14th ISAAC: International Society for Augmentative & Alternative Communication

The 14th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) in Barcelona, themed Communicating Worlds. ISAAC focuses on people anywhere in the world who communicate with little or no speech. Thousands of members in 60 countries, with 15 ISAAC Chapters work together so that everyone can communicate.

Each conference includes families sharing success stories, exciting breakthroughs, fun social activities, scientific paper presentations, and demonstrations of assistive equipment.  During each global gathering, families, therapists, professionals, children and adults with complex communication needs, and researchers from the fields of education, rehabilitation, health sciences, government and industry come and learn the latest information about augmentative and alternative communication.

Barcelona is calling all together in 2010 to continue to communicate around the world. We extend a heartfelt welcome for you to join our circle of friends and advocate with us to improve communication for all people with speech difficulties.

Location -> International Convention Center of Barcelona (Rambla Prim 1-17 - Fòrum).

Shared Services, Cutting Costs & Innovative Strategies at Hotel 1898 Barcelona

Axiom Groupe, leader in production of conferences and communication, delivering business intelligence and strategic information, continuing their partnership with Hotel 1898 in Barcelona, announces its 3rd annual event: Shared Services.

From this event, September 22nd - 23rd, you will learn:

• Shared Services: insourcing versus outsourcing
• Global Sourcing, Expected Behaviours, Team management, Leadership
• Global Service Delivery Model combining efficiency and value added
• Meeting transformation targets through outsourcing and Offshoring
• Getting your Top Management support for the Shared Services Centre
• From Efficiency to Effectiveness in Shared Services
• People and culture
• Tax and control of SSC
• Getting the internal control framework right
• Key technologies in your SSC
• Creating a winning culture of SCC
• Re-ajusting your BPO to gain cash flow
• Managing complex reorganisation projects of the planning stage

A conference specially designed for General Managers, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Directors & Managers of Finances and Outsourcing.
Further information can be found at this PDF file.

The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

Between 15 and 18 February, Barcelona is going to be the world capital of mobile telephony. The Mobile World Congress at the Fira de Barcelona will bring together the top leaders of this industrial technology, who are not going to miss the most important event in the world in this sector.

During the four days the congress lasts many activities, talks and events will be held, along with presentations of the latest advances in mobile technologies. It will also see the presentation of the Global Mobile Awards, the sector’s most prestigious awards.

Place:  Fira Barcelona  |  Address: Av Reina Maria Cristina, 2

Mobile World Congress Website

Mascota Barcelona - Pet Exhibition

For the first time in Spain, three important events dedicated to pets will be held in the same exhibition centre and on the same dates:  Fira de Barcelona’s Mascota Show where the latest pet food and pet care products will be presented; the Southern European Veterinary Congress attended by around 5.500 experts; and the international reptile and amphibian fair, Expoterraria. From the 1st to the 4th of October his coincidence will turn Barcelona into a reference point for pet professionals and lovers.

Mascota, which arose from the transformation of Sizoo and the Festival de la Mascota, will showcase the latest trends in food, health, accessories and specialised services for domestic animals. Although a trade fair, the general public will have the opportunity to see these new products at the weekend, on the 3rd and 4th of October, in the Montjuïc exhibition centre, also the setting for the other two major events which, together, will occupy halls 2, 5, 7 and 8 and the Plaça de l’Univers.

The show’s list of proposals includes the Pets’ Fashion Catwalk where the new collections of pet fashion and accessories will be presented, featuring designers like Adolfo Domínguez, and a large variety of activities for the whole family such as aquarium and cat exhibitions, training trials, a dog beauty contest and children’s workshops with service dogs for persons with disabilities, among others.

At the same time, around 5.500 experts on animal health will attend the Southern European Veterinary Conference - 44th Congress of the Association of Spanish Specialist Veterinarians of Small Animals (AVEPA), which will feature 200 conferences and speakers from around the world. Topics at the event will include Leishmaniosis disease in dogs, new medical and surgical advances, clinic management and veterinarian assistant training. There will also be specialised workshops on diagnostic techniques and dog behaviour, among others.

www.salonmascota.com  1 & 2 october: only professionals  | 3 & 4 october: general public

NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com  | We suggest accommodation at B-Hotel (www.b-hotel.com) located at Plaza España

Cool hotel & very convenient location: B-Hotel

We stayed at the B-Hotel from 1 to 5 August.

Cool hotel from the pool on the roof to the Breakfast room on the 1st floor with fantastic views over Plaza Espanya.
The rooms are really well laid out, the decor is funky in a minimalist way, the breakfast was excellent and the location is very convenient - close to the city centre, transport connections and to Montjuic.
Staff were friendly and helpful. Already, we are recommending it to friends as the place to stay in the best city in Europe.

Experience posted by Phoebe Muckian, Sept 09.

ESC Congress 2009 in Barcelona

The ESC Congress is an annual international congress held in Europe, represents the largest meeting in the world addressing issues in cardiovascular medicine. It is the largest medical meeting in Europe, gathering over 25,000 participants ever year.

