ALFONSO GRAU RECEIVES THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE FORUM 

This European platform specializing in the congress industry meets at the premises of the Valencia Fair. 

The first Deputy Mayor, Alfonso Grau, presided over the reception held in the Council for the participants of the meeting of the Association Conference Forum which took place in the Valencia Fair. On behalf of the Mayoress, the Councillor welcomed the members of the entity to the city of Valencia.

AC Forum is a European platform exclusively composed of associations which have people responsible for events and conventions, mostly of the medical field. These include the International AIDS Society (IAS), the International Union against Cancer (AICC) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), along with some twenty international organizational associations for top-level congresses. This is a forum for the exchange of information between member corporations, focusing on the process and discussion of new challenges in the congress industry.

During his welcoming speech, Alfonso Grau emphasized the strength Valencia has gained in recent years as a destination for meetings, and its improved position as a venue for international events, particularly due to the quality of its infrastructures, and to a large extent, in virtue of the work carried out through institutions such as Turismo Valencia Convention.

This upward trend for Valencia as a location for meetings has been confirmed by organizations such as the Union of International Associations, which rates Valencia as the ninth world city – non capital - within the list of destinations for world congresses and the fifth European city - non capital - that forms part of this group.

Also to be highlighted is the report produced by the International Congress & Convention Association which positions our city in the fourth place in the ranking as regards growth in numbers of international events (2007).

In front of his audience, which came from several European countries, Alfonso Grau also stressed the infrastructure our city has at its disposal: the wide range of hotels for all guests; the improved international flight connections which in the last five years have doubled; the renewed transportation network; the new connection to Madrid thanks to the high speed railway; the cultural offer (more than 30 museums); and the possibilities for outdoor activities (among others La Albufera, the new Marine Juan Carlos I, the City of Arts and Sciences).