Barcelona will host the 38th edition of the RETE (Association for Collaboration between Ports and Cities) Meeting on June 4. With the collaboration of Port Vell (Port of Barcelona), this meeting will focus on how the America’s Cup can become a catalyst for port-city integration. This meeting will take place at the World Trade Center in Barcelona, standing out for its focus on the transformation of nautical sporting events into opportunities for urban improvement and development.
The America’s Cup will take place in the waters of Barcelona between August and October 2024, around Port Vell and along the beach to Port Olímpic. Originally called the America’s Cup, and with 174 years of history, it is considered the third sporting event with the greatest economic impact for the host country, after the Olympic Games and the World Cup.
The 38th RETE Meeting will feature institutional representatives: Lluís Salvadó, president of the Port Authority of Barcelona; Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, president of Puertos del Estado; Teófila Martínez, president of RETE; and Laia Bonet, First Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council; and will be marked by presentations and panel discussions that will address everything from the governance of international events to the transformative impact of the America’s Cup on Port Vell, underlining the importance of more integration and a more citizen port.
Leading experts and industry leaders, such as José Alberto Carbonell, Director General of the Port Authority of Barcelona, and Leslie Ryan, America’s Cup Event Director, will share their perspectives and strategies for maximising the benefits of large-scale events in urban contexts.
The event will conclude with a series of activities that will allow attendees to experience first-hand the advances and developments in Port Vell, including sea visits to the bases of the participating teams and the America’s Cup Experience.
This meeting promises to be a key forum for reflection and dialogue on how sporting events can be a transformative force for the cities that host them, with a special emphasis on sustainability and community integration.
Teófila Martínez, president of RETE, highlighted the ability of the America’s Cup to serve as an example of integration between the port and the city of Barcelona. “The relevance of the event is a unique opportunity to demonstrate how world-class nautical sports activities can foster urban cohesion and economic development,” he said. Martínez praised the organization of the event and the innovative vision it brings towards the urban and port future, stating that “the America’s Cup is not only a sporting event, but a platform to revitalize and reimagine our relationship with aquatic and urban spaces, showing a path towards sustainability and mutual benefit for our community and the environment. For this reason, for RETE it is a unique opportunity to study and reflect on the port-city integration models that will be launched on the occasion of its celebration”.