Seminars and company events
The Europa Congress Palace in Vitoria-Gasteiz hosts congresses, conferences, product launches, general assemblies and exhibitions for up to 1,200 people. Two auditoriums, eleven conference rooms and several large multipurpose halls can run in parallel inside one building on Avenida de Gasteiz, which suits multi-day meetings with plenary sessions and breakout rooms.
The palace is run by the Vitoria-Gasteiz Convention Bureau, part of the city council. The bureau prepares bids for events and publishes a congress manual, building plans and the usage rules of the spaces.
Rooms and capacities
The María de Maeztu auditorium is the main plenary room: 721 seats over 567 square meters, with a 147 square meter stage and two simultaneous interpretation channels. The Francisco de Vitoria auditorium on the first floor is an amphitheater with 437 seats over 451 square meters, closer to the speakers and suited to conferences.
The conference rooms range from 56 to 308 square meters. Sala Avenida, the largest at 308 square meters, takes 180 guests for a cocktail. Sala Gasteiz seats 150 in theater layout or 90 in classroom or banquet style. Sala La Florida takes 90 in theater and 50 banquet, with daylight. Sala Armentia takes 60 in theater and 40 banquet, also with daylight. Sala Barandiarán (95 in theater), Micaela Portilla (85), La Hechicera (70), Sorginetxe (60), El Prado (20) and Zabalgana (20, with daylight) complete the set. Most rooms are described as versatile, and several have natural light.
For larger formats, the multipurpose spaces matter. Sala Almudena Cid covers 1,400 square meters and holds 1,200 people for a cocktail or in theater layout. Sala Estíbaliz covers 1,250 square meters and holds 900 for a cocktail. Sala Green Capital offers 580 square meters for 400. The Mirador on the ground floor holds up to 300 people, 250 for a cocktail. The main lobby, with natural light, can host a cocktail for 500 guests, and the north lobby of 360 square meters holds 400. Two exhibition galleries of 160 and 108 square meters suit displays and sponsor stands.
Auditorium equipment includes speaker tables with microphones, wireless handheld and headset microphones, large projection screens, stage lighting, wired and Wi-Fi internet and streaming.
Catering
The official pages describe lobby space for hospitality zones and coffee breaks. They do not name an in-house caterer, so organisers should confirm catering arrangements with the Convention Bureau.
History and setting
The building is presented as a reference in sustainable architecture, known for its green facade of plants. It is fully accessible, and the city is a member of the network of accessible cities. Vitoria-Gasteiz was named European Green Capital and has a preserved medieval old town, a pintxo tradition and a green belt of parks, which the Convention Bureau offers for social programs and incentive days.
Getting there
The palace is at Avenida de Gasteiz 85, in the Txagorritxu area of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The city has an agreement with Renfe that offers discounts to attendees of congresses and other events.
