfits, feel like real racing drivers.

The scoreboard next to the finish line displays the results of the races in real time. The track is complemented by large halls in excess of 500sqm and paintball and mini-golf facilities that can be used to enhance the team-building activities.

There are many ways in which to get to know the city of Madrid and to discover its fabulous surroundings. In the Oldtimer Tour Experience by Exploramás the participants had to travel through the destination in a tour of classic cars. Equipped with a road book, each team had to find their own way.

In the Sierra de Guadarrama, Segovia, the Escorial Monastery... they had to pass challenges (archery, Melt Down, Electric Fence).

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ITB offers the opportunity to drive on a professional circuit, feeling like a real racing driver as you “fly” around the Jarama Circuit in a Ferrari. The experience starts with a drive around the track in a high-performance vehicle driven by a professional driver to get to know the circuit. After some instructions on how to drive a car like this that uses paddles rather than traditional gear levers, the guests then get to do a number of laps in a Ferrari F430 F1; whilst driving, a video is made showing how the guests drive and the speeds they reach.

Madrid Río, more than one million square metres of event-ready recreational space Madrid might not have a beach, but it has a river, and one that gets better and better.

The Manzanares has become the backbone of a new zone of the city known as Madrid Río, a park with more than one million square metres of space ready for a wide range of activities. But the zone goes beyond outdoor events: the Matadero Madrid Contemporary Art Center (in the former slaughterhouse of the city) offers plenty of indoor options.

Madrid Río came about as part of a new, more welcoming and sustainable vision of the city based on a major urbanism project which put underground major roads and joined once-separate historical gardens and urban parks. This freed-up space includes 30,000 new trees, 42km of walking trails, 33 sports fields and a mountaineering school.

2015

Madrid Río came about as part of a new, more welcoming and sustainable vision of the city

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Madrid Traditions of Madrid

Two ‘musts’: from a flamenco “tablao” to the tapas route The Tablao Corral de la Morería, considered one of the ‘cathedrals of the art of flamenco’, was chosen by Índigo dmc for their groups to enjoy Madrid at its most joyous. The venue opened in the 1950s with an Arabic atmosphere, and is a winner with foreign groups. They complement these events with visits to the Bernabeu, tours in GoCars ending with tapas at the Los Galayos restaurant in the Plaza Mayor, visits to the Royal Palace and Toledo, and much more.

A very Spanish flavour

Authentic live flamenco can be experienced at places like Casa Patas. And if the group enjoys it so much they want to take their first steps in the art, the ‘El Horno’ dance centre and the Corral de la Moreira offer introductory flamenco courses.

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Feel like a “Madrileño” for a few days. This is ITB’s idea for groups visiting the capital. They did this in the spring, for example, with 150 international guests. The whole programme was based on local traditions, starting with the welcome gift, a bottle of olive oil, and the first dinner, at the Posada de la Villa. Guests enjoyed a demonstration of traditional flamenco dancing with Spanish dressage horses at La Finca Los Jarales. They had an “aperitivo” with ham slicers at the bullring, and they tasted sherries and cheese in a wine cellar. Then they learnt to make (and enjoyed) an authentic paella, and in the afternoon they visited one of the city’s most coveted places, the Real Madrid stadium, before dining at the Real Café, which had been reserved for them. This is one of the agency’s favourite places, but they also recommend others that they regularly use, such as the Westin Palace, where they have organised sherrytastings for up to 400 people, and the Cibeles Terraza, which can be exclusively reserved for dinners.

The next day, guests enjoyed a panoramic tour of the city using GoCars and buses, in shifts, and then a barbecue on the terrace of the Hotel Ayre Colón. Following a visit to El Prado, there was a gala dinner at the Masía de José Luis, with a giant screen to enjoy one of Spain’s other true passions, football. The event finished with a modern flamenco performance, accompanied by a cocktail. And to make the group feel even more like part of the city, they went to play “petanca” (Spanish bowls), in a park close to Requena. Madrid Council provided the authorisations and police presence to monitor the six petanca courts that were set up. This was followed by brunch on the terrace of the Café de Oriente.

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Madrid

Highlighted venues Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. It has been available for events for a long time (Grupo eventoplus held a memorable awards ceremony in 2011, on the pitch), but the novelty now is Eventos VIP, specifically tailored to high-end meeting and incentive clients, which offers both more familiar areas in the stadium as well as special VIP areas.

The old Carlos III cinema has been reborn, housing a gourmet space of 5,800sqm split between two floors and two amphitheatres that give a touch of theatre and show to food-related events. Platea Madrid has a capacity for 1,183 people, inspired by the aesthetics from the 1940s and 1950s and its own kitchen for show cooking and cooking courses, in addition to a private dining room for twelve diners where a Platea chef can make lunches or dinners exclusively for small groups. The events take place on the stage of the former cinema that articulates the whole space of the most emblematic room of Platea Madrid, where gastronomy combines with aerial dance, performing arts, cabaret, theatre, live music or broadcasts on the gigantic screen.

‘Back to the future’ in the Eurobuilding On a technological level, one of the most ground-breaking hotels in Madrid is the NH Collection Eurobuilding. Amongst its most eye-catching proposals is telepresence, which combines video conferences with interactive collaboration, as well as 3D holographic technology, available permanently for the first time in a worldwide hotel, in the NH Collection Eurobuilding Madrid and in another NH establishment in Berlin and, a short time after, in the NH Constanza in Barcelona.

The hotel is also the establishment with the largest LED curved screen TV installed in a hotel in its vault of 300sqm.

It also has four Lab Rooms in which guests experience the hotel’s innovative proposals and which act as ‘a balloon probe’ that evaluates what can and cannot work. From TVs -not yet on sale- connected with the surroundings, that allow guests to submerge themselves in an authentic sensory experience whilst watching a football match or a film, ranging to video call systems to communicate with reception or night stands that charge mobiles.

The hotel chain also offers the video conference system ‘Smart Room System’, which allows its rooms to offer video conference systems to intervene from personal devices and interact with the content and with the system that is located in the room.

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The monumental cultural centre of Madrid, the Conde Duque, combines its cultural programme of events with private ones. Madrid Destino offers companies the auditorium, theatre, south patio and the function rooms at the centre for events.

Except for the main patio, for which only the south patio will be able to be used (2,200sqm, up to 1,500 people), the auditorium (250 people) and the theatre (260 attendees) can be used.

¡Eventos conectados! LAt the headquarters of the news agency Efe there are some scalable 600sqm on offer for events. Equipped with sound, projection and video conference systems, the space has four training rooms for 15 to 120 people. In addition, its offers its radio studio for rental and its television set for interviews, talk-shows, etc. The agency not only offers its facilities for events, but it also offers its broadcasting, thanks to its source business.

The estate, located in Valdemorillo, has been working as a restaurant under the name of ‘La Fábrica de los Bravos’. Under the management of Eneldo Catering, until now it has worked exclusively for events with the name of La Fábrica. This old flour factory has a capacity for 1,000 people in three function rooms with independent entrances. The capacities for banquets in each one of the functions are around 130 people in the Los Espejos room and 310 in the La Sierra room. It also has a fully arcaded terrace (for 250 people), a bar area and parking area for cars and buses.

First established in 1993, the Palacio Municipal de Congresos conference centre is a versatile venue which has hosted such major events as the International Nursing Congress, attended by 10,000 delegates.

In Malasaña, in Central Madrid, Espacio Mood has opened, a loft space in the industrial style covering 160sqm with direct street access.

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Madrid Located in the Las Tablas business district, the new Hotel Dome offers 244 rooms and a 2,300sqm business centre.

The Bodevil theatre opens its doors in the vicinity of the business centre of Azca in Madrid, in a theatre from the start of the 20th century. The distribution of the space allows traditional scenic assembly with scenery, and even assembly for acrobatics shows or aerial dance. Each area of the theatre (the auditorium of 350sqm, the amphitheatre and the bar area) can be independently assembled or connected to form a complete area where, for example, a cabaret production can be carried out and the restaurant service of the event can be integrated into the show.

The height of the ceilings is another of its strengths (7 to 9m in height).

After seven months of refurbishment under the premium seal of ‘Collection’ the NH Abascal, with a new culinary space, counselled

by Paco Roncero and the bar tender Diego Cabrera. The 183 rooms are complemented by three function rooms split into modules with a capacity for 20 people in each one and up to a maximum of 60; another two independent meeting rooms can be found and a private terrace for cocktails and events for up to 50 people.

The WeAre Hotel Chamartín offers 378 rooms and 10 meeting rooms with a maximum capacity for 450 people in theatre assembly.

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2015

S P E C I A L S P A I N F O R E V EYEARS NTS 31 passion for events

Madrid

Located on the estate where the Aragonese painter lived, the Goya Theatre is open for events with a multi-space concept just a few minutes from the Puerta del Sol, next to the River Manzanares. From the small ones with a capacity for 100 people, like the VIP space and the anteroom of the Lounge Bar, passing through other medium sized ones like the Goya Room with a capacity for more than 500 people in the auditorium, to the versatile space, the venue can hold events for more than 1,500 people.

InterContinental Hotels Group chooses the Gran VĂ­a as the headquarters of its first boutique hotel in the capital city, the Hotel Indigo Madrid. The terrace, for 150 people, and a meeting room with spaces that this establishment offers with 89 rooms. The hotel has themed rooms, each one inspired by the history of the capital city.

Harley Space is a transparent venue of 280sqm prepared for photographic shoots, which also offers its facilities for events. Their ceilings of up to 6m in height can be made the most of, as well as its 8x7x6 cyclorama and its natural light, and production room, which can be used for small meetings or workshops for about 15 people, and also the make-up room, on the upper floor, with the same capacity.

The establishment belongs to the Palladium Hotel Group and offers 70 rooms in a 19th century building. It also has two meetings rooms, as well as a lounge and courtyard for events.

LaSede. The new building of the Madrid Architects Association (COAM) is one result of the spectacular remodelling of the old Piarist Schools of Saint Anthony in the very heart of Madrid. It offers 12,000sqm spread over several different areas, most of which can be rented for events. The new auditorium was recently opened on the second floor of the building, with capacity for an audience of 120.

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2015

seproevents@seproevents.com SPECI AL SPAIN FOR EVENTS 33

Barcelona The MWC, large medical and technological events, sports and cultural events such as Formula 1, as well as the Sonar, Primavera Sound and 150 other music festivals, -including the Hard Rock Festival this year, an event which various European capitals had vied for- all take place in Barcelona. The city appears in fourth place in the ICCA ranking (first place in the number of people attending) and in sixth place in the UIA ranking for 2013, with our sector accounting for 40% of the city’s tourism.

Its unique venues include medieval buildings such as the Casa Llotja de Mar or the Royal Shipyards, but also the cleaner, modern aesthetic of Mies van der Rohe’s Pavilion and the Catalan Modernist masterpieces such as the Palau de la Música or Casa Batlló. Other unforgettable options include the MNAC or MACBA as well as the famous Liceu theatre in the heart of the city. The city keeps adding new venues: Montjuïc Castle, overlooking the city and the sea, and the Hospital de Sant Pau, one of the most important modernist complexes in the world, are two of the striking venues recently opened to events, but there are also other creative venues such as Betahaus.

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The 40% growth, despite the crisis, in hotel places in the last 10 years has also contributed to putting Barcelona on the map as a city that now boasts an offer of more than 10,000,000sqm for meetings. 271 congresses and 1,564 conventions and incentive meetings in 2014, just two of the figures from the Barcelona Conventions Bureau. Welcome to an event powerhouse.

Events take over Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress, one of the city’s great meetings that is also complemented by dozens of parallel events.

During the fair, Grass Roots designed and organised the 30th anniversary party of Chinese company ZTE, which was attended by 700 of its best customers from around the world. The company celebrated its ‘Cool Night’ at the Hotel Hilton Diagonal in an event which was intended to strengthen the company’s new values, “cool, green and open”. It was chosen to allow technology to take the lead, with a 360º projection in the 800sqm ballroom and a complete mapping of the room so that the audience felt as if they were inside the projection, part of the story, passing over scenes of water, fire, ice… and covering the entire planet, starting with China and ending in Barcelona.

Everything was covered in black cloth to make it seem that the images were coming out of nothing.

Montjuïc Castle: new and unique spaces for events This building has decided to open up some of its spaces for events such as the Patio de Armas on the ground floor; the terrace with a 360º panoramic view of Barcelona and capacity for 900 pax on the first floor; the Orange Tree Garden at the rear of the castle and the Revellí, as well as some rooms alternating private events and temporary exhibitions.

The space, the focus of periods of repression suffered by the city in the fortress’s more than four centuries of history, received the ‘Memoria Esférica” (spherical memory), an temporary sculpture with an enormous metal sphere inviting those attending to reflect on memory. This piece produced by Paraddax was an enormous 8m sphere truncated on a 4m platform.

