Barcelona International Community Day will hold its twelfth edition on Saturday 25 October at the Barcelona Maritime Museum, located in the former Royal Shipyards. The event is the main welcome space for newly arrived international professionals and an important meeting point for all members of the international community living and working in Barcelona.
However, it is open to anyone, including people interested in engaging with this diverse group of people who enrich the city. It is an initiative organised by Barcelona City Council through its Directorate for International Economic Promotion.
The event will have a trade fair featuring companies and organisations offering products, services and initiatives targeted at international talent, as well as a programme of activities, workshops and talks of interest to the community. The venue will be open from 10 am to 7 pm, and the event is free of charge with registration on the website barcelona.cat/internationalcommunityday.
Fair with exhibitors
The fair will feature 77 exhibitors, including 17 public entities (8 of them municipal services), 33 companies, 14 associations and non-profit organisations, and 14 educational entities, including international schools and higher education institutions. They will be arranged in stands and information points to offer participants specialised resources and services that meet the typical needs of newcomers to the city.
The areas represented in the fair include the real-estate sector, relocation, talent management, legal and financial consultants, insurance and medical services, and others. Participants will also find public and private cultural and social organisations offering products, services and initiatives to help them enjoy the city and become an integral part of it.
This year, to foster the international community’s integration, connection and involvement in the city, the emphasis will be on spotlighting Catalan and knowledge of Catalan culture. Barcelona’s Language Normalisation Centre will participate in the event with a stand where they’ll provide information all day long about Catalan classes and the language-learning resources it offers.
The fair will also provide resources on volunteering at the Torre Jussana stand, where participants will be able to see an interactive map of the city’s different volunteer organisations divided by neighbourhoods.
A wide range of municipal services will be there, too. The Barcelona International Welcome Desk, the service that caters to international talent, and the local development agency Barcelona Activa will welcome international visitors and share information and resources of interest for their arrival and integration into Barcelona. To ensure that visitors are aware of what the city offers and to facilitate their integration, other organisations which appeal to the general public will also be there. These include Markets of Barcelona, the Institute of Culture, Libraries of Barcelona, B:SM, the Barcelona Sports Institute, the Barcelona Education Consortium, the Guàrdia Urbana (city police) and the Barcelona Firefighters.
In addition to the Education Consortium, the education sector will also be represented by the stands of various schools that offer international curricula or qualifications. The exhibitors will also include business schools and other educational institutions.
Activities programme
The almost 60 activities planned for this year’s edition will revolve around several main themes.
One of the most prominent ones will be Moving to and getting involved in the city. This will include sessions with practical information on tax issues, how the Catalan healthcare system works and tips to find a school for children. But it will also encourage participants to learn Catalan, and share volunteering options in the city along with ideas on how to engage in local tourism sustainably.
For example, Barcelona’s Language Normalisation Centre will offer two activities to encourage newcomers to learn the language, while Catalan News will organise a Trivia workshop where participants can learn the latest local news.
Discovering Catalan cuisine will also be encouraged, with a City Council-run workshop on the esmorzar de forquilla or hearty breakfast, and another on folk traditions. The entertainment activities offered in the Maritime Museum garden include a stick dance performance and a typical passacaglia from the Terres de l’Ebre region, as well as other shows like live concerts and dances from different places around the world.
Another important topic will be Work and business. Barcelona Activa will offer talks and workshops with resources on how to find work and set up a company, as well as a simulation of job interview training using artificial intelligence and a professional photography service for CV photographs. Likewise, a session will be held on financing for entrepreneurs and a panel discussion on opportunities for digital talent.
Finally, the programme will offer Workshops and networking to foster personal and professional connections among the participants. Just as in previous years, there will be a play centre for children inside the premises with activities all day long. Plus, this year, an audio and video podcast will be recorded on a set installed in the Maritime Museum, where interviews will be held throughout the day.