The meeting, taking place over five days in 30 lecture theatres, provides a unique forum bringing together all the different disciplines and players involved in cardiology, including doctors, basic scientists, epidemiologists, nurses,  technicians and key opinion leaders.  An advantage  is that it covers both specific issues in the different disciplines as well as broader issues affecting all fields of cardiology.

The congress will provide delegates with great opportunities for education, including “Meet and Read with the Experts“, and for hearing about the latest research. There will  be valuable opportunities  for networking, including finding out about practice in different countries, exchanging ideas and getting to know a range of interesting new people. Let’s not forget our industry partners who will be holding over 80 satellite symposia and workshops and showcasing the latest innovations in pharma  and equipment in what’s probably the world’s  largest medical exhibition centre.

Barcelona is a truly wonderful venue. The city offers an excellent congress centre, good transport links, and is a really interesting place for delegates to take a bit of time out. You have magnificent Gaudi architecture, superb cuisine and a world famous football team. In fact it’s the  perfect mix – that’s so long as you don’t get too distracted from the Congress.

Fira Gran Via: Plaza Europa, Hospitalet - 08908 Barcelona  |  www.escardio.org

NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com

Sonar Barcelona & Sonar Kids

 Sonar is a music and digital art festival held in the heart of the city of Barcelona for three days every June. At last year’s festival, more than 80 thousand people enjoyed a musical line-up that combined major names in today’s electronica with ideas for minority interests.

Sonar is a meeting point both for an audience from all over the world eager for new ideas, and for professionals, who find that the festival atmosphere is the ideal place to display their products and make contacts. This year the festival will take place on 18, 19 and 20 June. The Festival’s radio partners, BBC Radio 1, iCat FM, ScannerFM and RNE (Radio 3 and Radio 4) and the online magazine Playground provide you with all the festival news, minute by minute.

Sonar features some of the wordl best DJ and musicians such as Grace Jones, Orbital, Animal Collective, Fever Ray, The Wizard (Jeff Mills) and some Barcelona’s new promises.

This year, Sonar creates SonarKids, a new festival of music and creative experiences for kids and parents, which will be held on Sunday 21 June on the Sónar by Day locations. The event will include renowned Spanish and international artists who will adapt their styles to their younger audience, with numerous activities to awaken and stimulate their creativity. SonarKids is designed for children to learn by enjoying music and art in a way that they probably haven’t done yet. Sonar has taken its young audience into account, and will be using a sound system suitable for children’s hearing, as well as installing a range of facilities (play area, picnic area, bar) so that both parents and children can rest and enjoy the SonarKids experience in full comfort.

More inf@ :    Sonar Website   ..::..  Sonar Kids

Start the Mobile World Congress 2009.

The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world’s most important leading-edge event for the mobile industry, will be back in Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc exhibition centre, until the 20th of February, with the presence of the sector’s leading companies and executives. The mobile summit will showcase new technologies and contents and feature a packed activities programme with over 360 international delegates.

The number of companies participating in the 2009 Mobile World Congress has risen to 1,300 (100 more than the previous year) and the stands space to 59,150 m2, practically the entire Montjuïc exhibition centre. It is expected to attract approximately 50,000 visitors, including top executives of the leading mobile operators, equipment vendors, IT companies and suppliers of entertainment contents and mobile phone services. 50 ministerial delegations from around the world will be participating.

Under the theme of “Think Forward”, the congress will explore the impact of the economic crisis, as well as focus on issues critical to the development of the communications industry, including the adoption of advanced mobile broadband technologies, the shift to an open mobile ecosystem, and the proliferation of mobile entertainment and advertising services.

More inf@: www.firabcn.es - Fira de Barcelona

NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com

HiT Barcelona: World Innovation Summit

17-19 June 2009. Fira de Barcelona.
The global gathering where innovation drives the future.

The challenges have never been so great. Nor have the opportunities.
A world that acts globally, needs a global meeting point for new ideas.
A world that evolves faster than ever before, needs an event that keeps pace with business innovation.
A place where we can discover, share and generate the key initiatives that will take our economies forward.
A place where the world’s leading CEOs, directors, investors, innovators, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business angels can meet to create a better and more profitable future.
New ideas create progress, value, difference and change.
A future where Health, Mobility and Clean Technology will be the key foundation sectors of the new global economy.

More inf@: www.hitbarcelona.com

NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com

Hotels will be fully booked for the 3GSM Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

The Congress is set to occupy an even larger space this year, taking up the entire Fira de Barcelona in Montjuïc. The event will run from 16 to 19 February and this is its fourth consecutive year in the city.

It has been confirmed that some 50,000 business executives from across the globe will be attending the Congress and that the sector’s chief companies will be taking part. “This is a very high rate of response and a great success”, said John Hoffman, the GSMA representantive, who unreservedly described the Barcelona Congress as the world’s largest in the mobile telephone sector.

Nearly 400 speakers will be taking part in the Congress, half of whom are managing directors in the world’s biggest companies.

Some of most notable will be Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft; Chris DeWolfe, CEO and co-founder of MySpace; César Alierta, CEO of Telefónica; Vittorio Colao, CEO of Vodafone, and representatives from the companies AT&T, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Telenor and Verizon Communications.

More inf@: www.mobileworldcongress.com

NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com