IFEMA will participate in the consortium for strategic and business consultancy in the two Convention Centres in Baja California Sur.
It will work in collaboration with Mexican company ACTIDEA in Los Cabos and La Paz
Madrid.
IFEMA has recently been providing assistance and strategic and business consultancy services to Mexican company ACTIDEA, as a result of which the latter has been successful in the invitation to tender launched by the Government of the State of Baja California del Sur, which owns two convention centres in Los Cabos and La Paz. The contract will mean operating both sites, development and positioning them within the business meeting tourism sector.
As part of its task to provide consultancy services and strategic business assistance to the successful Mexican company, ACTIDEA, IFEMA will help to develop strategic and business plans for both centres, and in different areas that will enable it to design lines of action, such as carrying out evaluations and making recommendations on the impact of driving the meeting tourism industry on the community: technical advice on adapting the site and installing services; defining the management company; training processes, and general business advice, as well as acting as an international agent to attract events.
Baja California del Sur relies on tourism as its main source of income, hence the need for a plan for operating and developing meeting tourism through professional, efficient management that will give content and suitability to the available facilities. In fact, according to 2015 data released by the state, a total of 5,952 meetings, primarily incentive programmes, and corporate meetings (36% of all those held in Mexico) as well as association conferences and, to a lesser extent, trade fairs and exhibitions held at hotels, restaurants, universities, with a mere two events held at the convention centres.
The La Paz Convention Centre, which was built in 2014, it has yet to market and develop the meeting tourism sector. The main, 3,000 m2 site has space for 3,600 people, as well as other suitable spaces for conventions, exhibitions, and festivals.
These days, La Paz, the state capital, and site of Government Departments, has three research centres, a biotechnology park, and a campus for 4,000 students, meaning there is potential to position the facilities as a venue for national scientific congresses and conventions.
Another advantage is its excellent air connections with 17 national airports and six national airlines. When it comes to hotel infrastructures, it has 1,913 rooms, 8% of which are in five-star hotels and 38% in four-star hotels, with average occupation of 43%.
The Los Cabos International Convention Centre was opened in 2012 to host the G20 Summit, and has a total indoor area of 12,840 m2, with a main space of 5,400 m2 and space for 6,500 people.
Regarding the luxury tourism sector, where there has been extensive growth, Los Cabos received between 10% and 50% of the incentive tourism. There are excellent air connections with six national and 30 international airports, and it has an extensive range of hotels, with 12,448 rooms, 80% in five-star hotels and with an average occupation rate of 71%.
