Spain’s business events prowess extends far beyond its powerhouse capitals of Barcelona and Madrid, though both cities continue to dominate international rankings. Barcelona led global conference standings in 2023 (ICCA delegates and Cvent destinations), whilst 2024 saw 2,000 events with 734,000 participants city-wide. The EU-funded BEFuture Project allocates €4.2m to enhance MICE sustainability across Catalonia, offering subsidies up to €30,000 per SME. Catalonia’s business events sector generates €1.55bn annually from 1.3 million visitors.
Madrid’s appeal centres on connectivity, with 192 direct air destinations via 76 airlines and Europe’s second-largest Metro. As the EU’s 5th largest economy by GDP and Europe’s second-safest capital, it hosts nearly 12,000 foreign companies. The Madrid Convention Bureau’s PLUS platform helps organisers measure environmental impact against UN Sustainable Development Goals, including CO2 calculations.
May 2025 brought approval for rebuilding Palacio de Congresos with 5,000+ seat capacity. Madrid surpassed Barcelona to reach 2nd place in American Express GBT’s 2025 Meetings & Events Forecast – driven by competitive hotel rates and its Latin American gateway status. Europe Congress will debut its Events Club Life Sciences Forum in Madrid this November.
Spain ranks fourth globally for business events (behind the US, China, and Germany), with resort cities and regional destinations increasingly targeting year-round MICE opportunities that complement the capitals’ established strengths.
High-speed trains
Recent years have seen it become much easier to travel quickly around Spain which boasts the second most extensive high speed train network in the world (behind only China). The Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) network offers rapid connections between major cities and has contributed to the growth of regional economies. The first high-speed line was opened back in 1992 connecting Madrid, Córdoba and Seville. Today delegates can land in Madrid and be in Seville two-and-a-half hours later. An extension to Cádiz was also completed and trains on the line can reach speeds up to 200kph. And the Antequera–Granada high-speed rail line is open following a €1.4bn investment.
Málaga: Making a new hub for MICE
Málaga, traditionally known for its beaches, is now making waves in the business events world. Technology is a big driver of business in the southern city, with some calling the area Spain’s Silicon Valley. Big investments and the arrival of multinational companies such as
Google are adding to that story. DES – Digital Enterprise Show (now in its seventh edition and organised by Nebext in collaboration with Málaga City Council and the Andalusian Regional government) is one huge technology event held at FYCMA (Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga) reflecting that strength.
Málaga is fertile ground also for business start-ups, ranking third in the country after Madrid and Barcelona. Airlift has also grown, Málaga connects not just with Europe but also North American destinations Montreal and New York, as well as Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain and
Kuwait in the Middle East. The region offers a rich variety of food and drink and from that flows an array of incentive programme possibilities. Specialist incentives houses deliver experiences for groups keen to sample Andalucian culture, cuisine and lifestyle – from tapas and paella making, visits to olive farms and wineries, to learning to be a bullfighter for a day.
Valencia: moving on up
Over on Spain’s eastern coast Valencia’s increased air connectivity and expanding accommodation offer are attractive in Spain’s third city
which also offers great value. Regional investment incentives are also available here via ERDF/European Funds for infrastructure and business/event projects that meet certain criteria.
The Palacio de Congresos and the City of Arts and Sciences are great options for hosting large conferences and events, with the latter complex able to hold 8,000 attendees and home to Europe’s largest aquarium, an exhibition space, a 3D digital cinema and an opera house. A 12-storey Novotel Valencia Lavant (former Expo Hotel) with 370 rooms with large meeting space also opened last year.
Another key factor in the rise of both Valencia and Málaga in the international MICE sector has been the proactive approach of their respective convention bureaus, DMCs, local PCOs and other industry suppliers. This all adds up to a first-class event ecosystem for international planners.
Artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sustainability, security and personalisation are hot sectoral topics driving meetings in Málaga, according to the CVB. As elsewhere in Spain, events incorporating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have seen a 30% increase in audience participation and satisfaction.
