The District real estate investors fair expects 20% more attendees in third edition

Barcelona will host the third edition of The District, a real estate investors fair, which has sparked numerous protests over the past two years.

Organizers expect around 12,000 attendees, a 20% increase from last year’s figures, along with approximately 1,200 international investors and 400 speakers.

"More of the same, but a little bit more of everything," said Juan Velayos, the fair's president, during Tuesday's presentation. The District plans to continue with a similar approach to the first two editions, focusing on actual investments.

"We want The District to be a place where business and operations are discussed. We are negotiating with all the investment funds to bring them to Barcelona and engage in dialogue," he added.

In the first two editions of The District, many housing activists protested outside the exhibition halls. During the first year, some protesters forcefully entered the Montjuïc exhibition hall, prompting police intervention, while in the second year, demonstrators threw paint at attendees.

"Everybody has the right to demonstrate, but we have the support of the city council and locals, so we expect it to be a more peaceful event this year with no problem at all," Velayos added.

America's Cup

The District will coincide with the America's Cup sailing competition taking place in the capital until late October.

Promoters consider the coincidence to be "one of the biggest ads" that attract international investors and very important speakers.

"The America's Cup has been a key player, a magnet to bring international audiences to the event," Velayos said before explaining that "there is a lot of interest in being in Barcelona these days."

America's Cup started in August, and six teams compete for The Mug; however, many locals consider the event elite and have demonstrated several times against the championship.