CCIB: this convention centre offers 100,000sqm of exhibition and meeting space and a 3,000 pax auditorium. Euroanesthesia, the annual meeting of the members of the European Society of Anaestesiology gathered more than 6,500 attendees for over 330 speeches. A shopping gallery was also organised with 128 laboratory stands.

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Barcelona

080 fills the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site Fashion in a hospital? Seemingly a strange match, but if we tell you that it is in the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, the most striking venue Barcelona has opened in recent months, and by 080 Barcelona Fashion, it all changes... The largest modernist complex in Europe put on its best finery to welcome one of the city’s most international meetings. Six pavilions and exterior gardens were set up for the 34 parades and parallel activities of this meeting with fashion. The central space with its gardens was the Open Area, which housed the village and the Pop-Up Store area, with temporary stores with the designers’ latest products and the sponsor area.

During the MWC too, the Poble Espanyol hosted a cocktail reception for around a hundred guests from the Californian delegation of a multinational mobile telephony company. One of the most emblematic spaces of the complex, the Monastery, was chosen, and there were shows by El Camerino and catering by Esther Conde.

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SPECI AL SPAIN FOR EVENTS 37

Boston Scientific’s European Seminar at the CCIB Creative Spirit and Eventive worked on the creation of Boston Scientific’s European Seminar, which brought together 1,200 representatives of the world medical sales network at the CCIB. The objectives of the meeting were to align views and share experiences, as well as to promote networking among the teams and create a memorable experience. The customer gave the organisers free reign to design an event which had details such as a striking ‘opening jingle’, a 30-second 3D animation which showed the products on an interstellar journey across the frontier of medicine.

In the closing session, the usual speeches on strategy were replaced by a kind of theatre including a recording made the previous evening on a Barcelona terrace in which the directors talked about the next day. The format not only made it friendlier, but also broke with the normal top-down style.

The imagination of Miró, Gaudí and Dalí takes over the Poble Espanyol Figures inspired by the imagination of three great artists like Miró, Gaudí and Dalí gave colour to the event which the company TEREX held in the Poble Espanyol. The 200 guests started the evening with a welcome cocktail reception in the main square of the Poble Espanyol, before dinner in one of the complex’s restaurants. The most colourful point of the evening was given by the emblematic figures of Catalan culture brought by the agency I La Lluna.

Surrealist Daliesque clocks, actresses in Gaudíinspired dress, impossible dresses inspired by the work of Miró... all complemented by a group of ‘castellers’ from I La Lluna, who offered the show to present this local tradition to those attending.

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Regattas and a ‘chocolate tour’ Sankara organised a convention in Barcelona for a group of 80 people. At the Hotel Melia Sky they were awaited by a pack for regattas: weatherproof top, polo shirt, cap and gloves with the company logo. They started by discovering the city by segway on a tour on which the history of the city was explained to them in amusing anecdotes. After eating at the Ura restaurant, they took a ‘chocolate tour’ which included both the chocolate museum and the different shops where it is made, all including chocolate and champagne tastings and competitions. The day ended with a dinner at the Carpe Diem lounge club.

On the next day, they went to the port for a team regatta, which ended with the prize-giving and a meal in a restaurant in the port. After giving them the afternoon to themselves, there was a dinner party with a free bar.

SEPA: congresses beyond the four walls From 26 to 28 February, the SEPA (49th Annual meeting of the Spanish Periodontology Society) called 3,200 professionals to a three-day congress organised by Pacífico Meetings at the Catalonia Palace of Congresses. SEPA congresses do not usually remain ‘within four walls’ and communication actions are sought in the host cities (a trend in congresses today). The last edition included information on the Barcelona trams, which were decorated with vinyls featuring the campaign. On the TRAM routes a video was displayed with the five steps to follow in dental hygiene. Plaza Francesc Macià also had an infopoint where voluntary hygienists gave out more than 3,000 samples.

Give up the search, here is your:

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Contact us an we will inform you: tel. + 34 93 364 40 40 · comercial@pcongresos.com Avd Diagonal 661-671 · 08028 Barcelona · www.pcongresos.com 2015

SPECI AL SPAIN FOR EVENTS 39

Congresses, Fairs, Exhibitions, Product launches, Concerts & spectacles, Catwalks, cinema premieres, private celebrations

Mysis Market Forum: the financial sector disembarks in Barcelona Five days of madness, with fifty people working 24/7, eleven coaches and a host of private cars, a thousand guests, the CCIB conference centre especially set up for them, the Camp Nou reserved with the Cirque du Soleil, several parallel events every evening... The Misys event organized by The Market Room was stunning.

Experts from the financial world sought to tighten relationships with partners and network with the Misys directors. Everything started with the Mysis Global Sales Kick-off: for three days, its sales network met to see the sales plan, new products and solutions through workshops, keynotes and master conferences such as the one developed by Caspar Berry, a professional poker player who adapted his experience at the game to talk about decision taking.

There was also time to play. In addition to rest areas for relaxing and playing table football, the day closed with the Mysis Beach Games at the Tropical Beach Club in Gavá Mar where, through different trials, the participants accumulated ‘Nadeems’, the event’s official currency which they could change the following day. The next day, the night in the Opium Lounge club was host to the prize giving ceremony with an auction where ‘Nadeems´ could be exchanged. The objects to be auctioned were mysterious suitcases which could contain anything from technological gadgets and T-shirts signed by Messi or Iniesta, to sweets.

The following three days were for the EMEA Market Forum, which was also held in the CCIB and was marked by a parallel agenda of events and activities adapted to the different segments of the attendees. For example, the Executive Trade Agenda, by invitation only, included a catamaran trip and gala dinner at Camp Nou, on the grass, with a visit to the first-team changing rooms and a private performance by the Cirque du Soleil. The Partner Track Agenda, also by invitation, offered a tour of Camp Nou, a gourmet experience with cava and ham in the presidential tribunal, and was also followed by a gala dinner on the field. The Media & Analysts Track Agenda took them to a show cooking event and dinner at Angle, a one Michelin star restaurant, and they joined the rest of the group at Camp Nou.

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The Palau Nacional and the Museu Nacional collections open just for you A Palace with versatile spaces adaptable for exclusive groups from 20 to 2,600 people. From a friendly little auditorium to one of the largest events rooms in Europe.

Š Imagen M.A.S.

Venues surrounded by Art

2015

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Barcelona

James Bond Flash Mob Dinner in Barcelona LifestyleDMC surprised their clients by organizing a James Bond Flash Mob Dinner in a 700 year old masia just 20 minutes outside Barcelona. The unsuspecting clients thought they were showing up for a nice relaxing private dinner. We hired a film crew, a Ferrari, two 1960´s Rolls Royces a team of dancers and their own James Bond 007 look alike!

The guests arrived to what looked like a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster movie set in a clandestine dwelling in deepest Catalunya. They were not amused when they were told that the venue had made an oversight with the booking and as a result they would have to reschedule. There was a standoff between an irate “Hollywood director” who was now urging security to vacate the venue in anticipation of 007´s arrival and the group leader (he was the only person who knew what was going on).

Finally after a heated negotiation the group of 70 execs from Sweden were allowed “on set” to watch the exclusive filming of the new movie! Everyone, from the cameraman to the makeup artists, broke into sychnronised dance moves which finished with them all holding up a sign saying welcome to Barcelona in Swedish!!

Welcome to the circus world An online games company met in Barcelona. The idea from Pacific World and Bacus eventos: to recreate the magic world of these videogames. A 1930’s-themed party was therefore proposed in one of the most famous classic circuses of the world: the Raluy circus. The arrival of this historic circus in Barcelona was brought forward to make it an exclusive event.

The 700 guests enjoyed a beautiful evening in the circus world. The space was divided into two areas. In the reception area, the guests entered the circus world through a velvet curtain and along a red carpet where famous figures from the period interacted with them before going into the second area created with old circus carriages and vintage trucks for the photocall and a welcome drink. A rest area was created in the main tent with vintage armchairs, sets of bodypainting re-creating animals and catering points with themed delicatessen products. Another tent was attached to this one to provide space for all of the attendees, keeping the same decoration and atmosphere and therefore filled with burgundy and cream fabrics, old furniture and the classical characters of the circus world.

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Anniversary

1

Barcelona

2015

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Highlighted venues The Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site is the most important Modernist building in Europe, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It hosted the Summit of IBTM World in 2014.

Palau de Congressos de Catalunya and the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I: with 25,000sqm of meeting space, a 2000-pax auditorium and beautiful gardens for events, this meeting complex is ready to host meetings in style.

Fira de Barcelona: the trade show grounds are divided into two areas: one next to Plaça Espanya and the other closer to the airport. Together, they boast 365,000sqm of exhibition space and a convention centre. Lodging needs are met by nearby modern hotels like the Congress or the Porta Fira Barcelona, or the Catalonia hotel which features a vertical garden (opening mid 2012).

La Cúpula: a venue located on the top of Las Arenas shopping centre, that opened in 2011 in a former Barcelona bull fighting ring.

Palau de la Música Catalana: this concert hall is a true jewel of Catalan Modernism and can be rented for events.

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H10 opened its tenth establishment in Barcelona, a 4* superior hotel in the centrally-located street Calle Enric Granados. A hotel dedicated to contemporary art in which originals and lithographs by Joan Miró, Miquel Barceló and Fernando Alday can be seen. Every floor pays tribute to contemporary artists: Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies, Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse, Roy Lichtenstein and Francis Bacon: the corridors, rooms and bathrooms also have details inspired by their works. It has three cocktail rooms holding up to 80 people.

W Hotel Barcelona, a five-star hotel created by the famous Ricardo Bofill rises above the beachfront. On the rooftop, you’ll find Eclipse, a bar with 360º views. This spring, the establishment will have a new space of 600sqm and a panoramic terrace with a swimming pool, a total of 4,000sqm for marine events and a nautical theme as its identifying feature. One of the new spaces is Breeze, an area with access from the hotel itself or independent access through the Plaza Rosa dels Vents with the appearance of a luxury yacht. Breeze has a main room of 150sqm with natural light, an open-air terrace with views of the sea and another three rooms of 80sqm each, all with their own terrace. The other novelty in the hotel is the renovation of the Away terrace, which under the name of Sun Deck will house an infinity pool and have panoramic views of the city and the sea.

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Barcelona

The Llotja de Mar, or old commodity exchange, is an historical building from the 14th century. Sitting near the sea, the facility is now exclusively dedicated to business events.

Two new spaces, the Mirador María Cristina and Mirador de Montjuïc terraces, are the latest proposals from the MNAC. This eclectic offer of spaces can be completely themed and ‘reinvented’ for each edition of an event, as happens with the annual Pronovias fashion show. This venue in a prime position for major events also has lesser known offers for smaller formats, such as its interior patios or the Sala de la Cúpula.

Barceló Sants has been renovated and turned into ‘Estación Orbital Sants’, with 364 Orbital Rooms and 2,500sqm for events

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Where your event will match excellence The AXA Convention Centre is more than a venue: it’s a Barcelona’s myth.

Designed and built by the worldwide laureate Rafael Moneo the avant-garde design and quality emerge from each and every detail of this building: glasscovered walls, diaphanous bright spaces surrounded by panoramic windows, refined lines and advanced technologies to assure high-quality performances in all your presentations.

This is the AXA Convention Centre: a place to share excellence and to turn up your presentations in memorable events.

- Auditorium: 621 seats along two areas: stalls: 326 / amphitheatre: 295) Located in the main artery of Barcelona - Small meeting rooms: from 20 to 160 the access from the Airport and main train seats. station (Sants) are quick and easy: no more - A.V.: BARCO DLP R-12 (12.000 Ansi Lum) than 20 minutes. Moreover, as a part of L’illa and BARCO iQg-500 (5.000 Ansi Lum).

Diagonal, it is surrounded by a refined shop- 60 sqm Frontal Screen. ping centre, a huge parking lot, hotels bet- P.A. System: D&B Audiotechnik ween 3 to 5 stars, and near 30 restaurants. loudspeakers, five table microphones, six All services and products you may need for wireless microphones (inc. lapel, headband) your activity will be surely provided around.

- 4 booths for simultaneous translation.

- I.R. system for 11 channels We are convinced that the AXA’s Convention Centre is the perfect setting in the city of Barcelona to host your next event: from a small meeting to a big convention, from a concert to a catwalk. Visit our website and get convinced. Wellcome on board!

Auditori AXA Diagonal, 547

Planta Deu i Mata Deu i Mata, 111 (revolving door)

(Centro Comercial L’illa Diagonal) pere.alvarez@axa.es

info.auditori@axa.es

2015

T. 93 290 11 02 Fax 93 290 96 88 www.auditoriaxa.es

SPECI AL SPAIN FOR EVENTS 49

Barcelona La Roca Village expands its areas for events with a new building with room for 80 people and a VIP Lounge. 40 minutes from Barcelona, this is the largest of the Value Retail Chic Outlet Shopping速 Villages, spaces with luxury outlet shopping, in Europe.