Valencia is 2024 European Green Capital and has over two million sqm. of gardens, including the Turia Garden and Parque Central. The city is set to host 400 sustainable events this year, including the already held Annual Forum of Energy Cities in June and a green marathon due to run in December. In 2020 Valencia became the first city in the world to certify the carbon footprint of its tourist activity and the Sustainable Tourism Strategy for the city is committed to achieving carbon-neutral tourism this year.
One exciting new venue opening this year is the Roig Arena, with a capacity for up to 13,000 attendees and an auditorium seating up to 750 people. In 2027 the Nou Mestalla stadium will open, a symbol of modernity and renaissance in the city.
In the latest ICCA City Rankings Valencia – branded a city of arts and sciences – sits third in Spain with 51 qualifying congresses.
Another story of EU funding is the European Zentropy MICE project, an initiative to move congress tourism towards a more sustainable model. A plan will be developed at the Valencia Convention Center over four years, with the aim of promoting socioeconomic development and the city’s green transition. Valencia was chosen – along with 21 other cities – by the European Commission to deploy the Zentropy MICE initiative with a budget of €5.25m, 80% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Some heavy hitting association congresses in the Valancia pipeline include the European Congress on Medical Physics and the 9th World Congress on Vascular Access in 2026, the XXVI Congress of Veterinary Specialties of AVEPA-GTA in 2027 and the 17th International Congress of the International Radiological Protection Association in 2028.
Alicante, meanwhile, is hopeful of getting a Congress Centre. The Valencian Generalitat, Alicante City Council, and provincial Council have approved a €100m Congress Centre (San Carlos project). However, construction is not likely to commence soon at Poniente dock, as obstaining permissions could stretch beyond 2026.
Benidorm, part of the Valencia region, has been busy in recent years promoting itself as a base for conferences and
events. Visit Benidorm has brought in the Assembly of the Spain Convention Bureau, the M&I Forum, Iberian MICE Forum and the 35th OPC Spain Congress. Benidorm boasts some of the most modern, high quality hotel infrastructure in the country. Its history as a top hospitality destination means that there is a good pool of well trained professionals. Benidorm and the wider Valencia region also offer an attractive environment for corporate events with a diverse offer of beaches, mountains and activities to appeal to a wide range of delegates. Benidorm is also certified as a Smart Tourism Destination.
Meeting Seville style
Andalucia’s capital Seville is a treasure trove of Moorish, Christian and Jewish architecture and the iconic Alcázar palace and Seville Tower are big draws with visitors who can try on their dancing shoes with some Sevillanas or attend a flamenco workshop in the city after conference hours.
The FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre has two main buildings occupying 50,000sqm and has hosted the MTV Music Awards and the Tourism Innovation Summit. Another of the city’s major venues is the Sevilla International Convention Centre. It is part of a complex including the five-star Barcelo Renacimiento Hotel, which features 295 renovated rooms. Other hotel gems include the Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Luxury Collection Hotel near the historic quarter of Santa Cruz. While the Hotel Silken Al-Andalus, has 600 rooms near the Plaza de España.
Córdoba: a UNESCO treasure
Staying in the region, and Córdoba, is the only city in the world with four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and its Palacio de Congresos de Córdoba sits in a 16th-century building. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Mosque-Cathedral includes all the streets and buildings around it, while the city’s Hospes Palacio del Bailío is a hotel featuring Roman baths and has 53 rooms and suites, as well as five meeting rooms.
Granada designs
Another Andalusian city, Granada, also boasts rich heritage and stunning landscapes. The local airport was expanded a couple of years ago and Granada Conference & Exhibition Centre has 24 meeting rooms and 15,000sqm of space, while the city’s Alhambra palace is a unique example of Islamic architecture. Incentive tours include hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Zaragoza’s bright future
The capital of Aragon is emerging onto the MICE market and lies handily between Madrid and Barcelona. The city’s landmarks include the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Aljafería Palace and the Roman Theatre. The Hotel Zentral Ave and the Hotel Habitat Center Los Girasoles are popular conference and event venues, while the convention centre, Palacio de Congresos de Zaragoza, offers 22,000sqm of exhibition space. The city is no slouch also in terms of green measures and its Reluzes public lighting and energy efficiency initiative illuminates just why the European Commission named it one of the ‘100 Climate-Neutral Cities’.
