Wikimania 2012/Bids/Barcelona & Andorra
City details
edit- Country:
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a small independent State in south-western Europe, located in the heart of the Pyrenees between the Kingdom of Spain and the French Republic. It borders with the autonomous community of Catalonia to the south and with the French departments of the Pyrénées-Orientales and Ariège to the north. Andorra is one of the smallest States in the world, with only 468 km2 and a population estimated at 83,000 inhabitants, 31,363 of which make up 0.22% of the total population of Catalan-speaking territories.
Durint 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorra was governed by two feudal lords, the Bishop of Urgell (nowadays a bishopric of Catalonia) and the Count of Foix, which came into the possession of the French Crown and has been represented by the President of the French Republic since the Revolution. That is why Andorra is a co-principality and is now governed jointly by a Catalan head of state, the Bishop of Urgell, chosen by the Vatican; and a French head of state, currently Nicolas Sarkozy. In practice, the Co-princes were represented by Veguers. Even though the Andorran constitution has kept this system, the government has become a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional principality.
Andorra's own national and official language is Catalan. The linguistic reality of Andorra is the result of the great demographic transformation undergone by the country since the second half of the 19th century. In 1940, foreigners living in the country only represented 17% of the population; in 1989 they represented 75.7% (an all-time high) and in 2007 they were approximately 65%. Due to this phenomenon, and despite Catalan being the official language, Spanish and French are commonly used languages in trade transactions. Recently there has been a significant increase in the Portuguese-speaking population.
For further information: Andorran Government
Catalonia is located in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula. Catalonia is the largest part of the historic and cultural territory of Catalan-speaking lands. Its population estimated at 7.364,078 inhabitants (2008). It is home to 51.55% of the total population of communities which have Catalan as their language.
Catalonia has an industrial tradition since the 19th century. Today, industry, tourism and services are the main economic pillars of Catalonia.
For further information: Catalan Government
The Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as Spain, is a south-western European country which covers most of the Iberian Peninsula, which it also shares with Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. With a surface area of 504.030 km², Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe and the sixth most populated in the continent. It borders France and Andorra to the north-east, Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Gibraltar and the Mediterranean to the south and east. The extrapeninsular territories of the Balearic Islands (in the Mediterranean), the Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean) and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla (which border Morocco to the south) are also part of the Kingdom of Spain. Spanish is the official language of the State. Its constitution acknowledges Spain's linguistic diversity as a cultural heritage subject to special respect and protection, and states that "the remaining Spanish languages" are official in their respective autonomous communities, pursuant to their statutes of autonomy.
For further information: Spanish Government
- City proposed:
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Principality of Andorra and makes up one of the seven parishes into which the country is divided (12 km² and 20,724 inhabitants in 2002), of which it is at the same time the smallest and the most populated. It is located where the Valira del Nord and Valira d'Orient rivers meet, forming the Valira river, and is 1,013 m above sea level. It makes up an urban agglomeration of about 40,000 inhabitants together with the towns of Escaldes-Engordany to the east and Sant Julià de Lòria to the south, and extens longitudinally, following the road.
The main industry is tourism, but a special mention also goes to trade and the profits generated by foreign capital kept by its banks, since taxes in Andorra are low. The country also produces furniture, tobacco and cognac.
The most emblematic building in the city is the Casa de la Vall, a fortified house from the 16th century which has been the seat of the Consell General (the Andorran Parliament) since 1702. The parish church is dedicated to Saint Stephen and still has the 11th-century Romanesque apse and bell tower. The interesting Romanesque church of Saint Columba, with its round bell tower, lies in the south of the city.
For further information: Commune of Andorra la Vella
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is located on the Mediterranean shore of the Iberian Peninsula. The city grows on a plain between the Littoral Range, the Mediterranean sea, the Besòs river and the mountain of Montjuïc. The city plays host to the headquarters of the most important self-government organisations in Catalonia: the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Catalan Parliament. Its condition as the former capital of the County of Barcelona has earned it the name of Ciutat Comtal ("The Counts' City").