Hesperia Tower Hotel: this five-star hotel includes a large convention centre and is found between the airport and the city

The SB Plaza Europa is a new 242-room hotel in the Fira de Barcelona area. The lobby features an 8-metre high wooden bookcase which can hold 10,000 books, a curiosity that makes it the largest hotel library in Spain. It boasts six rooms for events on the ground floor, from 24sqm to 175sqm.

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Crowne Plaza Barcelona - Fira Center, located 100m from Fira de Barcelona, has 276 rooms as well as 18 meeting rooms with capacity for up to 1,200 people, private executive areas and a new Club Lounge. For large events, its Verdi room with a capacity for 900 people in its theatre style set-up.

Surprising nooks La Pedrera (Casa Milà): the roof-top terrace of one of Gaudí’s architectural masterpieces impresses visitors for its unique character and magnificent views. In summer, enjoy a drink on the rooftop while listening to live music.

The Mercat de la Boqueria: for many, this emblematic market is the city’s best, thanks in large part to its rich colours, smells, and vibrant human activity. Don’t miss its insect– selling booth, a surprising delicacy…

Parc Güell: located on top of one of Barcelona’s hills, this park was designed by Antoni Gaudí. It is a Unesco World Heritage site.

Santa Maria del Mar: the only complete Catalan Gothic church has an absolutely beautiful interior.

Els Quatre Gats: one of the city’s quintessential examples of Catalan Modernism, this cafe was inspired by Le Chat Noir cabaret in Paris. At one time, it hosted art exhibitions; Picasso’s first two public showings of his art were at this Barcelona institution.

Highlighted venues Outside Barcelona The outskirts of Barcelona offer countless beautiful country houses for events. Mas Solers (a beautiful 14th-century palace), Mon Sant Benet (see activities section), Sant Miquel del Fai (an old monastery), Masia d’en Cabanyes (a 1798 country house with a large garden), Bell Reco, Masia Museu Serra and Mas Canovas all combine rustic country charm with the most modern amenities.

Dolce Sitges: a modern hotel and conference centre with 263 rooms and 2,175sqm for meetings.

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Barcelona

Activities

Activities

Shop at the world’s most famous food market—La Boqueria— then cook a suquet de peix (traditional fish soup) under the guidance of a star-awarded chef. Finally, of course, dig in!

Outside Barcelona Build your own human tower! Team Towers offers this very traditional Catalan activity for groups of up to 500.

Organise a dinner in the FC Barcelona stadium: you can rent the team’s bus to get to this legendary pitch where you can enjoy the presence of the one of the club’s players or even play a game against a team made up of former players.

Test a Carver One on a race track! E&TB organises activities in the Can Padró circuit, found near a country house from the 13th century.

Driving these vehicles, a sort of combination between a motorcycle and a car, can be a fun option.

Go beyond the traditional tours and explore the city with a GoCar. This convertible car (with GPS included) takes you on a relaxed city tour while you follow easy-to-understand audio directions.

Or, if you prefer something environmental friendly, try the Trixi. Kuoni DMC organises exciting treasure hunts with these fun vehicles.

Discover the famous Codorniú Winery in an exclusive guided visit followed by a lunch. During the train tour through the winery and subterranean cellars, the group will be able to admire the architecture of the facility, designed by Catalan Modernist legend Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

Discover the secrets that Gaudí hid on the terrace of La Pedrera. The architect was also a deeply religious man and he left some symbols which can still be spotted by the trained eye: through the holes in the sculptures, you can see the most important temples of the city.

Go green! The Sitges Convention Bureau proposes a reforestation activity in the Garraf Park, which burned in a 2006 forest fire. This openair activity combines teamwork with recreational and environmental elements.

Barcelona from above: helicopter tours can be arranged.

Enjoy the charming town of Sitges and its microclimate of 300 sunny days a year. Why not try an elegant theatre-themed visit to the Palau Maricel, a pleasant Òpera a la fresca (an opera session in a lovely garden) or a visit to the Museu Romàntic?

Try traditional Catalan food in some restaurants that are well over a hundred years old, such as Can Culleretes, the oldest in the city, or 7 Portes. In both of them you can taste escudella i carn d’olla, a stew of mixed meat and vegetables cooked in broth. In this most authentic of all Catalan dishes, the meat is served first, followed separately by the broth.

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Live the traditions of Penedès (a wine region near Barcelona): Amfivia offers activities which include trencadís (Gaudí-style ceramic mosaics), sardana dances, el porró (a traditional drinking implement that requires users to pour wine into their mouth in a narrow stream without touching it to their lips... or staining their shirt!), or a castell (Catalan human towers).

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Catalonia

Tarragona

The Jornadas de Divulgación Histórica Romana, Tarraco Viva, held in the second fortnight in May, show reproductions of life in Roman times, including gladiator fights

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Gladiators, ‘castells’, sea, gastronomy of Ancient Rome, golf… We are talking about Tarragona, whose past is very present in any event. Under the motto ‘Your event will make history’, the city proposes using its historic heritage for a series of initiatives that bring all the flavour of the past to the event.

Compact and convenient, most venues for events are found in a small area near the Palau and the Seminari, and 10 minutes from the main hotels; with warm temperatures all year round, close to the PortAventura attraction park with its convention centre and the triple ‘U’ of Unesco (the city itself, the ‘castells’ and the Mediterranean diet are all World Heritage) it is definitely a destination to take into consideration.

European Conference & Incentive Services, S.L. The Palau Firal i de Congressos in Tarragona is distinguished for one of its walls, which is made out of natural rock, and for its large archways. The building has two auditoriums and twelve halls and can hold up to 1,145 people in the main hall. The auditoriums are the main rooms, while floor -2 houses a 3,000sqm multi-purpose space for commercial exhibitions and banquets.

The streets of Tarragona are a huge open-air museum: the circus, amphitheatre, necropolis and aqueduct were all declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO, although Roman traces are also found in the most unsuspected places, such as bars or the Palacio de Congresos with its natural stone walls. In addition, entertainment can be provided with gladiator battles, teambuildings of castellers (human towers), visits to the nearby wineries of the Priorat region or PortAventura, or with the practice of water sports in the nearby Costa Daurada. In terms of venues, the region has some big enough to host major events, like the PortAventura Convention Centre, as well as some very distinctive ones, from the Castell de Tamarit to the Tinglados del Puerto, or the Termas de MontbriĂł.

The Tarraco Plaza Arena (TAP), the former bullring in Tarragona, has been renovated as a multi-purpose space for major events like the 2017 Mediterranean Games. Conserving the neo-Modernist exterior, the inside is amazingly modern. With its 55m diameter and a surface are of 2,376sqm, the arena can hold 5,800 people, in addition to seating 4,974, and there is a second gallery measuring 1,800sqm. Spaces for celebrating sports, fairs, concerts and gala dinners, and even the traditional Castell competitions celebrated there every two years.

A professional DMC at your service Personalized services for conferences, meetings, seminars, incentives and special interest groups Hotel research and contract negotiation Research and selection of venues for private events Ground transportation services Taylor made tours and activites Creative entertainment proposals On site co-ordination services

ECIS (European Conference & Incentive Services, S. L.) C/ Francesc Carbonell 36, loc. (08034 Barcelona) - Spain Tel. (+2 0 34) 1 5 93 206S P04E C04I A L• SFax. P A I (+ N F34) O R 93 E V280 E N T61 S 30 55 www.ecis-dmc.com • e-mail: ecis@ecis-dmc.com

Catalonia

Peugeot creates a made-to-measure city for its vehicles at its convention If your car is the best car of the year in Europe, doesn’t it make sense to take advantage of this enormous milestone at the dealers’ convention?

This was one of the ideas behind the last Peugeot convention, which MDA Eventos organised in the PortAventura convention centre. The objective: to share the new models with the managers of dealerships in Spain, to analyse what has been achieved and to anticipate the commercial lines of the coming year.

To create an urban environment, the natural environment of vehicles, they designed a Broadwaystyle stage following the creativity of the streets of Port Aventura. They created a square with buildings, streets, shops, gardens and even streetlights.

And the managers made their presentations in this thematic space amid synchronised musical performances with original videos before the appearance of the vehicle on stage. The models came out from the streets of the mock city, among the streets of the ‘plaza Peugeot´, all dressed in lights. The audience was immersed in a true musical spectacle. The first day ended with a gala dinner at which the guests were able to enjoy the park exteriors.

The Port Aventura conventions centre was also the stage of the second day of the convention, which was devoted to work meetings, workshops with vehicles inside the halls, a display of the models and a road test at the wheel of the Peugeot 308 SW. PortAventura Business & Events has its own convention centre, which includes four hotels providing 2,000 rooms, golf and teambuilding and other activities, attractions and shows.

PortAventura Convention Centre has two floors and can hold 4,000 people.

Unit Elements organised a CSR event in Tarragona for 120 Arola employees who literally built a building and opened it. The aim was to help Caritas to build the building to serve as a food bank in a district with very few resources in Tarragona. The building project had started some weeks before with local builders, who made the more structural part, and the Arola employees painted, hung shelves, dug and trimmed.

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The Tarraco Arena Plaça (TAP) hosted the IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) annual gala dinner, with 1,300 people from 62 different countries in attendance. Restored in 2010, it has seating for 5,000 or double that if you include the bullring enclosure.

YOUR PERFECT PARTNER FOR YOUR PERFECT EVENT

www.eventscod orni u. com

Only 30 minuts from Barcelona and 40 minuts from Sitges

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Catalonia

Girona

Those attending a tourism congress in Girona were thrilled when after a meal in Celler de Can Roca, which had just been chosen the second best restaurant in the world by the Michelin Guide, Joan Roca came out in person to talk to them about current affairs in gastronomy and everything under the sun.

This anecdote sums up the city’s character: we mustn’t be fooled by its air of discretion. This sleepy town’s desire to avoid fanfares explains why many in our sector are still unaware of its potential.

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A historical heritage which includes a major Jewish legacy, its location in a prime green space and one of the best cuisines in the world are just some of its hidden attractions, not to mention its closeness to the famous Costa Brava. Its gastronomy has reaped its rewards in both El Celler de Can Roca and in Ferra Adrià’s El Bulli, chosen for some years as the best restaurant in the world.

Another of Girona’s attractions is its historical heritage: the Jewish legacy is in its DNA and it is one of the six Spanish cities taking part in the Meetings in Sefarad association, which promotes congress tourism in cities noted for their Jewish past. As well as one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in the world it has spaces like the Jewish Museum, with a courtyard for events.

As for its hotel infrastructure, Girona has several 4* hotels, mostly in the old city centre, and 5* hotels such as the AC Palau Bellavista. Some of its outstanding venues are the 11th-century Fontana d’Or, with its Romanesque and Gothic architecture and several rooms; the 14th-century convent which is now the Centro Cultural La Mercè; and the Teatro de Sant Domènech, a former church converted into a theatre; the Art Museum; the Casino or the Municipal Theatre.

Penedès PENEDÈS, CAVA COUNTRY Cava goes well with oysters or sushi, 4x4 routes, tastings on a yacht with sommeliers, spas facing the sea, Modernist workshops or ecological furniture in hundred-year-old bodegas…

Penedès offers activities marked by wines and cavas, but it is also worth trying its coastline, museums, its traditional culture with human castle building and its luxury hotels. From routes on Segway, electric bicycles or 4x4 among the vineyards, there is a wide variety of routes to follow on all kinds of wheels, offered by the wineries around their vineyards.

But the Penedès region also has a highly recommendable coastline. Enoveler suggests sailing while tasting wine and cava accompanied by a sommelier, which might be at sunset, or include a lunch or dinner.

A hot-air balloon flight over the region is one of the proposals of Bodega Bohigas. For further enjoyment at altitude, the winery offers outings to the hills of Puig Aguilera to see the vineyards and the forests of the property by Jeep. Along forest tracks, they reach the top of the mountain to have a local breakfast with views of the valley.

‘Trencadís’, cork lamps and other original workshops at Codorníu Wineries are reinventing their offer for events and offering activities beyond the traditional tastings. Cavas Codorníu therefore offers a workshop in ‘trencadís’, the mosaic made with ceramic fragments typical of Catalan modernism. Codorníu suggests reinventing ‘trencadís’ with pieces of bottle from the company: after breaking the bottles and letting some adrenalin out, each group paints the pieces of glass with the colours of the company and places them on part of the mosaic. Together they will create the company logo with the pieces.

This region includes some of the largest cellars in the world, which can be visited. In Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Caves Freixenet proposes the Salón Real, a 400sqm space that can be complemented with a visit including the enosensorial room and a trip around the cellars, some of the largest in the world. They also organise matches and tasting sessions.

