IFEMA MADRID and Mediabrands Create the First Space for Hybrid Events

The catwalk represents a qualitative leap in IFEMA MADRID's career to lead the digital transformation and add value to companies through the creation of virtual and hybrid events, with the most advanced digital and audiovisual technology.

At a time when the business world is changing profoundly, and demand for reactivating enterprises is high, IFEMA MADRID, in collaboration with Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) has taken its digital commitment a step further by creating Spain’s first Connected Space in the fair and congress sector, as a key piece of its digital transformation project.

This space is being developed as part of IFEMA MADRID’s new brand positioning strategy, which sets out to lead the digital sector by creating new business channels.This new technological development will expand upon these efforts, representing a qualitative leap in terms of promotional, sales and communication opportunities for companies and sectors.

The space will be used to provide opportunities for new virtual and hybrid events in the city of Madrid, with innovative business models that combine in-person and virtual interactions to help companies to drum up business, expand into new markets and boost turnover.

According to the CEO of IFEMA, Eduardo López-Puertas, “this innovative proposal will enable us to make progress toward our institution's natural objective, which is to help companies to improve their results by providing new business opportunities. We have always been committed to this, and by creating this hyper-connected and interactive digital set, we are massively upgrading our digital collaboration and service capabilities at a crucial time for the transformation of the business world."

Technology partner

IFEMA MADRID worked with a prestigious partner on the project. Mediabrands Content Studio has more than ten years of experience helping Ibex 35 companies in their transformation processes. PRG, which produces major shows like Superbowl or Eurovision has also been involved.

“We couldn’t be more delighted to take on the wonderful challenge of transforming the events sector with IFEMA and with PRG's technological expertise. La Pasarela will be a place for brands and companies to personalise their virtual or hybrid events, to be original, to reach their audiences the way they need to”, says Hugo Albornoz, Managing Director of MBCS. “Zoom meetings are no longer considered virtual events. Things have moved on. And that’s the key to this space. You have to cross the line. Develop. At La Pasarela, brands will be able to create a quality product from a creative and technological point of view to offer the audience in the hall and their people at home”, said Hugo Albornoz. 

From left to the right, Hugo Albornoz, Managing Director of Mediabrands Content Studio Spain; Eduardo López-Puertas, General Manager of IFEMA MADRID, and Xavier Theys, General Manager of PRG Spain

La Pasarela, a unique space

The new project is called “La Pasarela, Espacio Conectado”, referring to MBFWMadrid fashion week due to its location in Hall 14.1, where the country’s leading designers’ collections are shown every six months. It is an integral part of the technical content that IFEMA MADRID makes available to organisers and companies to produce virtual and hybrid events and presentations, helping to consolidate their own digitisation processes.

A connected stage for every type of event

A unique facility in Spain, where the in-person merges with the virtual thanks to the most cutting-edge technologies in the market. A place where Madrid opens up to the world and where the world connects to Madrid in an infinite virtual environment where imagination has no limits when producing an event.

It is a unique digital set with capacity for 600 people and a choice of four highly technological models. The Panoramic Stage designed for filming training sessions, conferences, workshops, work meetings and internal communication is complemented by two advanced options such as the Integrated Stage, ideal for producing launch events, conferences, television programmes, awards ceremonies and general meetings. Even more sophisticated, the Immersive Stage is designed for the production of congresses, fairs, galas, concerts, general meetings and for product presentations. Based on these options, a fourth XR Scenario is available, tailored to the client's needs. 

This is a pioneering initiative in Spain due to its interactive possibilities, since it is the only one in the world capable of establishing direct connections with other connected spaces in the world, including those installed by PRG in leading convention centres, which offers great value when designing international events and congresses by greatly increasing their repercussion and scope.

Open days

To present the different technological solutions offered by this Connected Space to companies and institutions throughout Spain, and to publicise these opportunities to accelerate the transformation towards the new hybrid virtual/in-person business model that the economy demands, IFEMA MADRID and MBCS, with the technological support of PRG, are holding a series of Open Days to demonstrate these new solutions and their advanced technology.

Watch the full presentation here.