At MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia), Barcelona on 13 March and at the Palacio Neptuno (Neptune Palace), Madrid on 20 March, Eric Mottard, CEO of Eventoplus, presented the “2013 Market Study: from Show to Business“. The study analyses the current status of the “meetings & events” industry in Spain. As part of the study, three surveys and several polls were carried out. They considered the different segments of activity of professionals, agencies and some of the most representative companies in the sector.

Although we are in the middle of a recession, this hasn’t affected the sector in any serious way; events have become a vital component in marketing and communication strategies. However, there has been a decrease in budgets in recent years, which has had a negative impact. Even so, looking at things from a positive perspective, this has also resulted in a shake-up of efficiency and more professionality in the management of events. One of the most significant conclusions from this study is that people are still trying to meet objectives, recoup on investments and find the right strategy. In other words, the show remains important but what really matters today is the business.

Another of the aspects that were evaluated in the study, part of which was published in issue 45 of Eventos Magazine, is social networking and Web 2.0. Their use has increased by 59% and in addition other innovative elements such as 3D mapping and Apps have been introduced. Although new communication technologies are located at the top of the budget pyramid invested in an event, they end up being at the bottom of the objectives and return on investment pyramid.

In Eventos Magazine, Franck Barbaras, CEO of PortAventura Business & Events and PortAventura Convention Centre answers one of the main questions raised in the market study: What is happening with regard to the demand for innovation in the “meetings & events” sector? As he says, “We already know that austerity isn’t the solution, either for countries or companies. Professionalising events could help companies to see them as a strategic marketing and sales tool. The keys to this are: ROI analysis, Strategic Meeting Management and the need when we are so connected to the virtual world to offer experimental marketing which creates emotions and promotes high quality networking“.