Bodegas Torres, with more than 120,000 visitors a year, is one of the most widely visited wineries in Europe. They offer tastings and visits including their Tunnel of the Seasons, which contemplates the life cycle of the vines from the perspective of the grape, and a train ride around the Waltraud cellar, ‘the cathedral of wine’ which holds some of the company’s most.

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Costa del Sol

Whoever comes to the Costa del Sol thinking that it is merely a destination for spectacular beaches, with its 160 km of Mediterranean coastline and luxury ports, is in for a surprise.

Málaga has become one of the country’s cultural meccas with an explosion of museums and the recent opening of no fewer than 30 cultural centres for events. The Pompidou (‘El Cubo’), in the port of Málaga and the Museum of Russian Art in the former ‘Tabacalera’ building are the latest to come to the city and two of the best options for events, but Málaga also has the Glass Museum, the Motor Museum, the Revello de Toro Museum, the Contemporary Art Centre and La Térmica.

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The Pompidou Art Centre is the first headquarters of the famous Parisian centre of modern art outside France. It is located in the Cubo building in the port of Málaga and houses pieces of modern and contemporary art.

In Andalusia there are 569 establishments with facilities for meetings, which offer around 344,000 places, and one out of every four is in the province of Málaga. The destination has top facilities for large events, with five fairgrounds and exhibition halls: Málaga, Torremolinos, Marbella, Estepona and Ronda. As for hotels, around 90,000 places in its 103 municipalities turn Málaga into the leading Andalusian province.

Not to forget its long-standing culture of nightclubs and the natural heritage and good climate on the Costa del Sol, which make it one of the most attractive options for outdoor events and adventure team building. In Málaga you can meet in one of the most spectacular botanical gardens in Europe, but also hold an event while sailing the Alborán Sea, attend a gala dinner in vintage vehicles, have a cocktail amidst the works of Picasso or hold a meeting in a historical winery, etc. With this offer, it is not surprising that the congress, convention and incentive segment has not stopped growing. The Samsung Forum, which attracted 8,000 distributors and 2,000 journalists; the Herbalife convention, which brought nearly 3,000 people to the city; the Congress of the Spanish Society of Community Pharmacy (SEFAC) and the 26th National Congress of the Spanish Society of Urgent and Emergency Medicine (SEMES) are some of the big events recently held in the area.

The Motor Museum is one of the 30 cultural spaces that Málaga offers for events. It has a spectacular collection of vintage vehicles and can accommodate a thousand attendees.

Michelin Constellation in Marbella Michelin chose Marbella as the venue for its gala in the facilities of the “La Câbane” VIP beach club, where it gathered figures from the worlds of gastronomy, culture, politics, the media and institutions. mda eventos turned the VIP Beach Club into the Michelin world by playing with the symbols of the Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal of 2015, which hosted the party.

As in previous years, it was also necessary to prepare the facilities to serve the dozens of television stations that would broadcast the event (some live), for which an auditorium was designed inside the La Câbane facilities.

A space was also created for the gastronomic tastings that five great chefs would offer the more than 500 guests.

The exterior areas of the space and the swimming pool were lit up and large reproductions were made with iconic symbols from the guide, which were installed on the beach and illuminated.

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Costa del Sol

The Russian Art Museum, a centre of the museum in St. Petersburg, has been set up in the building of the former ‘Tabacalera’, or tobacco factory, which coexists with the Motor Museum in a total area of nearly 7,500sqm.

Adventure Challenge: the adrenaline of the Costa del Sol

Parties in the nightclubs here are a must … The Ocean Club Marbella Opening Party, for instance, painted the Andalusian night white and silver. About 1,200 people travelled to a fantasy galaxy to celebrate the launch of the summer season. A futuristic world bursting with dancers dressed as 1970s comic book heroines, ‘Metagornautas’ 3m high, contortionists, a stage decorated with backlit planets, and the club’s trademark, luxury. But the real surprise came when the participants, dressed top-to-toe in white, discovered that the club’s swimming pool had been completely covered with ping pong balls: almost half a million balls were needed to fill the 1,000sqm surface, forming a huge screen on the pool. Then nine synchronised swimmers appeared, following the stage design by Paraddax Show.

Exploramás Eventos y Aventuras conceived an experience full of adrenaline to reveal the bolder side of the Costa del Sol in the Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park, Biosphere Reserve.

The participants were 43 members of staff from an international sales support company, prepared to face an adventure experience. The event was held specifically in the Istán section. The Adventure Challenge that they organised for them was aimed at team building and combined five challenges that were all scored. The teams faced different trials in which they had to rely on ability, aim, skill, orientation and determination.

Urban Soho Málaga is an experience designed by Exploramás to reveal one of the most unique areas of the city, the Soho Málaga, known as Barrio de las Artes. This is an experience in which the participants ride e-Bikes along a planned route that will show them the works of urban artists which bring to life many of the façades of the buildings in the area. They face challenges such as tasting craft beer, reproducing graffiti or Street Dance battles.

The Costa del Sol has 160km of Mediterranean beaches, giving a place for the many team building events like this one by Exploramas.

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Costa del Sol

Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Mรกlaga: avant-garde architecture brings style to a 60,000sqm facility with room for up to 20,000 pax. The region also has the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Marbella: this venue includes a top floor of more than 3,000sqm and a plenary room with 1,600 seats; el Palacio de Congresos de Torremolinos: the main hall is divided into two floors of 3,000 and 2,500sqm. Plus, it has opened the first meeting room for smokers in Spain; and the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos de Estepona: this facility combines 21,000sqm of indoor space with a 15,000sqm garden. Other facilities include a heliport and an all-purpose pavilion.

Highlighted venues Palacio Duque Heredia: this 19th century palace has a 21,000sqm garden, which is part of the Botanical Garden of Malaga.

With over 3,000sqm of multifunctional rooms, the La Cabane Beach Club in Marbella offers one of the most exclusive buffets on the Costa del Sol, with a wide range of fresh seafood.

Ronda Mountain Resort is a natural area of 200 hectares that includes everything from a luxurious villa to stone houses for up to six people and Think Tank meeting rooms with different spaces for inspiration, which promote creativity and activate the mind. The extensive grounds are also a place for team building activities.

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Hilton Worldwide opens a DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa, the Reserva del Higuerón, in 2015. With views over the bay of Fuengirola, the complex has 177 rooms and suites and stands out for its sports facilities. It also has meeting rooms and other spaces for events, such as the large roof terrace.

TeatroGoya has started up a centre in Puerto Banús. It has nine different spaces, seven of which are auditoriums for up to 475 pax, as well as an all-purpose area and the Sky Garden, a terrace with views of the sea.

The Hacienda Nadales is an 18th century manor surrounded 25,000sqm of English-style landscaped gardens and tropical species, which also offers a winery where events are held, mostly wine-related. It has hosted several medical congresses, meetings of professional guilds and cancer galas, amongst other things.

New venues, such as the VinotecaMuseo Los Patios de las Beatas, are constantly opening in this region. Over 800sqm, it offers a main hall for winetasting and themed tapas and a 19th century patio, with a stained window

by Barberán…

Amàre Club, in Fuerte Miramar, is one of the new events spaces that this destination has started up. It includes the Amàre Lounge, Amàre Beach and Amàre Pool.

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Costa del Sol

Activities Traditions of Al Andalus. In Malaga spas are a millenary tradition.

To enjoy the Moorish heritage you could go for a relaxing afternoon in the Hammam Al Andalus Málaga, for example. This restored historic space captures the essence of the ancient Arab baths of Al Andalus.

Arches, mosaic murals and screens take the guests back in time.

Picasso and flamenco for teambuilding. CWT proposes ‘Andalucía según Picasso’, where they paint a canvas representing the Andalusian magician. Other options are Teambuilding Flamenco, which includes a sevillanas competition with dance teacher included, or Andalusian Percussion, where, emboldened by the fact they are in the cradle of flamenco, they learn to play the box drum and castanets.

Puerto Banús has some of the most ‘IN’ clubs in the Peninsula. Bring your group for an afternoon of shopping around the marina and let them feast their eyes on the beautiful sailboats belonging to the Arab sheiks and Russian magnates, and celebrity-watching.

Looking for an adrenaline rush? Then pull over at the Ascari Club at the exclusive Race Resort. Nuba offers an event where participants can enjoy track time on a course with 26 turns, twists and corners. The track, the longest in the country at 5.5km, can be tackled with a Lotus, BMW, Racial, F3, F1 or even buggies or go-karts. What could be more fun for a group of grown-up “kids”?

Agency Imagen Límite suggests motor tours in the interior of the region. One option starts in Estepona and traces the Sierra de las Nieves on dirt roads, muddy tracks and dry creek beds. This Adventure Rally also passes through traditional white-walled towns such as the “living museum” of Genalguacil before arriving in Ronda.

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Fun and relaxation Terra Incentivos took advantage of the relaxed vibe of the region in an incentive trip for an insurance company. The adventure kicked off in the highspeed train where guests enjoyed surprises, activities and even a little comedy in the train’s dining wagon. Upon arrival, guests received a 4X4, which was theirs during both organised activities and free time. In the evening, the group enjoyed dinner in a castle with spectacular views.

The following day, the group took their 4x4 and headed to the mountains for a rugged day of adventure and were pampered with massages in a spa upon the completion of the activity. Refreshed, participants were treated to a traditional “espeteros” dinner by the beach with the grilled fish. Under the starred sky, participants danced barefooted on the sand.

The third day, participants headed to Mijas where they traded in their trusty 4X4s for even trustier... donkeys! Using donkey power, guests arrived at the Wine Museum, where they sampled the best the region has to offer. After enjoying a free afternoon, guests had to rely on their wits to navigate a gymkhana and arrive at a restaurant just in time for a gala dinner, where they enjoyed a thematic night complete with actors, show and a fiesta, which acted as the icing on the cake for a great event.

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Seville Aristocratic and streetwise, festive and religious, if you are looking for a city that represents the classic image of Spain, this is your destination. Seville does not shy away from contrast, it is capable both of turning an H2 hangar into a plenary hall for an Airbus macro event and of taking visitors to an intense atmosphere of spiritual collection during Easter Week or a madness such as the April Fair. Its range of venues goes from chameleonic and futuristic spaces to exclusive and teasing palaces, and its historical centre is probably the most dazzling of any in Spain.

For smaller events, the typical Sevilian manor is ideal for impressing attendees

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Home to the best European event planners The Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento, one of the star spaces of the city, hosted the EuBEAFestival 2014, which awards the events of the year in Europe. The prize-giving ceremony was organised by Acciona PyD, DobleM Audiovisuales, TCM Audiovision, MDG Audiovisual and the hotel itself. The prize-giving gala used a 650sqm 360º stage and occupied the dome and balconies of the hotel’s Atrio III. The ceremony started with videomapping simulating the arrival by plane in Seville for the great show, and the dome was turned into a universe of stars.

Several transitions used mapping to turn the Atrio III into an opera hall that opened its curtains for the performance of a fragment of Carmen, and a vertical dance show suspended the dancers over the audience to tap dance on the walls of the atrium accompanied by airborne dance choreography. The atrium was used as a ‘second screen’ to distribute the contents of the event.

Another event in the Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento: for Toyota’s “train the trainers”, the surprise effect marked the rhythm of the event, as each meeting room suddenly became a catwalk with an access door connecting the hall with the service passage and doubling the space’s capacity. The vehicles were also included in the dinners in the hotel gardens, where each new Aygo model was a foodstation and the food was served in the vehicles.

But be not deceived by its vitality, Seville is one of the greatest pulses of attraction of great national and international events due partly to its historical and highly exclusive venues. This year it is also starting six new air connections to Paris, Porto and Düsseldorf, to bring groups in on direct flights.

The city has macro spaces for events such as Fibes and highly versatile hotels like the Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento, but for small and exclusive events the typical Sevilian manor is ideal for impressing. For example, the Lebrija Palace Museum (16th century) has halls for up to 150 people with impressive Roman mosaics; and the Casa de los Pinelo, the present headquarters of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal Academy of Fine Letters, has a hall for 200 people, a courtyard for cocktails and the Apeadero for 150 people.

Activities Kuoni Destination Management organizes a typical pilgrimage through villages in the south of Spain. Upon arrival, the group is greeted by drummers and flamenco dancers. The participants walk through the streets on a pilgrimage during which they make stops to eat, drink and enjoy the landscape. The group is accompanied by a Rociero, or traditional choir, as well as a rumba Sevillana band. The activity ends with the group singing all together at the estate.

The local wines are as famous as the night atmosphere, making the wine routes essential to soak up the city’s atmosphere, something that was recently done, for example, by a group from Volkswagen México.

Highflying Airbus convention “Pioneering the Future Together” was the claim for the Airbus Defence & Space convention organised by Eventisimo. The event started with a welcome lunch in a jaima-shaped marquee outside the entrances to the hangar. Eventisimo had also turned the enormous Airbus H2 hangar in Seville into an immense plenary room conceived for an immersive experience: installed in the centre, the stage was under a large semi-circular projection screen 70m long. The audio-visuals supplying this enormous support came from five synchronised projectors that created a single giant image or multiplied the contents in several parts so that the viewing might be perfect from any of the 86 tables at which the 500 people attending were sitting.

