Next Tuesday 7 March, Barcelona will be hosting the first International Conference on Iconic Retail Establishments in European Cities. At the event, which will take place at the Llotja de Mar, institutional representatives from the cities of Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris and Rome will be meeting to share their own practices related with the iconic shops that are part of Europe’s cultural, historical and commercial heritage.

Organised by Barcelona City Council, this initiative seeks to reflect on and discuss the preservation and promotion of establishments that due to their history, heritage value, distinctiveness and track record deserve to be singled out as iconic. The main aim is to create common strategies to be followed in the different cities, with a view to preserving Europe’s commercial heritage.

The conference will consist of round tables and presentations on the opportunities and challenges for iconic shops in European cities, Europe and iconic commerce, and best practice, based on the experiences of Barcelona, Paris, Rome and Lisbon. The European Work Group on European Cities and Trade’s report will also be presented.

The event will feature talks by national and international speakers, as well as the institutional participation of the European Parliament. Lastly, there will be a presentation of Barcelona’s Declaration on the preservation and promotion of iconic commercial establishments. This will be a joint presentation by the four cities, and will be submitted to Marco Ros MEP. Later, in the afternoon, there is to be a cultural programme featuring activities linked to iconic commerce.

The event is geared towards Barcelona’s retail community, and especially iconic establishments. The conference is also open to institutions at all levels, and to the general public. Both the programme and the registration form can be accessed via this link.