Opened in April 2017, the Palma Convention Centre has made a major difference to business travel to the city and the attraction of congresses - the most important MICE segment along with corporate travel - a very clear sign of the positive transformation the city is undergoing.
The opening of the Convention Centre solved the problem of a lack of infrastructure for events with over 1,000 participants on the island. Also of note was the collaborative efforts of both the public and private sectors in branding and positioning Mallorca as a destination which would awaken the interest of the European MICE market.
This combination has led to forecasts of significant growth in major congress activity in 2020 and beyond, above the figures for 2018, the most successful year so far as the Convention Centre began to penetrate the MICE market. The events for 2020 include medical events such as the National Congress of the Spanish Glaucoma Society (March), General and Family Medicine (May), the Spanish Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Society (May), as well as the Spanish Paediatrics Association (June) and the Spanish Cardiology Society (October).
With regard to major international corporate events, European firms from several industries including consulting and technology, among others, have already selected the Convention Centre for their annual meetings in 2020. This includes the repetition of the HITEC EUROPE event that, after having successfully held its last edition in Palma, has decided to move its headquarters from Amsterdam to Mallorca as a sign of its satisfaction with the destination.
The attraction of congresses and other major events also brings other benefits, such as greater visibility and international recognition for Palma as a MICE destination, the enhancement of scientific activity on the island, a greater exchange of knowledge, and the creation of new opportunities for business growth. That is why both public authorities and the Mallorca Convention Bureau continue to work on doing everything necessary to penetrate international markets for this type of event and continue to boost MICE tourism on the island.
The XXXIV GEDET Meeting, the Spanish Cosmetic and Therapeutic Dermatology Group of the AEDV (Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology), will take place in Palma on 5, 6 and 7 October 2023.
As the year progresses into its final quarter, the Palma Congress Center is poised for an exciting period ahead, anticipating a surge in activity thanks to more than 20 events scheduled during this period, including five major congresses.
Autumn attracts a large number of cyclists to Mallorca, where there is an incredible variety of opportunities to explore the island by bike, as well as an infrastructure developed to meet the needs of cyclists at all levels.