Valencia becomes a European leader in sustainable conference tourism with Zentropy MICE project
Zentropy MICE is a pioneering initiative in Europe that applies the concept of urban entropy to MICE tourism to integrate and transform the urban flows of conference tourism for the benefit of the city. The Zentropy MICE project will run for three and a half years, until May 2028, and has been allocated a budget of €5.2 million, 80% of which is financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Valencia Conference Center was chosen as the pilot venue to measure the impact of events on the city using an entropy calculator developed at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV).
The Zentropy MICE project was presented today at Valencia Conference Center with representatives from the six partners involved in this pioneering initiative in Europe, which uses the exchange of matter, energy, and information to generate zero-entropy conferences, i.e., conferences that generate positive impacts and leave a legacy in the city and among the inhabitants of Valencia.
Through nine energy, matter (material resources) and information programs, implemented at the Conference Center as the pilot venue chosen as a testing laboratory, we will develop a new model for conferences that minimises environmental impact and maximises the economic, social, and cultural benefits for Valencia and its residents.
The Zentropy MICE project will reduce the negative impacts of conferences (carbon footprint, resource consumption, and waste generation) and promote the positive aspects (legacy, economic development, and information exchange) by creating a ‘zero entropy system’, where the externalities of MICE tourism are absorbed or offset by the city’s sustainable infrastructure.
Representatives of the six partners participating in the project, led by the Department of Tourism and Innovation of Valencia City Council (Valencia City Council, València Innovation Capital, Valencia Conference Centre, Fundación Visit València, the urban innovation studio Khora Urban Thinkers and Universitat Politècnica de València) met to define the strategy to minimise the impacts of MICE tourism and transform conference tourism into an engine of positive change for the city.
In the words of Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Inward Investment in Valencia City Council, “Congress tourism is a growing trend and we must know how to take advantage of its flows, with Valencia the third Spanish city in terms of MICE tourism. It’s a form of tourism that brings three times the economic return of other forms of tourism and it should be harnessed to the benefit of all citizens to create a lasting legacy in the city and to optimise the socio-economic exchanges of energy, matter and information.”
Measurable impact and urban legacy
With impressive figures – in 2024 alone, the Valencia Conference Center welcomed over 100,000 visitors and generated over €6 million, channelling and creating significant resources for the city. Valencia Conference Centre was chosen as the pilot venue to measure the impact of events on the city using an entropy calculator developed at UPV.
Following an initial analysis of the situation through a zero test conference, nine action programs will be implemented to create a model of responsible tourism connected to the city; one which reduces environmental impact, generates lasting benefits, and brings real value to the municipality, its residents, and the social ecosystem.
A model that’s replicable across Europe
Of the 112 applications submitted to the European Commission’s EUI (European Urban Initiative) call for proposals, only 22 cities were selected, seven of them in the sustainable tourism category. As Paula Llobet points out: “The choice of Valencia as a pilot city to lead new models of tourism in Europe – in Valencia’s case, sustainable solutions for MICE tourism – is part of the city’s innovation strategy, which seeks to offer creative and innovative solutions to new urban challenges.
The Zentropy MICE project proposes a model of sustainable conference tourism that’s integrated into the city and transforms urban flows in the municipality to create a model that is scalable, replicable, and extrapolatable to other cities in Europe, with the cities of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Heidelberg (Germany), and Larissa (Greece) participating as transfer partners in the project.
