Hey everyone! Here’s a message that I just love! Rub it in! (he is very blabbery but listen to what he says! Get the point?!)
14/03/2010
13/03/2010
RESUME OF THE WEEK – STARTED WITH SNOW AND ENDED WITH SUN!
I had a really hectic and stressful week this week I must say…. I think the most extraordinary to share with you all though is that there was something as rare as a snowstorm in Barcelona!
On Monday I had clients over for a site inspection, Margareta from Sweden, and Fabienne from Switzerland, and unfortunately enough it was grey and rainy….but we were checking out the spaces for an upcoming event with great enthusiasm anyway!
After a couple of hours of rain Fabienne asked me if it ever snowed in Barcelona. I said nooooooo, I think it has happened twice during the nine years I have been living here…1 hour later it started snowing!
Outside Hotel Majestic snowflakes started to fall! But it got a lot worse……
Snow and palmtrees…. Here my dear friend Monica Tudela, Sales Director in my favorite lounge restaurant at beachfront, Shoko, with whom I have executed a lot of fun events, small and huge!
An un recognisable snow covered chill out terrace facing the Mediterranean…difficult to promote for a welcome cocktail in a warm late summer night…what can you do but laugh!
And it just kept snowing! And you know what, all the roads were closed, no taxis, no airport transfers, cancellations of flights, the schools were closed, all this for some centimeters of snow…
It hasnt snowed as much since 40 years in Barcelona!
But the next day when I was on my way to the monthly breakfast meetings for all the important dmc agencies and hotels in the Barcelo Raval everything was back to normal, blue skies and a big burning sun!
Passing the stairs outside the cathedral there were kids and lazy bums listning to “el trobador” and enjoying the afternoon sun!
21/02/2010
A SUNNY DAY IN RAVAL, BARCELONA
Barcelona is just like New York City divided in different areas, barrios, that together create the diversity of Barcelona! I live in the Gothic quarters, Barrio Gótico, just between the old Cathedral Santa Eulalia and the Ramblas, in a small quiet pedestrian street (thank god), and when you cross the Ramblas on the other side you enter in Raval and into another world it feels like! It’s funny cos even if I live so close to Raval I tend to stay on my side of the Ramblas, but this sunny Saturday I made it across to the other side and spent half the day strolling about in the neighbourhood up-dating myself with new bars and coffeeshops. You have to know more or less what streets to walk and what alleys to avoid. There are som really autenthic places that I would bring friends and clients to, and there are some I would carefully make them avoid. But it is absolutely impressing to see how this”barrio” is evolving!
The multi-culti distric of Raval is located in the medieval city quarter of Barcelona, that was until recently one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world! Recent and ongoing regeneration schemes have dramatically altered the social, environmental and economic characteristics of some parts of the area. This is an upcoming area slowly transforming from slum and ghetto into a fashionable and more respectable area.. We do hope that it will not get too polished up in order to preserve some of its soul and nerve. Shafts of sunlight filtering into the narrow passage-ways give a sense of drama usually reserved for film sets! The main street of Rambla de Raval has become a popular meeting point where coffeeshops and restaurants are starting to pop up in a more well groomed way.
Rambla de Raval, the main street of the “barrio”
They have their own “barrio” bus!
Of course it is also the people of the barrio that add a certain spice to the neighbourhood, its colourful, its muli-culti – and NOT very catalan!
The cool thing about the blocks in Barcelona in general, and especially here, is that the old “cutre” (tacky) places are nextdoor to the new trendy ones which create an interesting touch to the city!
In the parade street, Rambla de Raval, the city contributed with a statue of the famous Spanish artist Botero which is climbed both by kids and grown ups crossing the Raval!
The inhabitants of the barrio demonstrate that they claim a decent and neat “barrio” filled with dignity!
Constructions are going on everywhere and you will be fascinated by the mix of buildings almost falling apart standing next to ultra modern buildings that are popping up in the blocks!
The first hotel chain who dared to make an imporant step (and investment) in the area is Barcelo Hoteles with its modern contribution to the Raval skyline – Barcelo Raval!
The first 4-star hotel of importance that really stands out in this area!
The cool lobby could be taken from the Meatpacking district of New York, but its not, its right here in Raval, Barcelona! And it is the only hotel with 360· view of Barcelona from the roof terrace, a cool hang out during hot summer nights! Rooms neat and trendy!
I ended my Saturday walk with a nice lunch in one of my all time favorite outdoor restaurants, the RA, just behind the colourful market place, La Boqueria! To my great satisfaction it is still difficult for many tourists to find this spot as it is awkwardly enough situated in a parking lot, but still one of the best terraces with sun all day! Years of good rumours and whispers has made RA into a super popular restaurant and hang out among the people living in Barcelona, so to get a table you have to be there early around 13.30 to snatch a seat as reservations cant be made in advance!
18/02/2010
RESTAURANT TERRABACUS IN BARCELONA
Just wanted to share with you that yesterday I tried one for me new restaurant in Eixample, Barcelona – Terrabacus!
They serve modern food and offers a wide wine selecction! Disches are very small, but very, very tasty! Service is very correct and the place is perfect to bring a group of friends or clients, but it is not for your romantic evening if was to decide!
17/02/2010
WORLD MOBILE CONGRESS IN BARCELONA
One of the biggest trade fairs in the world is held right now in Barcelona, The World Mobile Congress, where leaders in the mobile technology and cell phone market gather to network and collaborate!
Read about the first day in this article!
Hotels and venues in Barcelona are telling us that they notice a decrease in the number of booked hotelnights, the corporate events are less than earlier years etc. The biggest shock though was that the mega player Nokia decided not to have a stand inside the fair this year, but to outside in the pavillion only… But other big players like Ericsson, Samsung etc are here to win market and despite that a handful skipped the fair this year there is plenty of good news to be found in the mobile industry! Read more about in Businessweek!
