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Business
Business Profile
In business terms, Barcelona is on the up and up. Over the last decade, the city has fully utilised its potential as the gateway between Iberia and the rest of Western Europe – a theme that Barcelona is pushing more than ever in the new millennium. The city has re-established itself as a major Mediterranean port that can compete with the likes of Marseilles and Genoa, thanks in part to the Spanish Ports Law, which has given more independent control to the Autoritat Portuŕria de Barcelona.
Barcelona is one of the largest industrial centres of Spain, with a strong background in manufacturing based on textiles and a large motor industry – Nissan and Seat have vehicle production plants in the city. Along with the port, these are the main employers in the city. Consumer electronics and chemical and pharmaceutical research are other major industrial sectors and the city is also strong in design, publishing and advertising.
Although Barcelona has a stock market and a bond derivatives market it has failed to emerge as a major financial or banking centre to rival Madrid. It is, however, the country’s major convention and trade fair centre, with impressive facilities including Montjuďc 1 and 2, Avenida Reina M.Crisina (tel: (93) 233 2000; fax: (93) 233 2001), which catered for nearly two million visitors in 2002, as well as the state-of-the-art World Trade Center (tel: (93) 508 8000; fax: (93) 508 8010) at Port Vell.
The Olympic Games in 1992 was a pivotal event in business terms, as it provided the impetus and investment necessary to improve the infrastructure of the city through eight billion Dollars of investment. The games’ massive marketing project successfully promoted the city as an efficient, business-like centre and initiated a massive surge of investment in the hotel and tourism sector. In 1998 alone, a quarter of all foreign investment in Spain flowed into Barcelona. The city’s economy has been steadily growing over the past decade, reflected in an Arthur Andersen study for Fortune magazine in 2000, which ranked Barcelona’s economic progress third among cities of the world. Today, around 45% of all foreign visitors come to Barcelona on business. The number of tourists visiting the city has risen too, from 1.7 million in 1990 to over 3.3 million in 2002. Barcelona’s unemployment rate, standing at 6% in 2000, is considerably lower than Spain’s unemployment rate, which rose from around 9% in 2000 to 12.9% in 2002.
Eixample is the main business district, with Avenida Diagonal at the very heart of Barcelona’s business life. The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce is located here (tel: (902) 448 448; website: www.cambrabcn.es).
Business Etiquette
The business community in Barcelona is accustomed to hosting foreign visitors and many international business people speak English or French. Catalan is used in a business setting among native speakers; otherwise Castilian Spanish is used.
Business hours are generally 0800 or 0900 until 1800 or 1900, with an extended lunch break between 1330 and 1500 or 1600. These hours may vary depending on the size and type of organisation. Punctuality is important. Formal wear is the norm and both men and women should wear a suit for business meetings – men should also wear a tie. Business cards should be exchanged after introduction. All Spaniards have two family names – only the first is used in conversation but any academic or professional titles should be acknowledged.
Invites to homes are not common and clients or business associates tend instead to be invited out, usually to pre-dinner drinks and tapas or to dinner.
Business Services
Business Contacts: Barcelona Chamber of Commerce
Avinguda Diagonal 452-454, 08006 Barcelona
Tel: (93) 416 9300. Fax: (93) 416 9301.
E-mail: adminweb@cambrescat.es
Website: www.cambrescat.es
Spanish Chamber of Commerce (UK)
5 Cavendish Square, London W16 0LH
Tel: (020) 7637 9061. Fax: (020) 7436 7188.
E-mail: spanishchamber@compuserve.com
Website: www.spanishchamber.co.uk
Spanish Chamber of Commerce (USA)
Suite 2029, 350 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10118
Tel: (212) 967 2170. Fax: (212) 564 1415.
E-mail: info@spainuscc.org
Website: www.spainuscc.org
Spanish Embassy Commercial Office (Canada)
Suite 801, 151 Slater Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3
Tel: (613) 236 0409. Fax: (613) 563 2849.
E-mail: buzon.oficial@ottawa.ofcomes.mcx.es
Website: www.docuweb.ca/SpainInCanada
Commercial Office of the Embassy of Spain (Australia)
Suite 408, Edgecliff Centre, 203 New South Head Road, Edgecliff, NSW 2027
Tel: (02) 9362 4212. Fax: (02) 9362 4057.
E-mail: buzon.oficial@sidney.ofcomes.mcx.es
Turisme de Barcelona
Rambla Catalunya 123, 08008 Barcelona
Tel: (93) 368 9700. Fax: (93) 368 9701.
E-mail: bcb@barcelonaturisme.com
Website: www.barcelonaturisme.com
The Barcelona Convention Bureau is a specialist department of Turisme de Barcelona. The BCB produces a congress guide in paper and CD-ROM formats with details of venues and facilities throughout the city. The Bureau can also give organisational advice, information on accommodation, business services and specialist agencies in the city as well as leaflets and brochures about Barcelona and general support for Convention delegates.
Convention and meeting planners
Barcelona Promoció
Palau Sant Jordi, Passeig Olímpic 5-7, 08038 Barcelona
Tel: (93) 426 2089. Fax: (93) 423 1516.
E-mail: barnapro@intercom.es
Website: www.barnapro.es
Barcelona Promoció organises a wide variety of events at the former Olympic venues.
BAC
Campo Florido 5456, 08027 Barcelona
Tel: (93) 243 0900 or 457 4555. Fax: (93) 243 0909.
E-mail: bac@bac-es.com
Convention and meeting venues
Fira de Barcelona
Avinguda Maria Cristina, 08004 Barcelona
Tel: (93) 233 2000. Fax: (93) 233 2386.
E-mail: construmat@firabcn.es
Website: www.construmat
The Barcelona Trade Fair is held annually at two massive exhibition sites on Montjuďc hill. Each site includes conference centres, exhibition halls, auditoriums, technical services, cafeterias, restaurants and numerous other facilities. Part of the exhibition complex is the Palau de Congressos de Barcelona (Barcelona Conference Centre) which has nine meeting rooms and a multi-purpose auditorium with superb facilities.
The Palau Sant Jordi sports hall in the Olympic Ring has the greatest capacity of any single indoor venue in the city and state-of-the-art support services. The Sala Barcelona 92 is a smaller venue used separately or as an annexe to the main exhibition space. The Estadi Olímpic de Montjuďc (Olympic Stadium) can also be hired for conventions, exhibitions, incentives and product launches.
Office equipment hire
BCN
Gran Via 556, 08011 Barcelona
Tel: (93) 451 8584. Fax: (93) 451 0511.
Secretarial service
Singular
Carrer Muntaner 318, 2ON 1A, 08021 Barcelona
Tel: (93) 414 1006. Fax: (93) 414 6390.
E-mail: admon@fingular.es
Translation service
Abacongress
Carrer Enamorats 85-87, 3ER 1A, 08013 Barcelona
Tel: (93) 247 8730. Fax: (93) 247 8731.
E-mail: admoaba@mente.com
Unusual conference venue
A uniquely Barcelona venue is Gaudí’s Casa Milá. The building houses the headquarters of the Caixa de Catalunya Cultural Centre but the auditorium and Sala Gaudí can be hired for conferences and other events.
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General
