The event proposes resources, inspiration, training and networking for entrepreneurs, SMEs and start-ups
Bizbarcelona explores how to incorporate the SDGs into entrepreneurial and business activity
Bizbarcelona by Barcelona Activa will return to the Montjuic fairground from 27th to 28th May. This year, the event, the exclusive place to be for entrepreneurs, the self-employed, SMEs and innovative companies from the city, will propose debates and explore the impact of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the gestation and implementation of new companies and the transformation of business activity. This new thematic pillar will join the wide range of public and private resources, products and services, as well as the training, consultancy and networking activities organised by Bizbarcelona.
This year, Bizbarcelona, which will once again be held in Hall 8 of the Montjuic venue, will include around 150 activities that fall into four main categories: Basics & Start-ups, Growth & SMEs, Innovation & Trends and the SDGs. The event, chaired by Jaume Collboni, the first deputy mayor of Barcelona City Council, will thus seek to provide help and support for people with business ideas to enable them to bring their projects to life, contribute to the growth of companies already in operation and visualise the social, technological and consumer trends influencing the creation and transformation of companies and professional profiles.
One innovation is that the SDGs will be covered in a cross-cutting manner and will be prominent in the areas and contents aimed at entrepreneurs and SMEs. In this regard, Bizbarcelona will set out to raise awareness of the SDGs within the business community, explain the implications, opportunities and challenges they present and inspire specific strategies and activities to apply the Agenda 2030 to business so as to generate a positive impact on society and contribute to sustainable development.
Talks, round-table discussions, workshops, personalised consultancy interviews and networking sessions will be held over two days, among other proposals. Bizbarcelona will also host an exhibition area with products, services and resources for entrepreneurs and SMEs and the Bizfranchise area, where franchise brands interested in the Catalan market will showcase their business concepts to potential franchisees and investors.
Companies with a positive impact
Felix Ortega, the general director of Barcelona Activa, declared: “The city’s powerful entrepreneurial ecosystem and the business fabric constitute essential pieces in the drive towards a new sustainable, digital and social economy that’s focused on people, well-being and progress for everyone”. In this respect, Ortega referred to Bizbarcelona as “the best platform for popularising the opportunities provided by the SDGs in the business field, proposing embraceable actions and ensuring the involvement of entrepreneurs and companies in the achievement of the aims of the Agenda 2030”.
As for Aleix Planas, the director of Bizbarcelona, he highlighted that: “Society is expected to demand a greater and greater commitment from companies with regard to sustainable development and the implementation of actions with a positive impact on the environment, so, at Bizbarcelona we want to discuss, explore and define the keys and implications of incorporating the SDGs into the creation and growth of businesses”.
The master lines of Bizbarcelona 2020 were presented today at Aticco Barcelona during the BizCommunity event, which brings together more than a hundred private entities, business associations and public institutions involved in the running of the programme. During the event the organisers called on the members of the BizCommunity to propose topics, speakers, spaces and activities in keeping with these thematic pillars, thus helping to promote entrepreneurial and business activity.
The Bizbarcelona by Barcelona Activa trade fair is promoted by Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Government, Barcelona Provincial Council, PIMEC, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.
Last year’s event attracted 13,600 visitors. 130 talks with 240 speakers were held and it was attended by 80 exhibitors. More than 3,000 contacts were recorded in the consultancy sessions and networking activities.
Barcelona, 19th February 2020
Images available here
Maria Dolores Herranz
Tel. (+34) 93 233 25 41
mdherranz@firabarcelona.com