Digitalisation and new technologies are driving the sector towards a new growth model
Barcelona Building Construmat is committed to innovation as the driving force behind change
The twentieth edition of Barcelona Building Construmat, Fira de Barcelona’s International Construction Show on 23-26 May at the Gran Via exhibition centre, will be putting a particular emphasis on innovation and new technologies, the driving force behind the changes that the construction sector is currently experiencing. The event, which involves the leading companies in the sector, will have a dedicated trade fair area (Industry Arena), an area for discovering the latest innovations (Future Arena), a congress (Talks Arena) and an activity zone for promoting new business and internationalisation opportunities (Meetings Arena).
Barcelona Building Construmat (BBConstrumat) is presenting a new value proposition this year that aims to address the current needs of a sector that has undergone a major crisis but is now starting to show signs of recovery. Consequently, this year’s show will be putting the spotlight on innovation and digitalisation as the protagonists of the sector’s transformation.
The president of Sorigué, Ana Vallés, and current president of the event, hopes that ‘BBConstrumat will showcase the sector at a time when its recovery is fundamental not only for Spanish but also global growth’ and in this respect highlights the fact that ‘innovation is the key to the future of the whole building process, and this event aims to help the industry learn how it can broaden its horizons.‘ With a degree in Economic and Business Sciences, Ana Vallés has chaired Sorigué since 2011 and has been the driver of the business group’s current Strategic Plan based on three cornerstones of growth: innovation, knowledge and positioning.
Between 23 and 26 May 2017, Barcelona Building Construmat will be occupying some 13,000 square metres of exhibition space in Hall 2 of the Gran Via venue, with an edition that will feature a very broad representation of every segment in the value chain of the construction industry. Azul Acocsa, Alumilux, BASF, Ciments Molins, Gas Natural, Mapei, Sika, Sorigué, Technal and Trabis are just some of the leading companies in the sector that have already confirmed their participation in the event. At present, over 80% of the exhibition space has already been booked and the show is expected to grow by 20% compared to the previous edition in 2015.
The show’s director, architect Ione Ruete, confirms that BBConstrumat aims to become ‘a landmark event, where the sector can feel it is recognised and at which to discover the latest new products and trends and find business opportunities that will open up new international markets.’
Four themed areas
The twentieth edition of Barcelona Building Construmat will be structured around four themed areas:
Industry Arena, a huge exhibition area that provides a showcase of what the construction industry is today; Future Arena, more than 2,000 square metres in which innovation is the main protagonist, with a highly dynamic format that addresses the phases that make up the lifecycle of construction, from planning through to building renovation; Talks Arena, the place for debate and knowledge-sharing at the show and one of the main hallmarks of the event, which will host three conferences: Social Housing, the Circular Economy and Innovation; and the Meetings Arena, the big platform for business contacts at BBConstrumat, featuring the National and International Contract forum, the Investment Forum, the Brokerage Event, the Employment Forum and our international advisory service, amongst other activities.
Convergence of sector events
The National and International Contract Forum at BBConstrumat will be coordinated by the Association of Interior Designers and Decorators of Catalonia (CODIC) with the aim of showcasing the work of interior designers. The Contract Forum enjoys the participation of interior design professionals and companies from all over the world, especially from the hotel sector, although there will also be representatives from the commercial and retail sectors. As well as many Spanish hoteliers, the Forum will also be attended by the owners of hotel chains across Latin America as hosted guests.
Barcelona Building Construmat will also be organising, with the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC), ‘Architecture Week’, a series of activities intended to imbue Barcelona with architecture, design and construction during the dates of the event, with workshops, debates, a film cycle, exhibitions and architectural routes.
It will also host the third edition of the European BIM Summit (EBS), organised by the Barcelona Association of Quantity Surveyors, Technical Architects and Building Engineers (CAATEEB), the BIM Academy and the Spanish Chapter of buildingSMART, to present the latest news and information on Building Information Modeling (BIM), the digital system for generating and managing data on a building throughout its lifecycle.
The offering at BBConstumat 2017 will be rounded off with the 17th edition of the BBConstrumat Awards in the categories of Building, Civil Work, Material, Innovative Product, Project or Service and Best Stand.
Barcelona, February 2017