Valencia set to host the most important Spanish family business forum

The Valencia Conference Centre has been chosen as the venue to hold the 21st National Congress of the Family Business Institute (IEF), which will be attended by the King of Spain, the Spanish Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition

The Family Business Institute (Instituto de Empresa Familiar), in conjunction with the Valencian Employers’ Association, will be staging its National Congress in Valencia on 28th, 29th and 30th October. This will be the second time that Valencia has hosted this event, with the Conference Centre as the linchpin of the forum’s activities.

This organisation brings together around a hundred family businesses which are leaders in their respective industries, and account for an important part of Spain’s GDP, giving them considerable social influence.

The slogan of this year’s congress is “Committed to the future”, which makes reference to these businesses’ demands for recognition in terms of their input to economic development, their contribution to the welfare state and, of course, the key role that they have played and continue to play, not only during the economic downturn but also during its subsequent recovery.

The congress will be attended by more than 600 family businessowners from all over Spain. Due to the relevance of this event -as the leading business forum in Spain and one of the most important in the world-, a number of leading figures will be attending, such as HRH King Felipe VI, who will be presiding over the official opening ceremony, and the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, who will be giving the closing address.

All of them will be accompanied by national and international speakers such as Pablo Casado, the leader of the Partido Popular, Juan Roig, the Chairman of Mercadona, Hilario Albarracín, the Chairman of KPMG in Spain, Simón Pedro Barceló, the Co-Chairman of Barceló Corporación Empresarial, Marc Puig, the Chairman of Puig and José Manuel Entrecanales, the Chairman of Acciona.

The congress programme will be completed with social activities in some of Valencia’s most spectacular locations, such as the Veles e Vents building in the Port of Valencia, where the Valencian authorities will be welcoming participants to the event.

 You can find more information about the National Congress of the Family Business Institute on its website.