After the presentations, the semi-circular wall opened onto the exhibition revealing the Airbus innovation projects on eight large stands. To end this first day, the participants took part in a night trip along the waters of the Guadalquivir River to the quay of the Pabellón de la Navegación for the gala dinner.

Special teambuilding activities were ready for the second day, such as the opportunity to fly an Airbus from their seats or the act of moving a giant A400M by bringing the strength of the whole team together.

In a genuine Sevilian ‘hacienda’, the participants took on the Flamenco Percussion Workshop, an experience designed by Exploramás based on Andalusian folklore. Spread out in teams, they learned percussion and tried several instruments such as the flamenco cajón and caña, castanets, sticks and bottles.

Bandolero Tours offers you the opportunity to sample the lifestyle of a 14th-century highwayman in the Sierra Morena.

The original “founding venues” of the Expo have been completed with new, cutting-edge spaces, renovated infrastructure and increased hotel capacity

The employees of a multinational had a CSR action designed by Exploramás in Seville. They made a tour of the city in order to buy basic products. Once they had them, they took them to the Food Bank store and formed a human chain to hand out the articles they had purchased.

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Seville Highlighted venues The Palacio de Congresos de Sevilla (FIBES): This brand new venue has a 3,577-seat auditorium, making it the largest covered in Spain. The building has three separate modules: a covered, 3000sqm walkway that connects the current construction with the newest incorporations; a multi-purpose building that houses a 2000sqm restaurant area and a 2500sqm exhibition zone.

The Guitar House Museum is an 18th-century house located in a monumental area of Seville in the heart of the Santa Cruz district, and houses the flamenco cultural centre which is rented out for private events, has the largest guitar collection in the country and puts on flamenco demonstrations.

The Chamber of Commerce of Seville, alongside the cathedral, has also opened its doors for business meetings and conventions.

Centro Sevilla Congresos: in Bollullos de la Mitación, has more than 20 meeting rooms and a capacity for over 7,000 guests.

Pabellón de Navegación: reopened in 2012, this venue, which dates back to the 1992 Universal Exposition, sits along the banks of the Guadalquivir River, in the center of Seville. It offers several large rooms, a wide outdoor space and a tower with spectacular views of the city below.

Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento. This 5-star hotel offers unique beauty, with 295 rooms, Convention Center and 25 meeting rooms, surrounded by inspiring gardens. Specialized congresses and conventions, product launches, the automobile industry and incentives, this hotel has four large open spaces waiting to be personalized. Its 5000sqm for meetings are distributed in five meeting halls, two atriums and a Convention Center for 1200.

Metropol Parasol: somewhere between an impressive sculpture and a “liquid” building, the Metropol Parasol has been unveiled. This mega structure is 150 m long and 75m wide and towers 28m above Seville’s city center. “The mushrooms”, as locals have dubbed the building for its unique shape, has four separate levels. The second level has 3,500sqm of event space, the third has a dramatic restaurant and the fourth has a balcony with panoramic views. To round out this unique combination, there is the Antiquarium, a small museum which holds the archaeological remains discovered during its construction.

For cocktails, La Lonja del Barranco, designed in 1876 by Gustave Eiffel, became a temple of snacks and a gourmet space. More than 1,200sqm and a terrace overlooking the Guadalquivir River, including show cooking workshops and presentations.

The Real Venta in Antequera is recreated in order to recover its bullfighting, stockbreeding and flamenco flavour. It stretches over 1,500sqm including shaded gardens and ten pavilions which can be made private. To give it more colour, it is also a training place for lovers of bullfighting.

25km from the city is the Finca Mirandilla, a truly authentic property. A field venue for events seeking to enjoy the bullfighting festival which organises everything from horse shows to capeas, visits to the breeding areas and traditional ‘rociero’ choirs.

Live the April Fair to the fullest, like the people of Seville do. Terra Consultoría organized an incentive with all the trappings typically seen at the famous Sevillan Fair for a bank. At the hotel, guests were provided with the clothing. They left the Alfonso XIII Hotel in horse-drawn carriages to get into the festive spirit and discover the casetas that had been prepared for them, where they were welcomed in true Seville style: with varieties of sherry, including manzanilla, fino and of course, rebujito. There were flamenco shows, dancing and excellent cuisine; excitement ran high as they were all anxious to return the next day!

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The Hotel Alfonso XIII recently hosted the 50th Anniversary of D.O. Manzanilla, a drink which arouses passions in Seville. More than 400 people enjoyed the tasting and exhibition area of the drink, more than 12 million half bottles of which are sent to the region’s different festivals during the Seville April Fair alone.

The southern city represents the meeting of tradition and modernity as well as of folklore and contemporary culture, which makes Seville a unique city

Searching for a unique event concept in Seville?

We are your choice!

The Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento consisting of 295 rooms, a convention center for up to 1,200 delegates and 25 breakout rooms is not just a great hotel; it also has more exclusive spaces such as the ATRIUM I (103 rooms) with the perfect dimensions to carry out original projects guaranteeing total privacy.

One of our 3 modern designed buildings with 103 rooms A singular space for meetings: a 400 sqm2 courtyard with 18 meters high and with natural daylight Fully suitable for customization Private front desk 10.000 sqm gardens Private F&B space with garden views Breakout rooms for up to 15 people

“Only your imagination can set the limits”

Hotel Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento Avda. Álvaro Alonso Barba, S/N 41092 Sevilla | España Tel.: 95 446 22 22

*For further information please visit our events website:

www.mice.barcelosevillarenacimiento.com 2015

SPECI AL SPAIN FOR EVENTS

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Basque Country A very striking proposal: Crusoe Treasure suggests discovering a particular underground bodega in the Bay of Plentzia and to combine tasting with a day’s sailing. This is one of the experiences recommended by Basquetour. It is a unique set-up with its barrels, bottles and hulls 20m underwater.

The proposal? To sail to this underwater bodega, trying wines on board while this singular project comprising an artificial reef of more than a thousand species is discovered (by underwater camera).

And if on incentive trips it is a question of offering unique experiences, this one certainly is. From Euskadi comes the suggestion of turning the group into shepherds for a day in Urkiola National Park. Patxi will show them how to milk the sheep, they will accompany his Border Collie to walk the flock and taste fresh curds. They will also teach them how to make traditional ointments with the local herbs, and they will help Patxi to shear the sheep. To finish, there will be a tasting of Idiazabal designation of origin cheeses.

San Sebastián Located on the Cantabrian coast, this glamorous destination is known for being the place with the most Michelin stars per square mile in the world, a traditional market six days a week and hundreds of ‘pintxo’ bars. . However, its renowned gastronomy secured this city status as European Capital of Culture for 2016. The perfect excuse to offer new proposals for incentive trips and to renew different venues and emblematic hotels. From unmissable venues such as the Kursaal to other more surprising ones like the Balenciaga Museum, spaces abound with an appeal for events, mostly in locations avoiding awkward transfers.

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Among the spaces restored for events are the San Telmo Museum, a 16th century Dominican convent whose church and cloisters are used for dinners for up to 670 people, and the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, one of the city’s most emblematic buildings. After refurbishment, it now has a main hall in which events are held with a different perspective of the theatre. The stage along with the raised orchestra pit also offer an exclusive space for banquets for up to 200 people and cocktails for 500 people, reversing the view of the spectator.

Another interesting space is the Basque Culinary Center in natural surroundings, which houses the first Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences and has an auditorium for 200 pax and other spaces.

In 2015, San Sebastian Food opens a brand new cooking school within the Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel and one of Spain´s grandest hotels. The SSF Beronia Cooking School will offer a roster of delicious, innovative, and enjoyable cooking courses in a state-of-theart cooking environment. From cooking shows to gastronomic tours, and thematic team building exercises to wine tastings.

With more than 100 years of history, the Hotel Londres y de Inglaterra (4*) completed the refurbishment of rooms and lounges a short time ago. The new development consists of 12 double rooms in what used to be the roof of the building, with private terraces with privileged views of La Concha Bay. The Hotel NH Aranzazu (4*) has refurbished its 180 rooms. Located 300m from La Concha, it has six lounges for events with natural light and a capacity for 400 people.

Food, wine and... competition There are heaps of great activities related to Basque gastronomy. Guests can visit a local market where they can experience where the excellent local ingredients come from. Another option is a visit to a txacoli winery, where they can learn about (and sample) the typical white wine of the area along with some pintxos. In the mood for a little tasty competition?

Participants can prepare their own meals under the guidance of an expert chef and then have their creations judged by the rest of the group.

El Museo San Telmo

City of events

Apart from the refurbished venues, the capital offers incentive trips connected to its gastronomy, culture and to some of its great annual meetings, such as the Cinema festival, the Jazzaldia and the Bandera de La Concha (traditional rowing regatta).

For example, in the Aula de Cocina or kitchen classroom, three Michelin star chefs reveal their secrets in interactive sessions; in the ‘Pintxos’ workshop, the group can create and try their own preparations, and in the incentive trips related to the JaiAlai, a unique experience is offered with an immersion in the world of Basque ‘Pelota’, with an exhibition game, mini tournament and tasting of traditional products.

Cinema weekend Every September, alongside one of its most emblematic annual events, the cinema festival, the city proposes the “A cinema weekend” incentive program which offers small groups the chance to enjoy the glamour of walking along the red carpet, attending the opening gala from a privileged place and enjoying the first performance on the big screen along with international stars.

Paddle-surf, canoeing and water therapy sessions are just some of the other proposals for doing sport in the unique setting of La Concha.

San Sebastián complete with CWT CWT organised an incentive trip to San Sebastián for an international group which stayed at one of the historical hotels of the city, the Hotel María Cristina. After discovering the old quarter and having dinner at La Cepa, they face the second day of work meetings in the hotel’s Zubia lounge, with lunch at the Easo restaurant in the hotel too. Meanwhile, those accompanying them visited the Balenciaga Museum in Getaria and the Chillida Leku Museum on a customised tour, accompanied by Luis Chillida.

Dinner brought both groups together at the Arzak restaurant, another of the country’s gastronomic heavyweights. The third day was spent discovering the surroundings of the city, Zarautz, Getaria and Zumia, with dinner at the Sociedad Gastronómica.

The fourth day took them to Monte Igueldo to see the Peine de los Vientos, and lunch to end the trip at the Asador Portuetxe.

Historic venues and culinary innovation Talisman organised the Convention “the notables” of insurer Catalana Occidente.

The Basque Culinary Center, centre for innovation of basque cuisine, hosted the woof the 250 guests. The banquet and awards ceremony took place in the church of San Telmo, which was decorated with a special lighting and logo of the client, with a concert by the famous local orquestra Orfeón Donostiarra. A final dinner in hotel María Cristina closed the convention.

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Basque Country Real Sociedad short breaks

It is one of the best-loved football teams in the country, and San Sebastián Tourism could hardly miss the opportunity to take advantage of this. It has just launched ‘Real Sociedad Short Breaks’. This original tourism promotion initiative takes advantage of the San Sebastian-based team’s ability to draw crowds at weekends who come to watch the team’s matches at the Anoeta stadium. The package includes entry to the VIP zone at the match, a two-night hotel stay with breakfast, and the tourist card which provides free or discounted access to cultural products or services.

Highlighted venues Kursaal Convention Centre: this spectacular building is formed by two translucent glass cubes and overlooks the Cantabrian sea. The venue has an auditorium for 1800 pax.

The Balenciaga Museum. This site offers presentation spaces and guided visits which shed light on the golden age of haute couture. The atrium can handle a cocktail reception for 1,000 pax or 850 seated guests. And the entrance hall is perfect for receptions of 400 people while the attic of the Aldamar building can host 40 pax.

Victoria Eugenia Theatre: one of the most emblematic buildings in San Sebastian, this theatre was opened in 1912 and transformed in 2007 into a scenic venue complete with the most modern equipment. It can hold 910 pax and has rooms for events for up to 195 pax.

The Aquarium: In addition to a 164-pax auditorium, it includes an area where 100 pax can enjoy a cocktail surrounded by interesting wildlife. And now dinners catered by the restaurant Bokado can be arranged with views of spectacular sharks! Its restaurant has a capacity of 80 pax seated banquet style or 120 for a cocktail reception.

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Bilbao

The second largest on the continent

The centrally-located Palacio de Congresos y de la Música Euskalduna which is the largest in the country with 58,200sqm and named the Best Convention Centre in the World in 2003, symbolizes the last ship built at the old Euskalduna Shipyard.

With 2,164 seats, the auditorium is complemented by the Theatre Hall with 613 seats, an exhibition area and one of the most well-known restaurants in the Basque Country with catering.

