FIRA DE BARCELONA
        
        
          | 2013 REPORT
        
        
          It is time to assess the activities carried out
        
        
          last year by Fira de Barcelona. Bearing in mind,
        
        
          that, in spite of the emerging recovery, it has still
        
        
          been a complicated year for companies and for
        
        
          the economy, we can say that once again the
        
        
          institution has been able to avoid the negative
        
        
          impacts of the crisis and to take advantage of
        
        
          the good performance of factors such as tourism
        
        
          and exportation.
        
        
          In this sense, Fira de Barcelona’s capacity to
        
        
          innovate and attract major international events
        
        
          has allowed the institution to maintain the
        
        
          calendar of events and positive results and, above
        
        
          all, to continue being an economic driving force
        
        
          for the city and the country.
        
        
          Its activity has thus been decisive in softening
        
        
          the impact of the crisis on our companies, mostly
        
        
          because its activity is directly and indirectly related
        
        
          to tourism and exportation, since, year after year,
        
        
          Fira promotes the internationalization of shows,
        
        
          which in turn receive more international visitors
        
        
          each year. More and more each time, Fira events
        
        
          find a place in other countries and international
        
        
          events, to promote the business opportunities of
        
        
          our companies abroad.
        
        
          Innovation as
        
        
          a reference
        
        
          Miquel Valls i Maseda
        
        
          President of the Barcelona Chamber
        
        
          of Commerce and second vice-president
        
        
          of Fira de Barcelona General Council