• Valencia City Council brings together leading conference and professional meeting organisers at La Harinera to launch a pioneering initiative aimed at transforming the city

• The goal is for international experts visiting Valencia to share their knowledge and collaborate with local universities, businesses and community organisations on projects that shape the future

Valencia City Council has launched an innovative strategy to work with major conference organisers to transform the city’s professional and scientific tourism sector. During a meeting held at the La Harinera urban innovation centre, the City Council initiated a pioneering collaboration in Europe designed to ensure that international events generate real, tangible and lasting benefits for the local ecosystem, going far beyond traditional tourism spending.

The main objective is to activate a Legacy Programme. This initiative enables the knowledge, technology and expertise of the international specialists who visit València to become embedded within the local community through research, scientific and educational projects developed in collaboration with local organisations. In this way, every professional conference becomes a practical tool for addressing the city’s major challenges.

Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction, highlighted the importance of this evolution in the city’s tourism model. “We are working to ensure that conferences become tools for urban transformation. València is leading an innovative model in Europe that connects events with the city and creates value that extends far beyond the event itself,” said the Councillor.

Institutional collaboration and pilot projects for the city

The working session laid the foundations for cooperation to launch the first pilot initiatives, jointly designed by the public administration and event organisers to ensure that every project responds to the real needs of the people of Valencia. To guarantee the success and transparency of these initiatives, the City Council will implement dedicated measurement tools to assess the social and economic impact that each conference generates for the city.

“We want every conference held in Valencia to leave a positive legacy, creating tangible and lasting benefits while helping to address the city’s major urban challenges through innovation and knowledge,” Paula Llobet added.

The project is built on a partnership between the public sector, private companies and the scientific community. The session at La Harinera brought together representatives from València City Council, València Innovation Capital, the Valencia Conference Centre, Visit València Foundation, the Universitat Politècnica de València and consultancy Khora Urban Thinkers, who analysed the roadmap and the benefits of this sustainable model for professional tourism.

“Through this commitment, Valencia is strengthening its position as a leading European urban innovation laboratory, promoting professional conferences that are more connected to the city, more balanced, and focused on improving the everyday wellbeing of all citizens,” concluded Councillor Paula Llobet.