Sitges Convention Bureau is celebrating twenty years of expertise, dedication and public-private partnerships, all aimed at helping establish Sitges as a leading MICE destination.

As we celebrate, we’re also taking the opportunity to look back on our work so far and the evolution of the MICE industry in our city, with Sitges currently the second leading destination in Catalonia for business, congress and event tourism. This segment makes up 40% of overnight stays per year, according to data from the Sitges Hospitality Association, and covers an average of 600 meetings per year, nearly 50% of them international.

Over the past twenty years, we’ve helped connect professionals and ideas and, together with our members, have played a leading role in bringing professional events to Sitges.  Notable international events have included the m&i European Forum in 2014, with 683 professionals participating, as well as All About People for the British market in 2022 and the Advantage Conference in 2008. And just this year, 2024, we’ve hosted the annual meeting of the Iberian and France-Benelux chapters of the ICCA and the Catalunya Business Meetings for the French market.

As for national events, in 2021 alone Sitges hosted the Travel Advisors Guild’s “We Can Change Travel ; We Come from the Future” event, the EMA board meeting, the IDEMICE assembly and the Iberian MICE National Forum.

In these twenty years, we’ve supported and/or carried out over 360 promotional initiatives and hosted 210 fam trips and press trips. Particularly memorable events of our own creation have been the presentations of Sitges in Madrid in 2008 and the one in 2019, in which we delighted the “6 senses” of 43 event organisers. Our ambassadors on these occasions were Lucrecia, Fernando Guillén and Jordi Milán.

Sitges is synonymous with creativity, and we’ve put it to work all these years. In 2020, when most workshops were cancelled, we created videos with the themes of “Yes to meeting in Sitges”, “Don’t cancel; postpone” and “Sitges MICE fans”, as well as the “Sitges Loves Events” campaign. In 2021, we created “F5 Sitges Refreshing MICE”, embracing technology and research through initiatives such as Psicothon, the first live communication research marathon, organised in collaboration with the EMI and the University of Barcelona; and the “MICE Research Cell”, which has produced studies such as “Elementos que intervienen en el proceso de decisión de un destino o un Venue” and the book “Así hablan las paredes” .

1. 2004 – Sitges CB is founded
2. 2004 – Spain CB assembly in Sitges
3. 2005 – 1^st presentation of Sitges CB in Madrid, with Lucrecia as the ambassador.
4. 2008 – ADVANTAGE Conference with CCB (UK travel agency convention)
5. 2008 – 2^nd presentation of Sitges CB in Madrid, with Fernando Guillén and Jordi Millán as ambassadors.
6. 2010 – ICRS Congress in Sitges, engaged in 2008, featuring Olympic swimmer Dana Torres.
7. 2014 – 10^th anniversary of Sitges CB
8. 2014 – M&I European Forum in Sitges, together with Meliá Sitges and in collaboration with 28 members.
9. 2018 – Dance World Cup, engaged in 2017.
10. 2020 – Communication campaigns, “Don’t cancel; postpone” video, “Sitges loves events” and “Sitges MICE fans”.
11. 2021 – Partnership with EMA (Event Management Association), Gold category.
12. 2021 – Collaboration with EMI (Event Management Institute), research hub produces “Elementos que intervienen en el proceso de decisión de un destino o un Venue” as a precursor to the 2023 book “Así hablan las paredes” .
13. 2021 – Travel Advisor Guild Convention – TAG in Sitges
14. 2021 – IDEMICE Convention in Sitges
15. 2021 – Global Mice Forum Special Venues in Sitges together with Finca Mas Solers, Dolce Sitges and Calipolis.
16. 2022 – All About People in Sitges, UK market, together with Dolce Sitges.
17. 2023 – Conectas?, Sitges CB presentation with members in Barcelona and via streaming.
18. 2023 – “Caga tió X-mas party” in Madrid for event managers, in collaboration with EMA.
19. 2024 – Meeting of the Iberian and France-Benelux chapters of ICCA in Sitges, in collaboration with BCB.
20. 2024 – Catalunya Business Meeting in Sitges in collaboration with CCB.

Today, we’re every bit as eager to keep working together to promote the destination by drawing on our expertise, creativity and imagination and strengthening strategic aspects such as sustainability and rationalisation of resources. Last April, coinciding with our 20^th anniversary, we were recognised within the sector, receiving the MPI’s award for Best Destination Promotion.

Sitges CB continues to be your non-stop MICE industry partner in Sitges!Since a picture is worth more than a thousand words, here are a few videos to look back on the history of Sitges CB: Sitges CB 10th anniversary, 2004-2014m&i forum in Sitges, 2014Sitges presentation in Madrid, 2019Travel Advisors Guild, EMA, IDEMICE and Iberian MICE Forum Edición Nacional in Sitges, 2021All About People in Sitges, 2022Catalunya Business Meetings, interview with Maria Sanchez, 2024