On the other hand, the Bilbao Exhibition Centre offers 150,000sqm with an 18,000sqm convention centre, halls for 2,500 people and a multi-purpose area called “Luxua”. Floor 24 in the Iberdrola Tower stands out with 1,000sqm of multi-purpose space 111 m high in the air. Other options include the modern Alhondiga, the hundred-year-old Arriaga Theatre, the Campos Elíseso Theatre which was built in 1901 and recently reformed, the Ilgner building which is a unique industrial site or the University of Deusto which allows for gatherings in closed cloisters in the auditorium.

No one has ever taken advantage of an opportunity as Bilbao did back in 1997 with the opening of the Guggenheim which revolutionized the city including the recovery of the estuary and a face lift to make it friendlier. An economic, urbanistic and environmental change that brought about the rebirth of this industrial city.

It has gone from an industrial pole to a cosmopolitan city that boiling over with culture all while maintaining its dynamism and parliamentary tradition. This baggage has left it not only with its 4,000 hotel rooms, but also a series renovated infrastructures for events such as the Euskalduna Palace, the Bilbao Exhibition Centre, the Iberdrola Tower, the Guggenheim, the Arriaga Theatre and the Alhondiga.

Well-connected with a very strong personality and reputable culinary fame, it’s a city where luxury gastronomic incentive trips work very well.

Rural Basque sports for an insurance company.

Local traditions offer a lot to play with. Terra Consultoría organized a series of activities in Bilbao for the executives of an insurance company which included cutting wood and lifting stones as well as exhibition matches by the best pelotaris in the world.

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Basque Country Activities Surroundings. The dmc STI proposes incentive trips including tours of the city with special attention on its architecture and structures such as the Bizkaia Suspension Bridge (declared Heritage of Mankind by the UNESCO), as well as excursions in the surrounding area, amongst others to the peninsula of Sant Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo fishing port, following the Mundaka estuary to the small marina which is the centre of the Urdaibai Reserve.

Los 139,000 participants in the Bilbao BBK Live festival were able to put into practice everything that was recreated on the Leyendas Nivel Bilbao website. At the Heineken stand, those attending were able to pose for a photocall, to smash a guitar against an amplifier and, the final test, to launch themselves into the audience like the greats. What’s more, those who created their rock band on the website were able to see the posters with their photos decorating the walls of Bilbao.

A walk through the old quarter, the suburban development or the 21st century city. Several local DMC organize walking trips or estuary boat trips.

The gastronomy Mecca. Whether with popular tapas routes or at high-society restaurants (many, many Michelin stars have been awarded in the region), you must take advantage of its gastronomic fame and give in to the local proposals.

Luxury cars at an old fortress. The DMC Bilbao Paso a Paso proposes a visit to the Loizaba Tower in the Concejuelo Castle, a fortress that hides a collection of classical cars.

ITB dmc offered a group of clients of a German insurance company the experience of an immersion in Basque cultured at the hands of the Genius Agency. Some of the activities included tapas in the old quarter, a master class by Eneko Atxa at the 3 Michelin star Azurmendi restaurant and a visit with exclusive dinner in the Guggenheim.

Large medical congresses such as the Paediatrics or Gynaecology congresses are just some of the meetings coming to el Euskalduna this year, but the city also holds cultural meetings such as the El Sol publicity festival or the ICOT 2015, on the application of thought to Education, Enterprise, Art and Sport.

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Euskalduna Conference Centre: it unveiled a 2,200sqm new space extending into the interior esplanade. This structure will give a brand new look to the cityscape while capitalising on existing pedestrian access and loading areas, improving the facility’s connectivity. The new space will sit under a large metallic covering which will shelter a variety of different halls which can be converted into a large space for over 400 people.

Activities Alhondiga Bilbao: this old modernist wine warehouse was declared a “Cultural Property” by the Basque Government. Now, it is celebrating 100 years of existence after the restoration of its facade and interior, including new areas built under the supervision of Philippe Starck. This urban space, sober but original, is full of surprises.

The Torre Iberdrola, is a reference point for sustainable businesses and it is open for events: the Business Center has five halls totalling 320sqm. The 24th floor has an open space of 1,000sqm with 100m height and offers spectacular views.

The Campos Elíseos Theatre, which dates to 1901, was restored in 2011. Featuring the latest technology in its various meeting rooms, this modernist building is also protected as a building of architectural and cultural significance.

Guggenheim Museum: a unique environment for prestigious meetings. It has three areas for events: the atrium, the auditorium and the hall. Booking the venue requires being a corporate member of the museum.

Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC): with a total of 18,000sqm and a usable surface of 5,500sqm divided in three areas, this facility has room for up to 2,500 pax. It is 10 minutes from the centre of Bilbao.

LIGHTING

Vari Lite Avolites Martin CM Lodestar Milos

Immersion in the local culture for a German group ‘Enjoying local festivals was the proposal that was taken up by 150 guests from a German company.

This meeting, organised by ITB dmc, in Laguardia by the Centro Temático del Vino Villa-Lucía had a program full of surprises in which maximum importance was given to the attendees’ immersion in the local culture, promoting contact with local bodega owners, preservers and farmers so that they soak up the atmosphere and tradition of the area.

On their arrival at Laguardia, the Mayor received them at the viewpoint, giving them ‘txapelas’, showing them the traditional dances and offering them cava, wine and hors d’oeuvres. Bagpipers and dancers, giants and big heads, street parades to the tune of Txistus-Trikis, the municipal band, and stilts, a real spectacle, with the whole town involved in the event. Finally they arrived at the square where they tables had been prepared outside and where they had dinner surrounded by all of the elements of the local folklore.

Technical design and production management in shows and events Rental and staging (sound, video, lighting, rigging)

SOUND

EAW D&B Audiotechnik Yamaha Digidesign Shure

VIDEO

Christie Pioneer Extron JVC

Avda. txorierri 46 Pab. 2 A - 48150 Sondika - Vizcaya Tlfno 944 711 579 - Fax 944 710 551 - audiomic@audiomic.com

2015

www.audiomic.com

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Valencia Where else in the world will you find a city with inhabitants dedicating months to build huge and carefully elaborated figures—las fallas—to satirically represent reality and then burn them all in a single night of madness? Valencia is excessive, cheerful and special, but is also boasts important infrastructures for events. In recent years, it has specialized in hosting major sports and cultural events.

Exploramás offers a range of teambuilding activities with which to enjoy Valencia’s beach life. One of these activities involves building rafts, where teams battle against the sea and their competitors. After building the rafts using rope, empty drums and planks of wood, the teams race each other to prove how sturdy their creations are. Another exercise is the Ultimate Frisbee Challenge, where teams of players enjoy this sport in the fresh air.

Vodafone, Bayer, Heineken and Roche are just some of the labels that have chosen Masía Xanandreu as the venue for their events in Valencia. This traditional 19th century orange grove estate is surrounded by beautiful gardens and boasts its own kitchen and a number of halls with an expanse of up to 1,400sqm.

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YEARS passion for events

Agata Puigmal

Alex Barbero

Andrés Zavala

Bea Osorio

Carmen Mallavibarrena

Carmen Sanchez

Carolina Ulloa

Cristina Muñoz

Elena Lea

Eric Mottard

Esperanza Iglesias

José G. Aguarod

Laura G. Velasco

Lynn Wong

Maria Leone

Mónica García

Nabila Khtira

Noemí Ordoñez

Neus Duran

Pilar Lafuente

15 years helping international meeting professionals to organize their events in Spain Since year 2000, Grupo eventoplus has been connecting both planners and suppliers to do business together. Its online directory, eventoplus.com has over 1,100 suppliers and 60,000 monthly visits.

More info: info@eventoplus.com | (+34) 93 272 09 27 |

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Activities Bike Tour along the Turia River: Valencia has a river that has been turned into a park. On bike, you can follow the river to its delta, where the City of Arts and Science is located.

Fallas Team: Dreams&Adventures offers visitors the chance to learn the art of building Fallas in workshops given by master falleros. The aim is to build one of the traditional Valencian figures known as Ninots and to compete for it to be the only Ninot that does not get burnt to the ground on the great day of the Cremà. Out of all the teams taking part, only one Ninot can win and the choice will depend on the figure’s originality and quality.

Mercedes Benz models One of Spain’s most spectacular venues, the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia by Calatrava, has been turned into the Mercedes Benz Campus for five months to host the presentation of the new S, E, CLA and AMG models. The German brand was eager to introduce these new models to its sales force in Europe, Asia and Africa, as well as potential customers. To do so, it organised a spectacular event in cooperation with Events&Co, which meant shipping over 500 vehicles for the presentation and dynamic tests, 400 dealers per day working back-to-back, and a total of 16,000 visitors. And to add to the challenge, the event was scheduled at the same time as Valencia’s major festivities: the Fallas. This was the first time Mercedes chose to hold the event in the heart of a big city and with so many visitors, having usually preferred off-season holiday resorts.

Over 250 of Mercedes’ own staff members were commissioned to the event, in addition to hosts and hostesses, cleaning staff, bus services and four hotels within walking distance of the CAS to cater for 25,000 overnight stays. The brand new vehicles spent the night parked up at the CAS car parks, which were rented out on an exclusive basis. During the day, they were displayed on platforms over the water features on the venue’s south esplanade and walkway. The S and CLA models were showcased side by side at the Prince Felipe museum hall, which was equipped with the latest technology, interactive programs, giant screens and designer backdrops to match the architecture. The new E model and the AMG sports model were on show in the Ágora, a huge amphitheatre with rooms for workshops.

The first day began with an opening ceremony in the Ágora amphitheatre, followed by a presentation and training session on the E model, workshops, tests drives, models showcased by the competition and dinner in the centre of Valencia. On day two, the S and CLA models were presented, together with workshops, followed by the AMG model. After lunch at the CAS, transfer services began to head back to the airport using CLA vehicles and other competitors’ vehicles.

Paella Cooking Show in la Albufera, with a walk through a nature reserve, a visit to rice paddies and a class where participants learn how to make Valencia’s star dish—la paella—at a traditional Valencian house.

Sampling Tour at the Central Market: one of the city’s most interesting culinary activities is a visit to the Central Market, where guests can experience a tasting of local products or a tour through the various stands.

The Feria Valencia Events Centre has hosted the 2nd edition of the Diabetes Experience Day, which drew in over a thousand attendants. This year, Feria Valencia has also hosted the 18th National Congress of the Spanish Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology, the Jehovah’s Witness Assembly and the European Optical Fibre Congress

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Valencia

The Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, the Hemisfèric, the Umbracle, the Ágora and the Oceanogràfic have numerous indoor and outdoor areas These are some of the venues available at the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia, an impressive location for events in the area.

Creativity, lavishness and spectacular venues all converge in this Mediterranean city. In addition to attractions such as the Museum of Arts and Science, the annual Fallas festivities and a programme packed with huge sporting and cultural events, Valencia is also one of Spain’s top destinations for major healthcare and motor vehicle events.

La Rambleta is a fusion of art, entertainment and gastronomy in different settings, including an auditorium with 650 seats, a terrace and the SUMA restaurant (with 1 Michelin Star)

One of the most attractive and innovative incorporations for events is to dine among sharks, which is a possibility at the impressive Oceanographic Museum. The stars of the aquarium are sharks and stingrays; guests have the privilege to observe these creatures first hand during any event held there. This double structure is connected by a 30 meter, transparent acrylic tunnel, thus facilitating a full view of submarine fauna. Likewise, the 585 square meter interior area has an 80-seat capacity, or 150 in the case of a cocktail.

Inaugurated in 2003, the Oceanographic Museum is the largest marine center of Europe. The Mar Rojo Auditorium, with an oval-shaped amphitheater format, with two huge panoramic aquariums, each 24 meters in length, or the underwater restaurant are but a few of the exciting space on offer.

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Over 1500 European dermatologists at the Events & Conference Centre Valencia’s Events & Conference Centre was chosen as the venue for the 12th European Academy of Dermatologists and Venereologists Spring Symposium, which brought together more than 1500 specialists. The event produced a financial impact of €2.5 million.

The Centre will also host the 26th Congress of the Spanish Society of Diabetes, the International Headache Congress, the 37th National Congress of Spanish Primary Healthcare Practitioners, the National Meeting of the Spanish Society of Haematology and Haemotherapy, and the 60th Congress of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmaceutics, which are expected to attract over 10,000 professionals to Valencia in the coming year.

Highlighted venues

Simply EXCELLENT

The City of Arts and Science: it is the flagship of the city’s renovation. It includes auditoriums, an aquarium, and the Palace of Arts, all located along almost two kilometers, following the Turia Riverbed and with a 350,000 square meter surface area.

Discover an impressive country estate for your events in Valencia!

With 8 outdoor areas, 5 meeting rooms of different capacities (only one of them for up to 1,200 pax in banquet), and own high quality cuisine. Very well connected and great service. You will be surprised!

The “Golden Triangle”: this area is made up of the central market, the Llotja de Mercaders and the church of Santos Juanes, and is one of the most beautiful areas of the city.

