It was time for me to participate in HISPEC 2016 and I couldn’t believe how quickly the time had gone since I was last at the event!
I set off to Barcelona, Spain, arriving at the most amazing hotel – The Fairmont. I was absolutely blown away by the lobby design and architecture, as the lift is in the centre of the design, allowing for a stunning view as you go up to your bedroom. The perfect location for a bunch of designers.
On the first evening we had a lovely buffet and drinks by the pool with live music; I managed to spot a few familiar faces whilst mingling with a lot of new people too.
The first day consisted of several meetings which are always interesting meeting people who live and work all around the world and learning about new products that we can incorporate into our projects. This year it ranged from unusual lighting, contemporary furniture to body driers that I even got to test out!
That afternoon we travelled to the Roca showroom, where we were given a speech from the architect about the building and design. He explained the entrance of the building is the key to the design and they created a front that is sometimes transparent and other times reveals certain elements of the interiors, encouraging people to explore and look at the Roca products. It was clear the lighting was also a strong influence to the design creating a moody atmosphere inside.
We were sat innocently discussing the talk, when we suddenly heard BOOM BOOM… a group of drummers appeared and we were told it was time for our team building activity! We were going to learn how to play the bongo drums and perform in a competition.
A very funny experience with us all sounding crazy, as we repeated the sounds of the beats – “DO DA DA, DO DA DA”! Unfortunately my team lost, but I didn’t mind as I heard the winning team had to go round in a circle singing to their teacher!
We then travelled to the Observatory centre for the rest of the evening, where we were able to enjoy the buffet (I also learnt they loved to put dried fruit in everything – risotto, salad, chicken!) accompanied with a glass of wine! Unfortunately it was too cloudy to see Jupiter, but we were able to enjoy the amazing views across Barcelona as the sun went down!
The second day consisted of more meetings showing outdoor furniture and tiles followed by a networking lunch. This was a new addition to the event, where we were given a seating plan encouraging us to network further. That afternoon we took a tour round the Gothic City, exploring the old Roman architecture, watching traditional dancers round the square and enjoying a spot of tapas!
The final evening of the event ended in a traditional Spanish way; in a bar by the beach, with flamenco dancers, live music and dinner on the terrace. The perfect ending to a fantastic event. Thank you Madison Events for once again organising a great networking experience!
Find out more about HISPEC events by visiting http://hispec-emea.com/en/