In the trade fair area of Plaza Espanya another interesting venue is also located, the old bullfighter stadium! Barcelona has had two stadiums until a couple of years ago when the catalans took the decicion to make one of them into a comercial centre (as they are not passionate for this activity). They lifted the whole bullfighting arena 3 metres up in the air and started reconstructions! Within short they will transform this scene of the crime into a comercial shopping mall and hopefully attract more tourists than the typical trade fair visitor to the zone!
15/02/2010
SITE INSPECTION IN HOTEL SKIPPER IN BARCELONA!
Im preveledged to have one of my best friends as my best clients! – Ten years ago me and Mrs Beatrice Joseph were colleagues in an event department in one of Sweden’s biggest travel agencies! Our work relationship was the start of a long friendship that has grown strong through the years! We share a special mutual “cariño” for the Mediterranean as she is half spanish just like me! With her roots just outside Barcelona, namely Valencia, no nead to say that our flow create a special magic when we put programs together for our clients!
As we have several groups in the pipeline this year, Beatrice came down for a site inspection to get an experience on some of the sites included in future programs!
We started off with one of my absolute favorite hotels of this city, the 5-star Hotel Pullman Barcelona Skipper, that I have worked closely with the last three years with many succesful events to think back on!
One of the key persons behind the succesful hotel is Mr Nicolau Gruart, Director of Sales, who makes sure that me and my clients always feels extra special! Apart from being a pro in the hotel business, Nicolau is true connaisseur of life and has a “savoir faire” as few people I have ever known! Of course these ingredients is a guarantee for a fun and enjoyable evening in his company!
Bea, Nicolau and me enjoying a nice dinner in the Syrah restaurant of the Hotel Pullman Barcelona Skipper! A fabulous start of a successful and intense site inspection!
Nicolau chose a fantastic wine from Priorat!
It didnt take long until Nicolau wrapped us around his fingers with his catchy stories! He is a true entertainer!
And you will never ever have a dull moment in his company!
Apart from the hotel’s high comfort and exclusive design it is famous for its reinventive cuisine and can boast with two chefs who previous were working in world famous restaurant El Bulli by Ferran Adriá, now working in the Syrah restaurant!
The interior design is modern and descrete and they manage to make the cold concrete into a warm inviting space!
The rooms are spacious and elegant, facing either the Mediterranean or the vibrant city with views over Sagrada Familia, Torre de Agbar etc! You know what city you are in when looking out from one of its rooms!
The Attic roof terrace overlooking the beach and the Mediterranean, a perfect place for welcome cocktails or lazy afternoons in the sun!
And if you are looking for a bigger party the ground level pool area is an ideal place for food stations with mingling to the sound of a dj toasting mixes in the Mediterranean breeze!
I will return soon with more reports and pictures from other venues of the site inspection!
Coming up shortly!! Keep your eyes open!
THE CITY IS SHINING AGAIN!
At the moment I have some really heavy workload, and to get new inspiration to continue to work until late tonite I took my little dog Samantha, a mini pincher, for a nice walk down to the beach after lunch! Im fortunate to live only 20 min walk from the beach in the city centre, so whenever I can allow myself to escape from the computer for a moment the best way to catch new strenght is to inhale the breeze of the Mediterranean! This is life quality! A cosmopolitan city with a beach in the city centre! Life is good!
The city is shining and smiling again, and the “Face of Barcelona” is back to its normal colours!
IT RAINS IN BARCELONA TOO SOMETIMES….
Having grown up in Sweden the weather is always a high topic!! As a swede I cant stop to amaze myself of waking up to a sunny blue sky day after day after day after day! here down by the Mediterranean! The bright light of the city really has an enormous positiv impact on your every day life here!
But, it does rain here too sometimes, and when it does everyone all of a sudden gets a dip, I guess from the shock to see the city change colour from happy to grey, and also the fact that the rains here are like marathon rains….it can rain constantly for hours and hours and days and days. What happens here is comparable to what happens in Sweden when there is snow chaos, traffic jams and no taxi in sight!
As I live and work in the Gothic Quarters, Barrio Gótico, I was within walking distance down to La Ljotja del Mar, follow my walk through the gothic rainy alleys down towards the old harbour, Port Vell.
Roy Lichentsteins statue, The face of Barcelona, also seem to lose its colour on a rainy day… Port Vell, the Barceloneta and the Hotel W in the background.
Outside the entrance of La Ljotja in Passeg de Isabel II
PS! THE SUN IS OUT AGAIN TODAY AND THE NORMAL BLUE SKIES ARE BACK!! FEELS GREAT!! 
AN EMBLEMATIC EVENT SPACE IN BARCELONA
Yesterday I had a really busy day with lots of research for proposals for interesting groups coming up!
In betweenI had to run down to meet my contacts down at one of the most emblematic event spaces Barcelona has to offer, La Llotja del Mar, for two events pending of confirmation there this year! Regulations are quite strict for this space when you hire it, it suits high end dinner receptions, conferences in combination with dinners, but no wild parties with music and dancing, you also have to finish your event like Cinderella, just by midnite!
The entrance to La Llotja del Mar
Patio and portches
Big conference space with a maximum of 350 in banquet
Salón Dorada, neoclasico
Salón de Contrataciones, the biggest event space with max 430 in seated dinner
Picture from an old set up, chill out style in Salón de Contrataciones
If you are interested in planning an event here with first class catering service you should send me an email! jessika@performanceprimecities.com
Have a look in my web Performance Barcelona for more inspiration!