Northern Spain
Moving on to Galicia and Asturias, event planners can find destinations such as Oviedo, which has two congress and event halls: the Auditorium-Congress Palace Principe Felipe and the Exhibition and Congress Centre. You can run conferences at the university and the Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA). The Galician port city of A Coruña, which has the longest promenade in Europe, has the Palexco conference centre. Its auditorium seats 1,500 delegates, while EXPOCoruña fairground provides good sites for exhibitions. A Coruña’s Tower of Hercules is the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world.
Santander has a royal palace overlooking the bay on the Bay of Biscay and a 9,000sqm exhibition and conference centre.
Bilbao’s MICE industry reputation has been significantly boosted by the ‘Bilbao effect’ catalysed by projects like the Guggenheim Museum, which established a precedent for large-scale, multi-stakeholder developments. Notable venues include the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall and the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC). Other prominent options are hotels like the Hotel Carlton and the Barceló Bilbao Nervión, as well as other spaces such as the Athletic Club and the Iberdrola Tower.
Balearic
The Balearic Islands recently passed a law that requires all businesses on the islands to implement circular economy measures. These emphasise reuse, recycling and local production to tackle waste and using renewable energy sources. Mallorca has many hotels with event facilities like the Hotel Santos Nixe Palace and luxury resorts such as the Hacienda Son Antem Golf Resort, Autograph Collection Hotel.
Tenerife
Tenerife is the first destination globally to implement a Tourism AI Master Plan. Tenerife’s Integratur Programme, in collaboration with local entrepreneurs and municipalities, promotes initiatives that highlight unique resources. This includes activities like promoting local products in farmers’ markets. In October 2022 the Tenerife Tourism Authorities signed the Glasgow Pact, endorsed by the United Nations, committing the tourism sector to a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030. Among many other initiatives they recently opened up a new bio-stabilisation plant, preventing the burial of over 76,000 tons of waste annually, and they are committed to constructing five more water treatment plants.
Kenes committed to Spain
Suzanne Yantin, global manager, procurement, and Stephanie Stoyanova, senior account manager, both at global PCO Kenes give their thoughts on Spain’s MICE offer:
Spain continues to stand out as one of Europe’s most dynamic MICE destinations, offering the perfect blend of infrastructure, accessibility, and culture. With its diverse venues, excellent air connectivity, and world-class hospitality, the country has long been a key market for Kenes Group, which delivers several international congresses across Spain each year.
Barcelona and Madrid remain the top choices for large-scale events, with the CCIB in Barcelona being a particular favourite for its seamless logistics and exceptional setting. Over the years, the venue has hosted major international meetings such as the World Stroke Congress, Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD), and AD/PD™ – Advances in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Therapies, each drawing thousands of delegates from across the globe. The city’s integrated setup – where the congress centre, hotels, and social venues are within easy reach – creates an excellent delegate experience and operational efficiency for organisers.
Madrid also remains a strong contender, with excellent transport links and institutional support, though organisers should plan early to address the limited accommodation options close to IFEMA. Beyond these two hubs, Spain’s regional cities – Valencia, Málaga, Granada, Bilbao, Palma, Pamplona, and Zaragoza – offer a distinct charm for mid-sized congresses, often giving organisers the unique advantage of ‘owning the city’ and creating an immersive attendee experience.
From a PCO perspective, Spain’s greatest assets are its professionalism, hospitality, and well-established local partnerships. At the same time, challenges such as high seasonality and fluctuating hotel pricing require clear communication between organisers and suppliers. Fortunately, Spanish convention bureaus and destination partners have proven highly proactive in helping clients navigate these complexities, particularly as the market adapts to growing demands for greener practices and digital transformation.
With a local office in Madrid, Kenes Group continues to see Spain as a hub for innovation and collaboration in medical and scientific meetings. The upcoming Hospital C-Suite Summit, 16–18 March 2026 in Madrid, is a prime example.