Madrid, Spain

Key Highlights

Hotels 339
Total Sleeping Rooms 39,291
Largest Exhibit Space 30,000 Sq. Mtr.
Average Hotel Room Rate EUR 216
Average Daily Meal Cost EUR 121
Average Weekly Car Rental EUR 280

Madrid, Spain Meeting Planning Overview

Not only is Madrid an ideal city for pleasure and leisure travel, it's also a world-class meeting destination. It comes as no surprise that the city hosts more than 4,000 conventions and meetings each year and attracts over 700,000 business visitors annually. After all, it boasts nearly 80,000 hotel rooms, more than five convention centers and expo facilities, and a never-ending list of cultural attractions. Plus, Madrid is home to the offices of 90 percent of the major companies operating in Spain, making it the obvious choice for showcasing products and services.

Also benefiting event organizers and business travelers in Madrid is the easily-accessible Madrid-Barajas Airport. Located just 12 kilometers northwest of central Madrid, it was voted Best Airport in the 2008 Condé Nast Traveler Reader Awards, thanks in part to its recently expanded terminal space and top-notch customer amenities. Madrid-Barajas offers service to hundreds of domestic, European and international destinations and handles the majority of Spain's transatlantic flights.

Upon arrival, guests need not travel far to find some of Madrid's largest and most impressive event facilities. Just five minutes from the airport, the sleek, avant-garde Municipal Convention Centre offers 30,000 square meters of space for conventions, tradeshows, presentations and more. Meanwhile, in the heart of Madrid's Casa de Campo Park, El Recinto Ferial spans over 70,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Additionally, the Palacio de Congresos de Madrid welcomes up to 2,000 guests from a convenient location that's within walking distance of over 10,000 hotel rooms.

Always on the cutting edge, the city of Madrid has plans to expand its inventory of convention facilities with the opening of the International Convention Centre in 2011. Located in the new financial and business area, it will be the largest meeting venue in the country at over 70,000 square meters. Fitting of such a ground-breaking facility, the International Convention Centre will be housed in a massive semicircle-shaped building, symbolizing that the sun never sets in Madrid.

Aside from its large-scale convention facilities, Madrid offers a wide range of unique meeting venues perfect for more intimate events and gatherings. The iconic Reina Sofia Museum is not only home a modern collection of such masterpieces as Picasso's Guernica, but is also a fantastic venue for private events. With its 600-square-meter screen and room for up to 450 people, IMAX Madrid lends itself well to powerful presentations and seminars. Or, give guests a true taste of the city by treating them to dinner and a show at Corral de la Morería, a widely-known flamenco venue that's also listed in the New York Times bestseller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

One of Europe's largest financial centers, Madrid is a major center for international business and finance. The city has also recently experienced major growth in the service sector, with the Madrid-Barajas Airport playing a key role in the economy. Madrid is also home to several public and private universities, including the Complutenese University of Madrid, one of the oldest universities in the world, and the Autonomous University of Madrid, one of the top-ranked public universities in Spain.

About Madrid, Spain / Additional Info

Located in the middle of Spain, beautiful Madrid is the capital and largest city in the country. The city's geographic location denotes its central role in Spanish politics, economy and culture, as it serves as the residence of the Spanish monarch, the richest region in Spain, and the home to many of the country's – and Europe's – top museums and attractions. With over seven million residents in the metropolitan area, it is also the 3rd largest city by population in the European Union, after London and Berlin.

In Madrid, the present and future are built on the past. During Spain's Golden Age, Madrid's culture and arts flourished. This period in history introduced the city's breathtaking Baroque and neo-Classical architecture, inspiring Madrid's many artistic geniuses such as Picasso and Miró, as well as its literary heroes such as Cervantes and the "Father of Spanish Playwrights" Lope de Vega. Madrid also served as the home and inspiration to great American writer Ernest Hemingway.

Visitors can experience many of the works of these greats today at the city's Golden Triangle, which encompasses three of the world's most important art museums: the Reina Sofía Museum, Prado Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. The Prado Museum is best known for its collection of 12th to 19th century Spanish paintings, while the Reina Sofía Museum displays an impressive survey of Spanish art history where the Prado leaves off, spanning the late 19th century to today. The Thyseen-Bornemisza Museum, regarded as one of the world's most impressive private collections, takes visitors through a chronological history of European paining from the 13th through 20th centuries.

To get a taste of Madrid's culture beyond the art and architecture, guests can catch a bullfight at Las Ventas, the largest bullring in Spain. Established in 1929, the 25,000-seat Las Ventas is regarded by many as the world center of bullfighting, the season for which runs March to October. To enjoy a sport that's slightly less violent, visitors can also vie for tickets to a Real Madrid football game. Known as one of the prestigious football clubs in the world and winner of nine European Cups, Real Madrid tickets are understandably hard to come by. Luckily, guests can get a taste of this popular sport by taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the club's grand stadium, Santiago Bernabéu.

Among its sprawling sporting venues and ornate architecture, visitors discover that Madrid is full of green spaces and parkland. Take a walk through the romantic and whimsical El Capricho Park, the former artistic retreat for 18th century cultural icons. Enjoy the fragrant blooms of Royal Botanical Garden, home to more than 30,000 plants and flowers and 1,500 trees. Or spend a day exploring the city's largest park, Casa de Campo. Here, guests can visit the Zoo Aquarium of Madrid or kayak in the park's lake.

Of course at the end of the day, there's no better way to make memories in Madrid than by soaking in its dining and nightlife scene. Snack on tapas, the traditional small plates of Spain, at taverns and bars such as Taberna de Antonio Sánchez or Baco y Beto. Or, enjoy classic favorites such as cocido, a hearty stew, and callos, or tripe, at restaurants such as La Gran Tasca and Restaurante Botín, the oldest restaurant in the world. After dinner, hit the streets of Grand Vía, which comes to life at night with bars, clubs and entertainment venues.

 
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