Tourism

The city has its own space for the second year running at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), with Beat Barcelona. Jointly promoted by Mobile World Capital Barcelona and GSMA, this open-air section combines networking activities with tech experiences and a music programme courtesy of Sónar, Cruïlla and the MIRA. The goal is to use experience, culture, creativity, architecture and gastronomy to explain how Barcelona is ideal for the tech ecosystem and to bring the congress closer to people.

Under the slogan “The place to be”, Beat Barcelona has been conceived as the official after work space at the MWC Barcelona, enabling people to connect with trends, innovation and the city’s business fabric in a more relaxed setting.

The section offers an open-air space of 2,765 m² on the trade fair site, recreating the Barcelona coast and inspired by the urban innovation map set out in the Green Deal 2030. Its sustainable design is the work of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).

Experiences offered at Beat Barcelona include:

• Feel the Technology, a personalised game-based experience demonstrating services based on disruptive technology such as immersive reality, the metaverse and artificial intelligence.
• Herbie, a smart plant you can interact with to discover all the possibilities it offers.
• A digital art gallery, promoted by Moool, featuring iconic pieces by prestigious artists with long-standing professional ties to Barcelona.
• Àgora Beat, a meeting space for sharing content and knowledge on matters linked to technology and the city.
• Tasting menu with local produce by Cuina Justa and the gastronomy of Rocambolesc and Casa Cacao.

Beat Barcelona aims to become a firm fixture at the MWC Barcelona, enabling people to discover the city’s attributes and offering a space for innovation, transmitting the experience of living in the city all year round.

The project will run beyond the MWC with the goal of bringing people closer to digital experiences. A reuse project is also planned for most of the sustainable materials.

The project forms part of the strategy for international economic promotion, the goal being for people to have a role in strategic events held in the city by offering spaces for experience and information and advocating the generation of economic activity in the city.