Presentations
7
As Chairman of the Governing Board of Fira de
Barcelona, it is my pleasure to express institution’s
satisfaction with the overall results achieved in 2015,
not only from a quantitative point of view – income,
participation, economic impact and so on – but also
from the qualitative standpoint, that is, our contri-
bution to improving the production environment,
creating opportunities for businesses and generating
social value.
I should like to highlight, particularly, the good per-
formance of shows organised directly, to which must
be added the excellent operation of fairs and events
promoted by other operators, who consider Fira to
be one of the best European platforms for capital-
ising on their business opportunities, leadership,
positioning, international dimension and innovation.
We should interpret the good performance of shows
and events throughout 2015 as a symptom of an
improving economic climate, although the effects of
the recession continue to hit many sectors of society,
families and businesses.
Constant hard work
As regards facts and figures, I cannot fail to note that,
in 2015, Fira achieved the second-best results in its
history of Fira, within income of more than 150 million
euros, a record surpassed only in 2014, which was
an exceptional year when, in addition to the improve-
ments made to our own events, a large number of
major international events also coincided.
Fira’s success cannot be separated from a strat-
egy that we have been implementing for years, one
based on hard work and the job well done, aimed at
achieving a firm foothold in a global and highly com-
petitive market, and at taking into account at all times
the needs of the production system, companies
and the local territory. Our guidelines are innovation,
knowledge, competitiveness and internationalisa-
tion, in its dual meaning of organising, attracting and
staging international events at our venues and, at
the same time, increasing our presence abroad as a
tool to provide support for companies that become
internationalised and as a way of benefiting from the
institution’s great know-how.
Role as catalyst
Once more, I feel we should emphasise the role of
catalyst that trade fair activity plays in the territory
(fair services, shops, restaurants, business synergies,
job creation ...), with an annual impact of more than
2,600 million euros, as noted in the report on eco-
nomic and social impact conducted by ESADE. This
impact cannot be measured only in strictly economic
terms, but must also take into account the institu-
tion’s clear role in creating public value.
Fira is proud to contribute to the economy of Bar-
celona and its surrounding area, of generating jobs
and social value, and also of helping to strengthen
the city’s international reputation. Finally, we should
also stress the importance of public-private partner-
ships like Fira as a driver for initiatives of excellence.
Business opportunities, social value
Josep Lluís Bonet
Chairman of the Governing Board
of Fira de Barcelona
