The Sitges Convention Bureau’s strategy for 2021 focuses on promotional and acquisition initiatives.

Sitges is committed to maintaining its presence as a key MICE destination by attending professional workshops, winning professional meetings in Sitges and developing communication strategies.

The Sitges Convention Bureau (Sitges CB), the Sitges Town Council’s Tourism Department’s program specializing in the meetings tourism sector, held its annual meeting at Meliá Sitges on Tuesday, March 30. Over the course of the day, the most significant initiatives for this year to promote the destination in the MICE sector were presented.

The Sitges CB’s 2021 Action Plan includes more than 50 initiatives that are committed to maintaining Sitges’ position as a landmark destination for the MICE sector in Catalonia, second only to Barcelona, and to winning professional meetings that generate an economic impact on the destination.

The Sitges CB plans to attend 32 workshops and professional trade fairs, and also to host events in Sitges such as the Iberian Mice Forums for Agencies and Corporate Clients, the Board of Directors of the EMA (Event Managers Association), the conventions for the associations Travel Advisors and I’M+, which brings together incentive travel agencies, as well as other international forums. At the same time, the Sitges CB is planning joint actions with the EMA, an association that it has been a gold sponsor of since 2020, and which brings together approximately 300 associates who generate and organize company events.

In the field of communication, one of the most outstanding actions is the new ‘Sitges MICE Fan’ testimonial contest, which was held from April 1 to 25 and where meeting planners share their experience in Sitges, through colors, values and anecdotes, and becoming ambassadors for the destination. The Sitges CB will also be launching new e-marketing communication and promotion campaigns, and has created new sections on its www.sitgescb.cat website, which will include the development of new program associate member files with detailed information, photos and videos of each company. During the Sitges CB assembly, the presentation of Sitges at the activity held along with Bacardi on Thursday, March 25, where the destination was showcased for more than 40 meetings tourism agents at a hybrid event, was also highlighted.

The Sitges CB’s annual meeting served to explain the actions implemented during 2019 and 2020, highlighting the campaigns ‘Yes, to Sitges’ and the video ‘Yes, to Meeting in Sitges’, launched to revive the sector under the Covid19 situation and to maintain the destination as a leader in the MICE sector.

Over the course of 2019, the Sitges CB received a total of 164 requests for information and services to host groups in Sitges, of which 86 are national (58 from Catalonia and 28 from the rest of Spain) and 78 are international, with the UK being the main market followed by France, Benelux, Germany, USA and Canada. In 2020, due to the Covid19 situation, a total of 82 requests were received.