The leading annual event for the city's international professionals will be held at the Maritime Museum of Barcelona on Saturday, 24 October, with free admission. The event is set to bring together 84 exhibitors and offer 68 activities, with more resources to facilitate the integration of the international community.
This year brings the 13th edition of Barcelona International Community Day. Launched by Barcelona City Council, the event has become firmly established as the international community's main annual gathering and a leading platform for facilitating the arrival, integration and professional opportunities of people from around the world who live and work in the city.
This year's edition brings greater participation and a broader programme. The fair for businesses, organisations and associations is set to feature a record 84 exhibitors, the most ever, while the programme will be offering 68 activities with a special emphasis on linguistic integration, community participation, access to municipal services and professional opportunities.
A fair with everything needed to get set up in Barcelona
The exhibitors' fair will once again be one of the event's major attractions. As ever, it will bring together companies, public institutions, associations and educational centres offering products, services and useful initiatives for the international community.
Thanks to this year's exhibitors, participants can get information about a range of topics, like housing, taxes, healthcare, education, legal services, language learning, relocation, international education and training and sports activities, among others.
In this edition, almost half the exhibitors (45%) are public organisations and associations, which enhances the integrative nature of this event.Plus, 26% of the exhibitors will be participating for the first time.
Participants also include various companies and institutions that collaborate with the event to enrich the experience for attendees, with technical improvements, activities and complementary experiences. They include Banc Sabadell, CaixaBank, Allianz, Eres Relocation, Palau de la Música Catalana – Orfeó Català, Old Irish Pub, Grup Arenal and La Granja.
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More resources to facilitate integration
Integration will be one of the main themes of this year's edition.Barcelona International Community Day will be expanding its resources for learning Catalan with the participation of the Language Normalisation Centre of Barcelona, the Ateneu Barcelonès, the Coordinator of Associations for the Catalan Language and the Speak Catalan initiative.
Ways of getting to know the city's associations and fostering attendees' participation in volunteer initiatives will also be boosted thanks to the presence of organisations like Festes Majors de Barcelona Platform and the Catalan Federation of Social Volunteering.
Barcelona City Council is also expanding its institutional space, which will bring together municipal services like Barcelona International Welcome, Barcelona Activa, Libraries of Barcelona, Commerce and Markets, BSM, Barcelona Esports, the Guàrdia Urbana City Police and the Firefighters, among others.
Activities to find information, find work, connect and have fun
The day will offer an extensive programme of brief information sessions, lectures, panel discussions and workshops addressing practical matters like looking for work, entrepreneurship, taxation, health and medical care, learning Catalan, public education and administrative procedures.
Employment opportunities will again play a prominent role in this year'sprogramme. Barcelona Activa will be offering specific services to facilitate job searches, such as a professional photography space for CVs, virtual reality tools to prepare for job interviews and a range of practical workshops.
Likewise, the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation will promote the participation of multinationals and tech hubs to connect international talent with professional opportunities in the city.
The new features also include simultaneous translation via artificial intelligence in the auditorium, which will allow the international audience to follow the lectures.
As ever, there will also be time for entertainment and fun. Throughout the day, there will be musical performances, a stand-up comedy routine, a performance of havaneras accompanied by “rom cremat” (flambéed rum) and a parade of Chinese dragons and lions, along with a guided tour of the Maritime Museum and children's activities.
As usual, the event will feature its host ambassadors: six international professionals based in Barcelona, who will join the line-up of expert speakers, to share their experiences of settling into life in the city.
Barcelona International Community Day is aimed at both international residents who have recently arrived in the city and those who have been living here for some time, but it is also an invitation to all Barcelona residents interested in getting to know the city's international community and contributing to their integration.
The previous edition attracted 5,432 registered participants from 131 countries, confirming it as the leading event for international talent living in Barcelona.
Barcelona City Council, through the International Economic Promotion Directorate, works to contribute to making Barcelona an attractive and friendly city for international talent through services and resources that facilitate their reception, dynamisation and loyalty. The Barcelona International Welcome portal provides the practical information necessary to live, work and settle in the city and offers an extensive programme of activities throughout the year.
