Combining on-site and online attendance, from 21 to 23 September at the Montjuïc venue
Bizbarcelona and the Employment Fair, together to revitalise companies, entrepreneurship and work
This year, Bizbarcelona and the Employment Fair are being held together over three days: from 21 to 23 September, on site, complying with all safety and prevention measures, and online. The aim, especially this year 2020, is to contribute to reactivating entrepreneurship, the business fabric and employment opportunities. This twin event, led and promoted by Barcelona City Council through Barcelona Activa and other institutions and entities devoted to the economic promotion of the region, will take place at a key moment to boost economic activity and adapt businesses, the employment market and talent to the new reality that has emerged from the pandemic.
The two events come together with tools, resources, guidance and training proposals that will be useful for entrepreneurs, the self-employed, SMEs, startups and everyone who is seeking work, a career change or setting up their own business. Bizbarcelona and the Employment Fair will take up the entire Hall 8 of the Montjuïc venue with a precise protocol of safety and prevention measures, designed by Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with risk management experts and the advice of the Hospital Clinic. Indeed, this tandem of events, together with the Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, will signal the resumption of fair activity in the capital of Catalonia and the first to take place on a face-to-face basis.
Each event will retain its own focus and schedule of activities, while at the same time interconnections, activities and shared spaces will be created, which will increase the content of value for the visitor. The on-site format will be combined with online activities to expand the breadth of coverage, audience and duration beyond the days of the event. Much of the content, such as the main talks that will take place in the fairground, will be disseminated online to reach a larger number of people. There will also be online advice and the promoting bodies will share training capsules, webinars and activities via the Web in the days before and after the events.
For the First Deputy Mayor with responsibility for the Economy, Work, Competitiveness and Finance of Barcelona City Council, Jaume Collboni, “we are determined to use all the tools and resources at our disposal to reduce the impact of this crisis, and we believe that this fair will contribute by offering support and opportunities to SMEs, professionals, the self-employed, and job-seekers, as well as those who want to know first-hand the firms engaged in selection and hiring processes. Through the Centre for the Coordination of Economic Response (CECORE), we have studied the best way and ideal format to make it possible, and if everything permits, this will be one of the first face-to-face fairs to be held in Barcelona, contributing to the revival of the city’s economy”.
Activities and spaces
Bizbarcelona will feature talks, as well as personalised advice spaces and networking activities around three core themes: Enterprise & Startups; Growth & SMEs; and New Challenges, New Realities. It will also include an area with stands for bodies, institutions and companies with tools, funding, resources and solutions for business, corporate management, marketing and sales. There will also be the Bizfranquicias area, with brands looking for franchisees and investors in Catalonia, and the new Startup Arena space, with specific content for newly-created companies with a technological and innovative base.
Also, within the framework of Bizbarcelona, there will be a ceremony to give recognition to the best entrepreneurial initiatives and solutions provided by SMEs in recent months that have helped to deal with the health emergency. The aim is to pay tribute to the solidarity, cooperation, sustainability and approachability of actions carried out by businesses and companies that have helped to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
The Employment Fair offers information, advice and knowledge on the most in-demand job profiles across a wide spectrum of sectors, as well as contacting companies, institutions and associations looking to recruit workers into their organisations through the Talent Arena space. Its activities will include talks, conferences, workshops to successfully cope with the task of finding a job, individualised counselling spaces, as well as personalised career guidance and workers’ rights advocacy services. There will also be an area to get to know institutions and associations and employment options in the third sector and a space open to professionals in the world of employment to share ideas, strategies and good practices in human resources, work transformation and integration in the labour market.
Given the current circumstances, the Youth Employment Fair has become an Employment Fair for everyone, and it seeks to cater for all citizens who may be seeking employment at this time. However, the Fair will have a special focus for young people, as they are one of the groups most affected by the crisis, and the preparation of the fair has been carried out by the Department of Youth and Barcelona Activa.
In addition, comprised in the Employment Fair is the Sí i Millor, di-capacitat i talent zone. Supported by the Barcelona City Council and in this case organized by FECETC (Federació de Centres Especials de Treball de Catalunya), this area to support the labour integration of people with disabilities and, at the same time, help companies with more than 50 workers to comply with the legal obligation to reserve 2 per cent of jobs for them.
The two shows will host a shared space, Talent Arena, to stimulate both employment and the creation of new businesses. Access to both is free upon registration; they have the support of public and private institutions and associations that promote economic activity and employment, as well as of the partnering entrepreneurial, business and training ecosystem. In addition to Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa, the following will play a major part in the event: the Government of Catalonia, the Barcelona Provincial Council, PIMEC, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area Authority.
Barcelona, August 1st 2020
Maria Dolors Herranz
Tel. 93 233 25 41
mdherranz@firabarcelona.com