With the news that ICE was relocating from London to Barcelona for the first time since the event’s inception, reactions were mixed. While London’s familiar transport options and abundant restaurant choices offered convenience, the accessibility of connecting flights from various locations made it a somewhat divided decision. Upon Team Ingenuity’s arrival in Barcelona, the first notable change was the shift from the typical grey skies of England to Spain’s bright, temperate weather.
Ingenuity was represented by its full executive team, who traveled from different parts of the globe to give our partners our full attention. The show itself was meticulously organized at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via, a spacious and airy venue that added plenty of steps to our daily routines. It took us a day to get our bearings with the interconnected halls and the food strip in between, but once we did, it was clear this venue was an upgrade in every way compared to Excel. We choose to stay slightly away from the exhibition and to our surprise the journey was relatively stress free. We did have help of one our colleagues who we called the “ Taxi Ninja” adept at finding a free taxis skipping long ques.
Given Ingenuity’s unique position in the industry, we don’t typically exhibit due to the sensitive nature of our work with partners. Instead, we opted for meeting rooms on the show floor, providing an environment conducive to open and in-depth discussions. Each day concluded with lively, laughter-filled evenings at the tapas restaurants, which certainly lived up to their gastronomic reputation. While many foreigners consider Rioja to be the quintessential Spanish red wine—and it certainly is excellent—wines made from Tempranillo (other than Rioja) were also outstanding.
We were incredibly proud to see some of the leading suppliers in the industry showcasing the work Ingenuity has done for them. Our contributions were not only highlighted at their stands but were also featured as key products. Many pictures were taken, but unfortunately, it’s something we can’t share—leaving it to your imagination.
One of the biggest takeaways from the show was the impact of Ingenuity’s transformative strategy over the past year. During the many conversations we had at the event, it was evident that everyone connected with Ingenuity—including our long-standing partners—could see the shift in the business, particularly in the experience of people joining our team and the transformation in thinking, moving from a tactical approach to a more strategic and long-term perspective.
