MPI announces the venue for EMEC 2026: Barcelona

Once again, MPI (Meeting Professionals International) announces the venue for the next EMEC, the global meeting organised by MPI, designed by Europeans for Europeans (and their colleagues from other parts of the world), with the aim of ensuring that the content and experiences organised for the event meet the needs of event professionals in the region.

MPI, one of the largest global associations in the meetings and events industry, with more than 60,000 members in its more than 90 chapters, 125 of which are in the Iberian chapter, holds these major regional meetings with the aim of building a more professionalised meetings and events industry that also contributes value and growth at the local level.

The February event in Barcelona is not the first EMEC event in Spain. The event was previously held in Málaga in 2010, Granada in 2017 and Seville in 2020. At the last edition in Spain, the programme was developed under the slogan ‘Push your boundaries’, which was developed through the Event Design Canvas methodology and storytelling. It is estimated that more than 500 professionals from around the world attended the Seville event.

In 2025, EMEC took place at the Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Istanbul and was attended by approximately 250 professionals from the European industry, who discussed trends, sustainability, experience creation and the science of storytelling.

As in previous editions, a unique part of the programme is the learning days, which take attendees outside the conference venue to immerse them in the cultural and business environment of the city and/or region hosting the event. In this latest edition, they saw how Istanbul’s historic spaces combine modern event technology with centuries-old architecture to create unique experiences. They also learned about local projects to promote sustainability at events, as well as the Turkish capital’s city-wide strategy.

We look forward to finding out which venue MPI has chosen for EMEC Barcelona and the future programme and content of the event, which we will tell you about.