Page 50 - Globale Traveler

mice | BUENOS AIRES

Perpetual Motion integrated solar panels that comply with the city’s highest sustainability
standards. Numerous bus lines, 900 parking spaces and, soon, a new
underground subway station ensure excellent transportation options
from all areas of the city.
With more than 193,000 square feet of exhibition space, the
Buenos Aires bustles with amenities for global meetings structure accommodates up to 5,000 delegates. The main auditorium
and events. BY RON BERNTHAL is partitioned into three separate spaces, with a second auditorium
available as well as a gastronomic hall, machine room, press room,
DESIGNATED LATIN AMERICA’S smartest city, Buenos Aires’ storage space, administrative offices and additional work spaces. In
digital innovation, sustainability, open government and technol- October 2017 The Smart City Expo World Conference inaugurated
ogy advancements put it at the forefront of the trends hitting Latin the structure, attracting more than 15,000 visitors over three days.
America’s largest cities. Buenos Aires recently ranked No. 1 in Latin Established in 1886, La Rural, the city’s other large convention
If you dare, America on the IESE Cities in Motion list, ahead of cities like venue, hosted 177 events in 2016, including large agricultural exhibits.
visit one of
Santiago, Montevideo and Mexico City.
Buenos Aires’ These improvements attract an increasing number of conferences The massive Argentina Motor Show drew more than 500,000 visitors
here last June. Its nine buildings within expansive grounds in Palermo
many milongas and exhibitions to the city. The International Congress and Conven- include beautifully renovated structures from the early 1900s.
tion Association noted the 103 international conventions held in 2016,
Business and leisure travel to Argentina has been so strong, hotel
( small tango up from 82 in 2015, made Buenos Aires the top MICE destination occupancy increased by 10 percent from the third quarter of 2016 to
venues). Go
in Latin America. This figure is expected to rise with the opening of
late, dress up, a new convention center, expanded hotel capacity and the lifting of 2017, according to the hotel research firm STR. Convention center
and event calendars in Buenos Aires were full in September, October
drink lots of regulations that limited international flights to the country. New and and November 2017 with corporate and association events, a tennis
resumed international air routes have already been approved, including
tournament and a rugby match with New Zealand. As of Jan. 2, 2017,
wine and try
to keep up with United Airlines’ resumption of daily, non-stop service to Buenos Aires the Argentinean government exempts all foreign tourists from the
from New York.
accommodations tax of 21 percent.
the locals. The $70 million Buenos Aires Exposition and Convention Centre With a population of close to 3 million, and more than 12 million
opened in 2017 in vibrant Recoleta, close to many of the best hotels, in metro Buenos Aires, local Porteños are proud of their Spanish
attractions and public transportation. The LEED-certified complex heritage. The birthplace of tango, the city boasts world-class opera,
comprises three underground levels, a large rooftop garden and theater and art, with well-preserved European-style architecture and
50 globaltravelerusa.com FEBRUARY 2018