Professionals who are used to going from congress to congress around the world show a clear consensus when they talk about the Smart City Expo World Congress at Fira de Barcelona. They agree that it is the most complete exhibition on cities and urban innovation, the meeting point where industry experts must be present, just like those from the technological field at the Mobile World Congress. "Nowhere else can we offer our product to so many councils from all over Europe, and in just three days!" exclaims the sales manager of a company in the mobility sector with a folder full of business cards and notes that he has pointed to the meetings he had non-stop between Tuesday and Thursday.
The conviction of the companies coincides with that of the representatives of the administrations. All the knowledge that is shared in the salon flows from mayor to mayor and technician to technician over the years and the number of international delegations is increasing. This year, for example, they have landed there en masse from the United States and Brazil.
The current geopolitical situation has also moved to the salon of the cities. China has returned after a few years of absence, albeit at half throttle, with much less force than before the pandemic, due to the blockade of the technology sector by the United States. Its place is occupied by South Korea, which has increased its presence considerably, and Japan, which has also been much more present there. Kyiv has returned with an update to its wartime application, while Tel-Aviv and Israel – always a very important presence – did not come this year.
The show, in its twelfth edition, has more than 25,300 attendees, from 140 countries, with delegations organized from 800 cities and metropolitan areas and 1,106 exhibitors set up over three days at the Gran Via site of the Fira de Barcelona in Hospital
These are record numbers that allow the organization to grow next year to definitely strengthen the salon. In 2024, it will go from the current 45,000 m2 represented by Halls 1 and 2 to the 69,000 m2 of Halls 2 and 3. The latter is the largest of all those in the fairgrounds and will be 50% more than now. "It's not about growing for the sake of growing, the goal is to grow with worthwhile people and with content, and help cities take action", says the director of the salon, Ugo Valenti.
Tomorrow Building (the space intended for urban planning and housing) is the area that will predictably gain more space next year. On the other hand, Puzzle X, the event about exponential technology with the support of Mobile, ends its contract this year and its continuity is not clear, because its fit is probably greater with another more disruptive event.