The Valencia Conference Centre: designed by Norman Foster, it can host 4,000 guests, with 1,480 in the main hall. In 2013, the facility will be improved and expanded.

Feria Valencia: this trade show venue has expanded and offers 231,000sqm. It also features an impactful convention center with a 5,000-person capacity.

+34 96 363 84 43 info@masiaxamandreu.com www.masiaxamandreu.com Quality in event services certified by ISO 9001:2000 e ISO 14000:2004

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Zaragoza The Zaragoza Events & Conference Centre spans over 22,000sqm with its exhibition area, entrance hall, 19 meeting rooms and an auditorium which holds 1400 guests.

Logistics and location are two of Zaragoza’s key advantages, as a traditional crossroads between Madrid and Barcelona set against the spectacular backdrop of the Monegros desert. This provincial capital is the fifth largest city in Spain and is extremely proud of its local traditions. In recent years, the city has set its sights on drawing in Chinese audiences by hosting a number of seminars and press trips and by teaching local hotels and venues how to adapt to their Asian guests’ requirements. A smart move in specialisation.

All this is complimented by the fact that this 2,000-year-old city has been coloured by nearly all the cultures that dominated the Iberian Peninsula over that period. Each one left its own unique mark on the city’s rich architecture and culture and has resulted in the perfect backdrop for the modern architecture of Expo 2008, located on the banks of the great Ebro River.

Zaragoza is the capital of Spain’s Chinese Friendly cities. With this in mind, it has organised conferences with 200 experts to discuss how to offer the best possible services for this target audience, as well as arranging a number of excursions to reach out to and attract this audience. Travel agency managers, Chinese embassy representatives and specialised journalists are among the guests who have been invited to discover the city’s appeal for the Chinese audience.

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Geography alone makes it special: half way between Madrid and Barcelona, and a stone’s throw from the incredible Pyrenees Congress City Zaragoza’s location and accessibility (on the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed train line) make it the perfect city for events. Some of the city’s major events in recent months included the European Forum for Industry and Entrepreneurship, with 1000 attendants, the 2014 Web Congress, with a further 1000 attendants, the 7th International Congress on Occupational Risk Prevention, with 1500 attendants, and the Zaragoza Maker Show, with 1000 attendants.

Activities

Highlighted venues

The Parque del Agua (Water Park) offers adventure sports: rafting, golf, train, bike and water-laser games.

The PabellĂłn Puente (Pavilion Bridge) links the whole Expo area with the Almozara. It will be used for exhibitions.

Enjoy the 5,000 square meters of beach by the Ebro river, with silica sand, a swimming pool in the river and a 1,000 square metre terrace for cocktails.

The Spanish Pavilion, with a structure that looks like a forest, is sustainable and will be the future home of the national centre for climate change.

A walk in the clouds: travel by cable car with a unique view over the Ebro river and the Expo. A Kodak moment‌

The Aragon Pavilion resembles a wicker basket. This building created over three structural cores is now a ministry of the local government.

The Expo Palace of Congresses has been naturally transformed into the Congress Hall of the city.

A route by the river? The city has four different river courses and offers several boats for groups.

Learn how to make wines, travelling to the small cities with a great wine culture and enjoying traditional cuisine at Casa Domino, a classic restaurant, or Casa Juanico with a traditional menu.

Zaragoza was chosen

by Volkswagen for the recent unveiling of the seventh version of its legendary Golf anuncio ingles 2015.pdf

1

06/05/15

The Torre del Agua (Water Tower), 76m high, channels the water of the Expo site, creating a circuit in which various activities can be performed. It will be used as a museum.

Hotel Palafox: has a business centre for up to 800 people, plus a conference room with 375 seats.

Fine Wines and Vineyards: winery museum with place for 80 pax.

Plaza de Toros: one of the oldest in Spain. It has an adjacent building to the arena of about 475 square metres and has capacity for more than 10,000 pax.

11:20

Palacio de Congresos de Zaragoza

The best option.

Be Welcome!

Palacio de Congresos is located in the most emblematic and modern area in Zaragoza.

The city enjoys a strategic situation within the Peninsula, conveniently situated between Madrid and Barcelona.

The venue joins architectural design, funcionality and versatility, offering the possibility to hold both small and large-scale audience events.

+ 34 976 976 441 www.palaciocongresoszaragoza.es

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Balearic Islands Ibiza Photo: Xescu Prats

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There is no doubt that Ibiza is the world capital of nightclubs, where DJs make a name for themselves. Its chillout lounges by the sea and unrivalled nightlife are still its main attractions. But the truth is that Ibiza also houses a number of fabulous venues for daytime events and has an increasingly longer season, which allows conferences and conventions to be held outside of the summer months, as well as a wider array of activities.

Ibiza is maturing and its appeal is growing. This is partly thanks to a rise in the number of flights to this destination and to the willingness of the local authorities to help organisers with the logistics, which includes cordoning off roadways for the island’s popular vehicle shows and so on. Not to mention the huge variety of hotels and restaurants, which has risen significantly in the last few years. And with its new congress centre (with a 437-seat auditorium and 14 halls), the destination is opening to mid-sized congresses.

Dreams & Adventures provides a variety of the Island’s most unique leisure options. For instance, Nautical Activities has an interactive course on meteorology and radio communication at the Meteo & Radio station, followed by a trip out on a sailing boat. Meanwhile, Ibiza Hippy Rally has visitors zooming around Ibiza’s hippiest locations in a Citroen 2CV. Each team is kitted out with one of these two-horsepower vehicles, hippy outfits and a backpack full of gear, including a Nikon camera and a pedometer, ready to set out on the course and explore the island. At Ibiza Food & Cooking, visitors will learn how to cook up a traditional Borrida de Rajada, a very popular dish in Ibiza and Formentera, as well as concocting Mallorcan and Ibizan “herbes”, which is a spirit which contains up to thirty different herbs.

Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza One of the major new additions to the island is the Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza, which boasts four restaurants, a 600sqm conference hall and a terrace overlooking the sea, making it the perfect venue to host events. Next month, it will be hosting the IMS (International Music Summit) for the second year running. This is an example of the type of events the island specialises in thanks to its longstanding tradition as a leisure destination.

Wella, Pepsi, Red Bull and Bird&Bird are just some of the brands that have chosen the Hard Rock Hotel to host their events. Heineken, for instance, booked the venue for its last distributor convention, with 500 attendees. In addition to the convention’s programme, attendants were able to discover Ibiza’s old quarter, known as Dalt Vila, and visit a number of the island’s trendiest locations and bars. Its list of activities include a series of events that are strongly linked to the island’s atmosphere. One of the most popular is the music mixing workshop, where visitors become DJs for the day. Where better than Ibiza?

With two Michelin stars, chef Paco Roncero brings his innovative “Sublimotion” gastro-sensory show concept to Ibiza at the Hard Rock Hotel.

This experience, which is limited to 12 guests a night, takes place in a unique area where different ambiences can be recreated and sensations can be evoked. Advanced systems to generate chromatic atmospheres, control the temperature and humidity of the room and aromatize the area under a musical sequence designed for the occasion are the tools used to create this unique experience. Diners travel to a world of sensations from the North Pole where they try a cold snack they make in their very own iceberg to the most Baroque Versailles. An exclusive experience: 18,000 euros per table. Agency Vega Factory co-designed the experience and produces it.

Nestled in Santa Eulalia bay, just a stroll away from the Events & Conference Centre, lies the 5* Me Ibiza, which first opened the doors to its 179 rooms in June 2014. The hotel is home to the Nikki Beach club.

Among the prestigious events hosted at this international beach venue are the Yacht Party, Moonlight Dinners, Sunset BBQ and the Champagne World Tour.

Ibiza Mediterranean Grand Prix The Ibiza Mediterranean Grand Prix is a symbol of glamour, speed, excitement and pure competition, both on- and off-shore. The event consisted of a Class-1 race – the Formula 1 of the sea – and a Class Pro Aquabike competition. The audience watched these races from the beach clubs on Playa d’en Bossa, and some were even fortunate enough to watch up close. InMediaStudio Comunicación provided 360º coverage by using rigs. These circular structures were used to support six GoPro cameras and take shots of the competition from every possible angle. This produced interactive videos for people to watch from all angles and using any device.

The day before the event, the vessels and their crews paraded around the streets. The Class 1 powerboats were mounted on trailers and wheeled all across the island encouraging the audience to take part in the events lined up for the coming days.

Every day, a different club was chosen as the official lounge for VIPs, press and crew members to use as their paddock by the Marina in Ibiza.

The Marina also hosted an after-dark exhibition of free-style navigation and a gala dinner with crew members. Parties were also organised at the Ushuaia hotel and Racing Circus Beach Paddock Club for attendants to get a taste of the 360º race experience.

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Ibiza en Globo offers visitors a bird’s eye view of the island from a hot air balloon.

Legends Classic Motorcycles Ibiza takes adventurers on a tour to discover the “other side” of Ibiza straddling a classic Vespa. Visitors can choose from a number of routes, including the Sunset tour, Café tour and Classic Tour.

Majorca When it comes to incentive trips, the island offers a vibrant selection of activities matched only by its rich and vibrant variety of scenery.

This island combines charming cities, rugged mountains and beautiful beaches. All this is packed into a space where the longest trip in a straight line takes about an hour. With its new Exhibition & Conference Centre and new venues, Mallorca has plenty of fresh options for 2015.

No hay duda: Ibiza is the destination for nighttime events. Paraddax is one of the firms behind many of the shows that set the Island’s nights on fire. The pictures show an example of one of these spectacles, organised by the local agency Remedio Sin Receta. Paraddax also rendered its creative services during the 2013 opening of the Nikki Beach Ibiza club and a number of opening and closing ceremonies at the Ushuaia Ibiza hotel.

The biggest of the Balearic Islands may sound to you like a destination overrun with tourism. There’s no denying that its airport (the third most important in Spain) is the gateway for more than 20 million travellers every year, each one happy to come and enjoy one of the most pleasant places in Europe.

But the island is large enough to surprise you with unexpected quiet places, both inland and on its stunning shores, and its increasingly offers of activities and venues for meetings. Whatever way you’d like to experience Majorca, one thing everyone can be sure of is that it’s an island with lots of personality. It has ancient history as well as its own language, cuisine and distinct identity. Majorca truly is a meeting point of cultures and civilisations.

This April, work on the Exhibition & Conference centre has concluded, which means its auditoriums are ready to seat 2000 and 500 people, its event halls can now welcome 400 people each and its neighbouring hotel has 268 rooms at their disposal.

Another novelty is the Hipotels Hipocampo Palace, which reopened its doors in early February after a thorough makeover, as did the Andratx Golf, a five star hotel with 162 rooms located right beside the Dorint Royal Golfresort & Spa in Camp de Mar. The Castillo Hotel Son Vida also reopened in March with fully refurbished conference halls.

The Es Castell restaurant, which overlooks the Palma bay, has also been overhauled.

With all this nature on hand, it’s easy to see why Majorca has been so successful in impressing visitors Es Revellar is now open! This 600-year-old “art resort” estate spans over 76,000sqm. Es Revellar is a private art centre with a variety of exhibition spaces both in and out of doors. The estate comprises twelve buildings, including a Romanesque cloister with a chapel and porticoed courtyard, a natural stone gallery, a Mediterranean garden and a palm tree oasis. The venue is able to host events of all kinds, from banquets for 400 guests to meetings for 200 attendants.

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Activities The agency iVents organises team building activities in jeeps or drop-top convertibles where guests can explore the most beautiful corners of the island.

Menorca, Formentera Menorca created its own convention bureau and offers some interesting venues, such as the 19th century Fortalesa d’Isabel II and La Mola. Other options include Ses Pedreres de s’Hostal and Lítica, two old rock quarries converted into natural and cultural spaces that include impressive stone landscapes, labyrinths and gardens. And don’t forget the Cova d’en Xoroi, a discotheque-cave in Cala’n that literally hangs from a cliff.

And don’t forget Formentera, the smallest and quietest of the four. This little island is perfect for exploring during a one-day cycling tour from Ibiza. Go Formentera offers activities to fully enjoy it: abseiling with speleology combining vertical descents down the Mola cliffs and the exploration of caves heard of in old legends.

After group training in abseiling, climbing and speleology techniques, they descended the vertical walls to move on into the caves.

Another option is to descend from a cliff in the Es Capa area to be “rescued” in the water by a sailboat where you can enjoy an appetizer and then discover the most beautiful spots along the coast while observing the sunset. To end the day, why not have dinner on the beach in Illetas with spectacular views and the sound of the waves in the back?

Majorca is also very attractive for equestrian tourism, a perfect option for nature lovers who want to enjoy beautiful rural and coastal environments on horseback.

Board a private boat at the Port de Sóller and take your group to discover the hidden coves of the area.

