Sponsored by Barcelona International Welcome Desk.
Save the date! On Saturday, September 28, Barcelona International Community Day brings together companies and organizations offering products and services geared towards the international community through a program of activities, workshops and conferences designed with expats in mind. It’s free to attend, but save time by registering in advance here.
The Barcelona Maritime Museum, located in the former Royal Shipyards, will host the eleventh edition of Barcelona International Community Day on Saturday September 28th. The event is the main welcome space for international professionals who have just arrived in the city and the benchmark event for all members of the international community who live and work in Barcelona. It is open to anyone who wants to connect with this group, which brings diversity and wealth to the city. This initiative is promoted by Barcelona City Council via the Directorate of International Economic Promotion.
The event consists of a fair for businesses and organizations that offer products, services and initiatives aimed at international talent, as well as a program of activities, workshops and lectures on topics of interest to the community. The premises are open from 10:00 to 19:00. Access is free of charge and tickets can be obtained by registering on the website at barcelona.cat/internationalcommunityday.
Image courtesy of Barcelona International Community Day.
The fair brings together 80 exhibitors, including 56 companies and public and private organizations; 16 associations, social clubs and non-profits; and eight international schools. Participants will also find specialized resources and services that meet the needs of foreign nationals who have recently arrived in Barcelona.
Sectors represented include real estate, relocation, talent management, legal and financial consultancy, insurance and medical services and more. Participants will also find cultural and social organizations offering products, services and initiatives to help them enjoy the city and become an integral part of it. The education sector will be represented by stands set up by various schools offering international curricula and qualifications, as well as business schools and other educational institutions.
Image courtesy of Barcelona International Community Day.
The more than 60 activities that are scheduled in this year's edition revolve around three main themes: arriving in the city, with practical information on paperwork, looking for a flat, tax issues and how the education and healthcare systems work; companies and work, with tips on finding a job, developing a career or becoming an entrepreneur; and enjoying and socializing in the city, with information on culture, entertainment and guided networking events to help create networks of contacts, both personal and professional. Highlights include a language aperitif (known locally as a vermut) that combines learning Catalan with networking, a workshop on leadership and communicating to connect with your audience, speed networking for professional women and another for the French-speaking community.
Image courtesy of Barcelona International Community Day.
The event will also have a festive and family-friendly aspect, with new and engaging activities for everyone, including a gegants display to celebrate the 600th anniversary of this tradition. In addition to the display, live concerts and performances will take place in the garden of the Maritime Museum, and a children’s play area will be set up inside the venue to host various activities for the little ones.
This year, a space devoted to the 37th America’s Cup will give the public a closer look at the regatta. As usual, the Barcelona International Welcome Desk will be present with a stand offering personalized information and advice. This is Barcelona’s year-round welcome and support service for international talent that has recently arrived in the city.
After the success of the last two years, the big closing party will be back from 18:00 to 19:00 featuring a DJ set in the Ágora room and a concert in the garden of the Maritime Museum.
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The Hosts
As every year, the event’s host ambassadors will take part in the program of activities. These are six professionals from different countries who have settled in Barcelona, launched their professional projects here and are keen to share their experiences of the city with attendees. In addition to taking part in the day’s activities, they will share why they chose Barcelona and how the city has helped them to achieve their professional ambitions in a video interview that will be published on Barcelona International Welcome’s social media channels and the event’s website.
This year’s host ambassadors are Deepika Bhoolabhai from South Africa-India, founder and director of the SOAR school; Alexa Ramírez from Costa Rica, global finance project leader at Bayer; Amal Rahmeh from Lebanon, Pompeu Fabra University researcher at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park; Joe Woodward from England, culinary trainer and founder of Delicious English; Miroslav Stibůrek from the Czech Republic, artist, designer and entrepreneur; and Nats Sisma from the Philippines, editor of The Filipino Expat Magazine.
Image courtesy of Barcelona International Community Day.
Organizers and Support
Barcelona City Council organizes Barcelona International Community Day with major participation by Barcelona Activa, the city's economic development agency, and with the involvement of numerous organizations, entities and professionals, that make it possible to hold and publicize it.
The project is a testament to public-private collaboration, as it is supported by premium sponsor Banc Sabadell and sponsors ERES Relocation Services (international mobility management for workers) and Entre Trámites (tax and legal advice for SMEs, self-employed individuals and foreign companies wishing to set up in Barcelona).
Additional support comes from the Barcelona International Schools Association (BISA), Maremagnum Shopping Center, HLA Hospital Group, ArticketBCN (cultural passport), The Old Irish Pub and The Nanny Line (a nanny service).
La Vanguardia will be the event's media partner, along with the support of several partner media specializing in content for the city's international community.
2023 Edition
Registrations for the 2023 edition totaled 5,072 registered participants, a record figure in the event’s ten years. Of those, 76% attended for the first time, with the remainder being repeat visitors. This large international gathering brought together students, entrepreneurs, members of research teams, business people, artists and families.
The diverse origins of the participants meant that 73.61% were from abroad, while 26.39% were from Spain. Visitors from 123 countries gathered, with the United States, France, Italy and Russia being the top four countries of origin. Nearly 50% of all attendees had been living in Barcelona for less than three years.
A total of 64 activities were held, with 93 speakers and experts and 80 exhibitors. Satisfaction among those who attended was very high, at 8.3 out of 10.
Image courtesy of Barcelona International Community Day.
A Diverse, Enriching Community
The international community now accounts for more than 25% of Barcelona’s population. One out of every four residents is a foreigner, which fuels Barcelona’s diverse, intercultural spirit. The city is home to 180 nationalities other than Spanish, with the largest groups coming from Italy, Colombia, Pakistan, China and Peru.
This large, dynamic, international community has the potential to enrich our society and economy. From the economic promotion perspective, their contributions are invaluable because:
- They generate wealth with their talent, work, investments, companies, professional projects and economic and commercial activity.
- They help to boost the city’s competitiveness and productivity by coming up with new ideas, techniques and innovations.
- They are the first point of contact for new investors, entrepreneurs or professionals in their home countries: they help them make investment decisions and attract talent to our city.
- They are Barcelona’s economic ambassadors in their home countries.
Welcoming and integrating them is essential and a priority for positioning Barcelona as an open, diverse and cosmopolitan city in the world. This is why Barcelona City Council’s International Economic Promotion Area has had a plan in place for some years now to attract, welcome, retain and stimulate international talent through Barcelona International Welcome. This is the city’s website for foreigners wishing to live and work in Barcelona, with practical information on arriving in the city and a detailed explanation of the obligatory and important procedures to be carried out. It also offers a program of activities throughout the year to help these people develop their full potential, get to know the city and connect with other members of the community.
Operating since November 2021, the Barcelona International Welcome Desk is a pioneering service to welcome international talent to Spain, which facilitates the arrival of talent through personalized information, advice and procedural services in different languages. Users may be supported both in person and by video call.
Register today at barcelona.cat/internationalcommunityday.
Sponsored by Barcelona International Welcome Desk.