Source: Melia

Palma Convention Centre managed by Meliá Hotels International rebooted its most important pre-Covid functions today, hosting the XXVII National Congress of General and Family Medicine attended by more than 1,000 delegates from all over Spain. The entire meeting and events industry is looking towards Mallorca today to see the start of this new post-pandemic age for major events, dominated by two key features: technology and health and safety.

The congress is organised by the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG). It is the first of its kind to be held since the outbreak of Covid-19 and uses a new hybrid format. The event has been running since last Monday in a virtual online format, and from today until Saturday virtual delegates will be joined by people attending in person at the Palma Convention Centre. This hybrid format is one of the innovative solutions that have emerged as a result of the pandemic, combining digital and on-site attendance to create a more interactive congress where all the participants are represented.

Palma Convention Centre has continued to host smaller events over recent months and has prepared for this new type of format by implementing a range of new technologies to transform meetings and events into virtual and more interactive formats, facilitating the simultaneous connection of several different venues and delegates using livestream technology.

A “safe" congress
The SEMG is also carrying out an innovative “Safe Congress" survey to more closely monitor the epidemiological situation during the congress. It has provided attendees with self-administered serological tests, the results of which have to be introduced in the APP for the congress, and whose results will be made public.

The Convention Centre has also taken all the health and safety measures required to guarantee the safe movement of people around the facilities, social distancing, capacity limits and hygiene, among others, thanks to the “Stay Safe with Meliá" protocols certified by Bureau Veritas. The SEMG has transmitted all those Covid-19 protocols to attendants, even though members of the medical professions were among the first to receive vaccines.

Mallorca, towards the return of major events

The Balearic Islands have made huge efforts to make it easier for tourism, their main industry, to be safely reactivated from this summer. Controls in ports and airports, exceptional measures to prevent and contain the pandemic and a progressive increase in the rate of vaccination have all been key to reducing the spread of Covid-19 and the level of risk of contagion in the islands, making them a "safe harbour" for travellers.

Coordination in the private sector to guarantee safety throughout the entire tourism value chain has also been fundamental in the recovery, having adapted both to new health and safety standards and also to changing customer expectations.

As Ramón Vidal, Managing Director of the Palma Convention Centre, declares, “this congress is possible thanks to huge efforts and a public-private partnership designed to make Mallorca a safe destination, and the good news is that we already have more than 100 major events confirmed up to 2023, demonstrating the confidence of travellers and the attractiveness of the island. We are focusing all our energy today on making this congress a huge success to help stimulate the recovery of the industry".

About Melia Hotels International

Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Meliá Hotels International has more than 400 hotels open or in the process of opening in more than 40 countries, and a portfolio of nine brands: Gran Meliá Hotels & Resorts, ME by Meliá, The Meliá Collection, Paradisus by Meliá, Meliá Hotels & Resorts, ZEL, INNSiDE by Meliá, Sol by Meliá and Affiliated by Meliá. The Company is one of the world's leading hotel chains in the leisure segment and its experience in this area has allowed it to consolidate itself in the growing market of urban hotels inspired by leisure. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led it to be recognised as the most sustainable European hotel company according to S&P Global's Sustainability Yearbook 2024, as well as being a "Top Employer 2024" brand in Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Italy, Germany, France and Vietnam. Meliá Hotels International is also part of the IBEX 35. For more information, please visit www.meliahotelsinternational.com