See craftsmen work in the Passeig de l’Artesanía de Palma in Sa Gerreria, one of Majorca’s oldest neighbourhoods. The traditional handicrafts were recuperated from medieval trades and are now showcased in 15 workshops.

Ibiza

Formentera

Creative events

Event management

Incentives

Teambuilding

Designing experiences

Ibiza & Formentera creative emotions & unforgettable events

2015 S P E C I A L S P Awww.global-star-events.com IN FOR EVENTS 89 info@global-star-events.com Ibiza, Ctra. Santa Eularia km 3,3, 07840 Santa Eularia del Río, Oficina:(+34) 971 338 137

Canary Islands The archipelago lies close to the Equator but far from tropical storms, which makes this the best location in Europe for setting up state-of-the-art telescopes. In La Palma and Tenerife there are laws governing pollution levels and airways to ensure that the skies are as clear as can be. Moreover, both islands offer various stargazing options – several of which are new this year – in unique settings and accompanied by a cocktail or meal.

An extreme landscape for extreme motivation. The Canary Islands are rich in natural diversity, which makes them a land of many extremes. So much so that Bestial Events has launched the Bestial Series to offer the brave a taste of the extreme crossfit experience: mud, obstacles and physical exertion. The Bestial Race took place in December in Las Coloradas, a military facility in Gran Canaria, and attracted roughly one thousand contestants. The activity can be tailored in order to suit your event.

Las Palmas The Lopesan hotels are just a few minutes from the ExpoMeloneras conference centre, which makes it possible to combine the two places for transfer-free events. The resort also includes the Lopesan Baobab Resort, the Lopesan Costa Meloneras, the Lopesan Villa del Conde and IFA Faro.

Sipping cocktails atop Mount Teide under one of the world’s starriest skies, a spectacular new aquarium as an events venue, or an ‘Indiana’ dinner out in the open air of La Palma – these are just some of the treats that the Canary Islands have in store for visitors. The history of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote is alive with tales of aboriginal tribes, colonists, pirates and Christopher Columbus. The islands also boast fabulous conference and events halls, a wide range of accommodation options, stunning landscapes and a network of roadways that all together make them the perfect setting for vehicle launches. Also worthy of note are the islands’ sustainable development strategies – El Hierro, for instance, is the world’s first 100% energy sustainable island. How’s that for a “green” and very exotic incentive to travel without leaving the continent?

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‘Indiana’ Meals. The Palma Princess Hotel – which boasts 625 rooms and six conference halls – is famous for its ‘Indiana’-themed meals. Indiana is the name given to Spanish emigrants who set sail towards American lands in search for a better life and then returned with their riches. Visiting groups are donned with ‘Indiana’ hats and are welcomed to the sound of Cuban music and cocktails prior to enjoying a themed meal. To round off the evening, there will be cane rum and a fun fiesta.

Gran Canaria

Adventures and traditions. The agency ITB took a Michelin group of 70 people on a complete experience on Gran Canaria. During the first activity, the Jeep Safari & Camel Trekking, the exploration of the island on jeeps was combined with a ride through the dunes on camels followed by a VW Beatle race with all the equipment of professional drivers…quite the adrenaline rush! The pace decreased for the second part of the incentive trip in line with the local farming artisan activity. Upon arriving at a farm, the participants made their own cheese in pairs from native goats (a month and a half later they would receive it at their homes).

The evening offered a wine tasting session.

Gran Canaria has seen the events market take off in recent years thanks to its great air connections to Europe as well as other factors that give it an advantage: the maximum distance to travel never exceeds 80 km meaning incentive trips can be organized to experience several climates from desert dunes to volcanic craters or even ice-covered peaks in just one day. An exceptional destination for golf and nautical-based incentive trips, the climate has converted it into a top international destination for winter meetings with sports and outdoor activities but also for congresses aiming to add a relaxed setting to the workdays.

Very professional relaxation: this island located just 200 km from Africa boasts three convention centers and unique places for events such as the inside of a cave, colonial country estates surrounded by banana plantations or even the “Gabinete Literario” cultural building. Also worth taking advantage of is its rich past including aborigines, colonists, pirates and Columbus’ voyages, all of which provide for the organization of themed incentive trips.

One of the most noteworthy venues in Gran Canaria is the Poema del Mar Aquarium. With over seven million litres of saltwater and freshwater tanks, this is one of Europe’s most impressive aquaria, housing 300 different species of animals. It also boasts beautiful gardens and several events areas.

There is no shortage of underwater activities to enjoy on the islands all year round. Gran Canaria is also one of Spain’s pioneering destinations for golf ever since it opened the country’s first golf course in 1891, and boasts a number of excellent courses.

Activities Look for treasure in the Vegueta Neighbourhood: Various teams need to answer some questions and meet challenges related to the city of Las Palmas, its monuments, its cuisine and its important personalities. Oh, did we mention the thrill of finding a treasure?

‘Beach Olympics’ on the Maspalomas Dunes. A group of visitors from a Norwegian company came to spend five days in the Canaries in search of a whole host of outdoor activities. The location chosen

by Ineventing to satisfy this request were the stunning sand dunes of Maspalomas. At the foot of the lighthouse, a series of team beach activities were arranged for the group.

Town to Town: this adventure involves navigating a car through the island and trying to discover various checkpoints along the way, based on a scenario. At these locations, participants will discover various aspects of the island’s living history, including cultural heritage or local crafts. After the specific points are found, guests will have to complete a quiz about the island.

The Alfredo Kraus Auditorium on Gran Canaria combines architecture with a unique seaside location

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Highlighted venues Alfredo Kraus Auditorium: located in front of the capital city’s Las Canteras beach, it combines striking architecture and a great location to provide a unique coastal environment.

Gran Canaria Congress Centre: located in Las Palmas, it offers garden spaces and a diverse range of halls for events, totalling more than 7,500sqm.

Maspalomas Congress Centre: a modern building in the south of the island, it offers 24 conference rooms with electronic screens and mobile stages.

Hacienda de Anzo: this old colonial mansion is suitable for small events. The La Cueva room is located in a natural cave that has been adapted to accommodate 250 pax.

Tenerife

Pure adrenaline in Gran Canaria for General Electric Oil General Electric Oil gathered together employees from all over the world in Gran Canaria to hold a team building exercise based on sheer adrenaline courtesy of Ineventing. First up, employees hit the race course in Maspalomas in their VW Beatle cars, where they were clad in jumpsuits and helmets to battle for success in teams. The following day it was time for wind, ocean spray and tactics!

Equipped with sailing gear, they took the helms of their vessels in a regatta and were even tasked with the challenge of climbing onto a buoy! At the end, a delicious paella awaited them on the beach.

Tenerife is by no means behind in venues or proposals for event activities… The main historical attractions are concentrated in the north of the island and Santa Cruz welcomes a large number of the congresses organized as it offers elegant hotels for groups such as the renovated Grand Mencey and event facilities with views of the city and sea in addition to the Tenerife Auditorium. Just a few km from Santa Cruz is La Laguna, the university and old quarter of which have been named World Heritage Sites, and somewhat further to the west is El Puerto de la Cruz which is the centre of the entire northern coast and generally of volcanic and black sand origins.

The island’s must-sees? The Teide National Park and San Cristobal de La Laguna, not to mention sailing excursions and whale watching.

However, the true novelty is the chance to sip on a cocktail atop the actual summit of Mount Teide, Spain’s highest peak. A stylish way to enjoy Tenerife’s two star attractions: stunning skies and volcanic landscapes.

The evening begins with a private group ascent up to Mount Teide’s highest station, where visitors can indulge in a glass of Canarian wine as they watch the red sunset bathe the volcanic landscape of the Teide National Park in a crimson glow. From that vantage point, the view spans the entire island and reaches all the way to La Gomera, La Palma, Gran Canaria and El Hierro. Following the magical sunset, the groups returns to the base station by cable car to savour a typical Canarian meal. Then, once night has fallen, they can choose to take part in a star-gazing experience. Expert guides unveil all the secrets of the sky and its constellations in a remote location free from light pollution, aided by professional telescopes.

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Highlighted venues

Activities

Bodegas Monje: In El Sauzal at 500m above sea level, this family-run winery has a group area with room for 100 people seated and an additional 50 for a cocktail reception.

Dive into a micro marine reserve supported by the Sustainable Ocean Association and PADI’s Project Aware. There, visitors can experience the beauty of the seabeds and participating in conservation projects.

Gran Meliá Resort Palacio de Isora: A deluxe five-star hotel that has been awarded Best Resort in Spain in the Condé Nast Traveller awards in 2012.

Finca La Gañania: this lovely rustic property has room for groups of up to 300 pax and is just 30km from Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Its gardens offer views of the north coast of the island and the El Teide Volcano.

Tenerife Auditorium: located in Santa Cruz, it is housed in an avant-garde building with a seating capacity of 1,600 pax.

Gran Bahía del Duque Resort: This Victorian-style 5* hotel lies just minutes away from the El Bobo beach, with 356 rooms.

The archipelago often hosts worldwide vehicle presentations, attracting multinational firms because of its road network and landscapes

Dreams & Adventures reveals all the thrills of the area surrounding the Güímar Pyramids by allowing visitors to explore the site in the way that Norwegian archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl did, when he discovered that our early ancestors were already intercontinental travellers. Visiting groups will come across a series of items that will lead them to measure various constructions, compare figures and objects and ultimately come to a final conclusion that they will have to present to the rest of the group.

Sky and Volcanos: Discover Experience offers guests the opportunity to enjoy a nocturnal hike to look at the night sky with professional telescopes.

Bioclimatic lodging: In the south of the island, the Renewable Energy Technology Institute offers 24 bioclimatic lodging units that are energy self-sufficient. This “village” has zero CO2 emissions, and makes a nice surprise for environmentally conscious participants. Incentive trips can also be complimented by 100% organic catering or educational activities such as accompanying a fisherman in his daily catch.

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El Hierro Fuerteventira Fuerteventura El Hierro: the world’s first 100% energysufficient island. The key ingredients here are wind and water. Thanks to the opening of the Gorona wind-water station, the island’s 100,000 inhabitants will be able to supply themselves with renewable energy. Environmental sustainability will reach its height in 2020, when all of the islands vehicles will be electric.

The islands offer the greatest landscape variety in Spain: volcanoes, white dunes, wild forests, cliffs, coffee bean plantations, lunar landscapes...

Tribal night and an erupting volcano for a German crowd A German insurance company decided to celebrate its annual gathering in Fuerteventura, so Ineventing arranged a programme of short meetings and plenty of activities for them to make the most of the island’s beaches. The icing on the cake came in the form of a tribal-themed dinner by the sea with an award ceremony, where the stage was suspended over a lagoon.

The meal and award ceremony began while the sun was still shining. Amid dishes and prizes, dancing and tribal jives, the imminent ‘volcanic eruption’ was announced, which finally took place after the meal and gave way to a great party on the sand.

The eruption consisted in a coordinated display of fireworks and four full-colour, high-power laser beams, a smoke machine and a variety of special effects in time with 10 minutes of music, fire dancing and effects that lit up the whole beach.

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A volcanic event in Fuerteventura Fuerteventura’s volcanic landscape and desert-like scenery were the backdrop for the Maxxium convention organised by Volcanic Events. A ‘smugglers’ party and sailing excursions are just some of the attractions on the programme. 200 guests flew in from Madrid to the island, where a barbecue and a very Mediterranean Larios party awaited them. To open the event, a Batman-style beam guided guests through the darkness towards the entrance, across the sea bridge, which was bathed in yellow light as a host of gin and tonics floated on the water’s surface.

On day two, the conference centre awaited them during the day and in the evening they set sail in a huge vessel. At sunset, the time came to release balloons on the sandy dunes of the vast Corralejo beaches, followed by a meal with a “pub, football and friends” theme sponsored

by DYC whisky. To conclude the evening, visitors were taken through the “kitchens” to the Cutty Sark ‘Smugglers’ party set in the times of Prohibition: old-fashioned cars, a burlesque show, electroswing music and more, all overlooking the island of Lobos.

On day three, the group travelled to the south of the island for an afternoon of kitesurfing, windsurfing, buggy sailing and massages at the Rene Egli School. The weather took an unexpected turn with 40 knot winds that tested the agency’s ability to respond, but in under two hours the entire Brugal Suspiro wellness party had been transferred to the gardens and pools of the Sheraton Hotel in Caleta de Fuste.

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Conventions don´t have to be conventional A business trip to Madrid seems less like hard work than most.

Sunny weather, conveniently located conference venues and gourmet lunches are just some of the bonuses for when you visit on business.

A er a busy day, Madrid’s famous museums and elegant stores are a great way to recharge before sampling the vibrant nightlife.

Relax over tapas in an outdoor café or dance until dawn. Whatever you do, Madrid is the business.

info.mcb@esmadrid.com (+34) 91 758 55 28 www.esmadrid.com/mcb

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