As of 1 January, Madrid trade fair institution, IFEMA, will take charge of managing the Municipal Conference Centre (Palacio Municipal de Congresos) in the Campo de las Naciones district of Madrid. The move is part of IFEMA’s strategy to capture new conventions, as well as business, cultural and entertainment-related events.
Madrid City Hall’s decision to cede the centre’s management to IFEMA, was largely influenced by a 25-year business plan to attract large international events and reinforce Madrid’s wager on business tourism.
The centre is close to IFEMA’s own installations and space of 30,000sqm.
City Hall said it took into account IFEMA’s specialist sales and operations ability.
Clemente González Soler, President of IFEMA’s Executive Committee, said: “Managing this iconic space is going to multiply the institution’s activity in the MICE industry, especially in terms of capturing international events and, with that, reinforce Madrid’s positioning as one of the leading business tourism destinations”.
IFEMA has also commited to a 10m euro investment plan to modernise the conference centre’s facilities. The organisation believes the centre can deliver a potential economic impact of more than 300m euros annually.
The Municipal Conference Centre was designed by the Ricardo Bofill Architectural Studio and includes exhibition halls, an auditorium, a large, multifunction room and other halls.
The conference centre has hosted international events including International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, European Union, NATO and UN summits and medical, pharmaceutical and other professional and economic congresses.
