How we reacted to a blackout in the middle of an international congress
The outage coincided with a major event at the Palace: we'll tell you how we managed the situation thanks to our team and generators.
On 28 April, a major blackout affected a large part of Spain. At that moment, here at Valencia Conference Centre, the Arival 360 Convention was just getting under way. An international congress with 800 attendees which, as the event coordinator Heather Torrey points out, is the only event to bring together companies working in destination experiences. The power cut coincided with the start of the event, with operations running at full capacity.
Despite this, the functioning of the congress was not interrupted at any stage. The reason for that? A rapid, structured reaction based on prior preparation.
A back-up system that worked from the very first second
Our UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) allowed the activity to continue with no visible interruption for attendees. Within seconds, the recently refurbished generator set came online and stabilised the supply. It was its first real test in a highly demanding situation, and it responded capably.
Management of consumption and available resources
With the generator running and with no knowledge of the duration of the outage, the technical team assessed the available fuel and implemented energy saving measures: non-essential consumption elements (secondary LED screens, air conditioning, elevators) were switched off, access doors were opened to ventilate the common areas and staff teams were reorganised to control safe entry and exit.
The main challenge: communication
The lack of telephone connection was one of the biggest challenges faced. With phone lines down, we activated wireless communication systems and, as the internal WiFi network remained operational, the team was also able to continue coordinating via WhatsApp.
The client’s point of view: professionalism, peace of mind and confidence
Heather Torrey, Event Planner at Arival 360 Convention, highlighted the management of the Conference Centre team as key to the smooth running of the event:
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime event of a total blackout. The best thing was how everyone here at the Centre handled the situation so calmly. Our guests spoke of how they never felt the stress of the situation. The programme went on, we kept going, and it was all down to the Center staff. They handled it very professionally.
Key lessons
This case demonstrates the importance of having in place an effective contingency plan, well-prepared technical teams and reliable back-up systems. The client’s perception was positive at all times.
In unforeseen situations like this, responsiveness and anticipation make all the difference. And here at Valencia Conference Centre, we continue to work to ensure that every event meets the highest standards, come what may.
