VALENCIA is showing day after day and with each event it hosts that it has the capacity to be the venue for the most important cultural and sporting events, as well as professional and business congresses that take place throughout the year.
Valencia, a city backing sports
European Capital of Sport 2011
City of Valencia 2011
Valencia has won the award as European Capital of Sport 2011. The city has thus been rewarded for its commitment to physical activities and leadership in the world of sport. Valencia 2011 means showing the world how the city makes sporting activities the key to social events and integration of the citizens, with the aim of contributing to Valencians’ health, encouraging the cultural side of healthy physical activity, and showing their capacity for organising big international sporting events.
High Power Radio Frequency Space Laboratory
The European Space Agency (ESA) based in the Netherlands, chose Valencia as the new headquarters of the High Power Radio Frequency (RF) Space Laboratory that will specialize in two main functions: to provide a rapid response to breakdowns and incidents of microwave circuits of the satellites and space vehicles and, secondly, this center will approve all the elements that the European Space Agency send into space. The initiative will invest 15 million euros over 5 years, which will generate 800 highly skilled jobs, and the installation in our city of over 20 technology companies in the space area.
33 America´s Cup
Port of Valencia 2010
Valencia will host the 33rd America´s Cup Edition 33rd.americascup.com
Formula 1, European Grand Prix
Valencia street circuit / 2009-2014
From 2008 till 2014, Valencia is the venue for the Formula 1 European Grand Prix. Its urban route takes in the Port of Valencia, which was transformed to hold the 32nd America’s Cup. For 4 days, the motors roar on the quayside and thousands of people throng to enjoy close up the motor racing event par excellence. Valencia is the only city in the world to have held the America’s Cup and a Formula 1 race in two consecutive years. www.valenciastreetcircuit.com
Tenis Open 500
Ágora-Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences / 2009
From 31st October to 8th November 2009, Valencia experienced all the magic of tennis, in the Open 500 – ATP Word Tour, with the participation of the world’s best players. The venue chosen to stage this big sporting event was the City of Arts and Sciences’ Ágora, a large multi-use area designed by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava with a capacity for 5,500 spectators, which is destined to play host to big events to be held in the city of the Túria. Valencia is growing as an international benchmark for organising top level sporting events. www.valenciaopen500.com
32nd America’s Cup
Port of Valencia 2007
In 2007 Valencia became the first European City to hold the prestigious America’s Cup, the oldest sporting event in the world. Over 6 million people experienced the emotion of the competition live and the televised images reached a worldwide audience of 4,000 million spectators. www.americascup.org/en/index.php
World Athletics Championship
Luís Puig Velodrome / 2008
In 2008 the Luis Puig Velodrome, one of the best athletics facilities in the world, held the World Athletics Championship. This competition is of the highest international level and the top personalities in world athletics took part. The media impact of this great event brought about an economic influx into the city of Valencia of 21 million euros. Valencia again showed its organisational capacity for international sporting events. Every day the city is committed to practising sporting activities at all levels and promotes sport as a means of maintaining Valencia’s citizens’ quality of life. www.rfea.es/competi/2008valencia/esp/index.htmValencia, entrepreneurial and dynamic
Valencia, Host to International Congresses
Valencia’s Palacio de Congresos - Centro de Eventos de Feria Valencia
(Trade Fair) - Príncipe Felipe Science Museum of the City of Arts and Sciences
Valencia is categorised as one of Europe’s most important international congress hosts. Many of these gatherings take place in one of the city’s emblematic buildings, the Palacio de Congresos de Valencia. This is the work of the prestigious architect Norman Foster, and is located in one of Valencia’s most cosmopolitan areas with architecture of tall skyscrapers. Its fishlike shape evokes the city’s Mediterranean character. Furthermore, Valencia has other sites to organise congresses and the highest-level business meetings, such as the City of Arts and Sciences’ Príncipe Felipe Science Museum and the Feria Valencia trade fair’s Centro de Eventos.
www.palcongres-vlc.com
Valencia Feria de Muestras Internacional trade fair exhibition centre
Feria Valencia
Valencia’s long-standing business and trade tradition is one of the city’s points of excellence. For over 90 years, Feria Valencia has been dedicated exclusively to holding Europe’s most important international trade fairs and events. These meetings take place in a complex of recently renovated pavilions which enable congresses and trade fairs to be held simultaneously in the city, making it an avant-guard and unavoidable meeting point for any professional. horizontal.feriavalencia.com
Valencia, a rich cultural and social life
5th World Meeting of Families
Visit from His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
The visit by Pope Benedict XVI for the 5th World Meeting of Families in 2006 was a multitudinous event with visitors and families from all over the world. The parks and gardens of the old River Túria’s bed were the main site, with the altar located in the City of Arts and Sciences. Families from all over the world were able to enjoy the multitudinous homily held by the Holy Father.
Cities and Institutions that ask for an official visit to Valencia to establish relations of cooperation, events and projects of collaboration.
