Spotlight On: Gran Canaria

An archipelago of islands known as The Canaries lies south of the Spanish mainland, hugging the Moroccan coastline and boasting hot summer temperatures typical of the Sahara. Gran Canaria is the third-largest and second-most populous of these islands, and as a result, is probably the most diverse and interesting not just for holidays but also a great incentive or conference destination

Gran Canaria has excellent air transport links, especially with most UK and European cities. The island is just two hours away from the Iberian Peninsula and four hours from Europe. Its international airport is 20 minutes from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and 15 from the tourist areas.

Gran Canaria has very pleasant weather all year round, with an average temperature of 23º, which makes it possible to organize open air events and to combine work with leisure, pleasure, sport and nature.

Whether your team likes adventure or prefers something a little more sedate, this volcanic island will make an excellent destination for everyone, with its array of fantastic corporate hospitality venues. It’s the ideal location for those who want to immerse their teams in nature without going too far away from civilisation.  

Conference, Exhibition & Meeting Venues

You will find three excellent Congress Palaces in Gran Canaria, fully equipped to offer you the best services possible.

With its numerous space options, the ExpoMeloneras congress centre ensures the best execution of any event in Gran Canaria. This multifunctional convention centre has a surface of 14,000 square meters, of which 9,264 are dedicated to celebrating congresses, conventions, seminars, exhibitions, concerts, sports events and more – making it the prime corporate location.

The Canary Islands Convention Center offers twenty-five meeting rooms with a capacity for over 4,600 participants. It is a unique venue with views of the sea and the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, an exclusive destination for business and cultural tourism.

The Gran Canaria Convention Centre is another excellent modern building filled with the latest technology. The Convention Centre is around 7,500 square meters and offers different hall sizes and capacities to accommodate varying events.

Accommodation & Meeting Venues

Lopesan Hotels are within walking distance of the ExpoMeloneras, making their location ideal for MICE events and accommodation for your team.

While The Hotel & Spa Cordial Roca Negra is the perfect accommodation choice for those looking for a relaxing break, the hotel is situated on the outskirts of the fishing village Agaete, offering fantastic views over the rocky, northern coastline. 

Over the past century, the Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, has been a privileged witness to the history of Gran Canaria, with its white sand and black lava beaches. It has been a landmark of the city’s social life since it opened in 1890 and is an excellent choice for those who favour luxury. Two other great examples of prime hotels are AC Hotel by Marriott Gran Canaria and Rui Palace Maspalomas.

Incentive & Team Building Activities

Gran Canaria offers a wide range of activities essential for conventions and incentive programs for companies as they help construct interpersonal relationships, communication, teamwork, and improvisation abilities.

With more than 35 years of experience in the sector, Abrandia is dedicated to organising and producing all sorts of MICE events and services. From nautical events and adventures to motorsport events and even arranging Regattas as a team-building event for companies – every event guarantees a memorable experience.

Similarly, Circuito Maspalomas’ possibilities for putting on events are limited only by the imagination of the organisers as they create quality bespoke motor-related activities.

On the other hand, Salobre Hotel Resort & Serenity offers you countryside wellbeing, great food, two golf courses, a spa centre and more. In Salobre, you can find rest, pleasure, serenity, calm, sports and relaxation – places to forget about time, get away from the hustle and bustle and lose yourself in. Whereas Los Berrazales, a more than 200-year-old farm with its wine, avocados, oranges and coffee, is one of Gran Canaria’s most well-kept secrets.

However, the most fascinating one of them has to be riding on a camel through an oasis of dunes. The Maspalomas Dunes, a natural reserve not far from civilisation, contains 65 dromedaries (camels) for a quiet camel safari ride through parts of its famous sand dunes.

Receptions & Dinner Options

You can taste and enjoy the best locally caught fresh fish at La Marinera, just minutes from Las Canteras beach. This restaurant offers a large terrace for 250 diners and two private dining rooms for 175 people.

Gabinete Literario has played a leading role in the social and cultural life of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ever since it was founded. With a capacity of 250 people, the facility is a large building with neo-classical elements and modernist decor. The building has various rooms of great artistic interest, where meetings and events can be held.

In the South of Gran Canaria lies the Finca Condal Vega Grande, a charming ethnographic complex. It is considered one of the cultural icons of this part of the island, and it was once a traditional architecture that has been restored to host various corporate events.

Quirky Venues

We have the perfect place if you are looking for something a bit more out of the ordinary for your visit.

Talleres Palermo is a well-preserved old carpentry from the mid-20th century, converted since 2018 into a multidisciplinary space that combines excellently as an event room, a vintage furniture brocante, a bar, and a coworking space.

It is a unique space where history flourishes but is prevalent with contemporary touches, completely unlike anything else found in the Canary Islands and a hidden gem.

If you’re considering a business trip to Gran Canaria, explore our corporate event management services at Bien Venue and get in touch to plan your next visit. 

Looking for more inspiration?

Have a look at our back catalogue of ‘Spotlight On’ and our other blogs. Previous ‘Spotlight On’ include Liverpool, Chester, Sydney, Cape Town, Krakow, Qatar, Cyprus, Las Vegas, Denmark, Barcelona, Geneva, South of France, Brighton, Edinburgh and Ireland.

Bien Venue are a boutique creative agency who specialise in a free UK venue finding service.  It’s not just workshops, training, conferences, or off-site meetings we can arrange and venue search for but also away days, residential training events, awards ceremonies, networking, roadshows, hybrid events, summer parties, Christmas celebrations, private dining, team building, incentives, employee engagement hampers and virtual activities. We also offer accommodation booking platforms for both corporate bookers and event specific allocations of bedrooms

Our re-identified strapline alongside ‘Our Team is Your Team’ is ‘Event Management – Professional, Pro Active with a personal touch’.

What does Event Management mean to us?

We see event management as any part of the planning process from conception to delivery, it’s not just the onsite event management we specialise in but also the pre-planning and logistics plus post event. Our flexible approach means you can pick and choose which of our services you would like to use or just use our free UK venue finding service.