Fira de Barcelona improves its results and reaffirms its international projection in 2012

Barcelona (ACN).- Fira de Barcelona, the Catalan capital’s trade fair complex, will end 2012 with a €115.9 million turnover, an improvement compared to 2011 and even more so compared to 2010. With international leading shows such as the Mobile World Congress, Alimentaria and the Smart City Expo, Fira de Barcelona competes at an international level with the world’s main trade fairs. In a press release, Fira de Barcelona reaffirms its “leadership in Spain in the area of industrial trade shows”. The company explains that the positive results in times of economic recession are thanks to its international profile and to its “innovation, diversification and containing its spending”.

Fira de Barcelona has forecasted a €115.9 million turnover for 2012, “practically the same” as in 2011, when they obtained €114.7 million in revenue. However, the amount is “significantly higher” than in 2010, when they got a turnover of €101.6 million. Its 2012 EBIDTDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) is expected to be around €11 million, “in line with the budgeted amount”. Fira de Barcelona has focused on strengthening “its innovating and economic energiser role”, with a clear international profile.

Fira de Barcelona stated in their press release that they have reaffirmed their “leadership in Spain in the area of industrial tradeshows”. In 2012, the Barcelona trade fair organised some of the main congresses in their category at a global level, such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Alimentaria, Smart City Expo, MIHealth and Seafood. Furthermore, Fira de Barcelona has been present in many shows organised in other trade show venues across the world.

The Mayor of Barcelona and President of the board of Fira de Barcelona, Xavier Trias, praised the institution’s role as “a platform for corporate sectors to make business and to meet”. He also emphasised “the importance that attracting and generating great events has for the city, as they create economic activity and they strengthen Barcelona’s brand”.

By the end 2012, the Fira venues in Montjuïc and in Gran Via will have hosted 61 trade shows and congresses, as well as 60 corporate, institutional, commercial or sporting events. Some of the main events have been the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Alimentaria, Saló Náutic, Hispack-Beta, Hostelco, EIBTM and the Smart City Expo, which has become the “unquestionable international reference” within its area. The MIHealth Forum that specialises in healthcare innovation and management  took place for the first time. Furthermore, Seafood, devoted to the fishing and aquiculture industry, has also been organised in the Catalan capital for the first time. In addition, through the Foundation of the Barcelona Mobile World Capital, Fira has also developed projects and activities related to Barcelona’s world capital status in mobile communications. On top of this, Fira de Barcelona has exported some of its shows to other countries throughout the world, such as Hosteleco to Shanghai, The Brandery to Singapur and Construmat to Brasil.

For 2013, Fira de Barcelona has cautiously forecast a low turnover, as it will be “a year of recession” and it will not host any tri-annual trade shows, and some of the main bi-annual ones will not be running either. Therefore, they have projected a €105 million turnover for next year, with 55 events in total. Furthermore, besides the regular shows, Fira de Barcelona will prioritise its scientific dimension and will be hosting several medical congresses, such as the main meetings of the European societies of Neurology, Respiration and Oncology as well the congress of the European association for the Study of Diabetes.