Fira highlights the role fairs as an economic driving force on Global Exhibitions Day

Fira de Barcelona today joins the Global Exhibitions Day, an initiative of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), the association of trade fair operators from around the world, to highlight the role of trade fairs and congresses as an economic and social driving force. According to the latest data available from the UFI, the impact generated by the indusrty amounts to almost 300,000 million euros.

In its ninth edition, the Global Exhibitions Day, supported by trade fair organisers and operators, venues, convention centres and associations from 115 countries, focuses on the importance of trade fairs as a platform for economic, cultural and social development.

Fira de Barcelona’s General Manager, Constantí Serrallonga, said, „trade fairs are key vehicles for knowledge and business, as has been demonstrated above all in recent years, with a rapid recovery in activity that few could have predicted. Our goal is to continue to promote this activity in a sustainable way and to boost the role of trade fairs and congresses as forums for innovation, economic dynamisation and social transformation.“

According to data from the UFI in a report by Oxford Economics, 32,000 trade fairs are held around the world each year, bringing together 4.8 million exhibiting companies and 353 million visitors. It is estimated that the global exhibition industry generates 3.4 million direct and indirect jobs. Europe leads the trade fair ranking in terms of the number of visitors with 112 million, followed by North America with 92.3 million attendees and Asia-Pacific with 89.7 million euros.

High activity and impact 
In this context, Fira de Barcelona achieved exceptional results in 2022 close to those before the pandemic, with revenue of more than 211 million euros, and a record Ebitda of 36.9 million euros. Forecasts for 2023 are also very positive and are expected to once again exceed 200 million euros in revenue thanks to the busy activity scheduled at the three venues – Montjuïc, Gran Via and CCIB – in addition to that carried out abroad. Fira generates an annual economic impact of more than 4,700 million euros and 35,000 jobs.