With a population of 1,615,908, Barcelona is the most populated city in Catalan lands, the second in the Kingdom of Spain and the eleventh in the European Union –it is the second largest non-capital, after Hamburg. It is the main urban agglomeration of the Barcelona Metropolitan Region, home to 4,928,852 people, and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, made up of 36 towns and cities with a total population of 3,161,081 people and a surface area of 633 km². A study by the UN Social and Economic Affairs department listed Barcelona as the 51st most populated city in the world.
For further information: Barcelona City Hall
- Proposed dates (e.g., Friday to Sunday, with possibility of arriving on the Thursday night and leaving on Monday morning):
- Contact person(s):
Conference venue
editAndorra la Vella Congress Centre
- Halls
- Ferrum Hall 55 m2 33px
- Ignis Hall 65 m2 30px
- Aria Hall 100 m2 50px
- Aqua Hall 60 m2 30px
- La Consorcia Hall total 570 m2
- 4 modules 4 x 50 px o 2 x 200 px o 1 x 420px
- auditorium 1100 m2 900 px.
- Facilities
- kitchen/catering
- administration
- lobby
- reception
- cloakroom
- light and sound cabin
- simultaneous translation
- dressing rooms
For further information: Andorra la Vella Congress Centre
Closing Ceremony in the Palau de la Música Catalana
A magic venue designed as a huge glass box and crowned by a large central skylight. This historic and contemporary scene for great concerts and recitals adapts to the needs of the events which take place there and becomes a personal hall in and by itself. The perfect venue for great celebrations.
FEATURES: Capacity: 2,146 seats
Stage surface: 193.38 m (adjustable steps) Width: 12.48 m Depth: 10.35 m + 2-02 m. (stage largened by 2,17 m) Downstage height: 13.21 m Height from the stage: 13.21 m
For further information: Palau de la Música Catalana
Accommodation
edit- Location of main accommodation facilities
- (where can the attendees be hosted. On site, off site, how far from conference venue? For attendees? For VIPs?)
- Room details and price range
- (What's the accommodation like? Dorms, B&B, Hotel? Singles, doubles? How much does it cost per person and per day?)
- Catering (one meal a day, breakfast is a plus)
- (Where do we eat, how much it costs)
- Contacts with accommodation partner(s)
- (Have you contacted the proposed locations, exchange of emails, price quotes etc.)
Party opportunities
editWikimania traditionally hosts two parties, one for attendees (capacity of 250-350) and one for sponsors and VIPs (capacity 40-60).
- Attendees party(ies) propositions
- (location, how to get there, what's cool and relaxed about it)
- Sponsor party(ies) proposition
- (location, how to get there, what's chic and high profile about it)
Travel and transportation
editComing to Barcelona
edit
Barcelona has an international airport, the Aeroport Internacional de Barcelona. It is located to the south of the city (in El Prat de Llobregat), 15 km from the centre, to which it is linked by train, bus, taxi or private vehicles. You can find further information here.
Most international arrivals are in the new T1 Terminal, the work of architect Ricardo Bofill, which opened its doors in 2010. The T1 has a capacity for 30 million passengers per year and a surface area of over 500,000 m2, has a modern luggage check-in and pick-up system which speeds up the process, and is complete with a wide range of shops and restaurants.
The following table provides a list of estimated prices for one-way and return flights to various cities from all continents. Calculations have been made through online travel agents (expedia.com). The definitive flight prices for summer 2011 will not be available until nine to seven months before the date (September-November 2010). Therefore, the prices listed correspond to the last week of July 2010 and may have changed by 2011. Calculations have been made for one adult passenger.
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Prices are given in EUR and USD depending on the territory. You can look up the exchange rate on the websites of the ECB o la US Federal Reserve.
In the case of non-direct flights, the time includes waiting time between flights. The lowest price has been omitted in those cases in which it required an excessive number of stop-overs.
Cities marked with an asterisk (*) have low-cost flights to the Barcelona Airport, Girona-Costa Brava airport (90 km) or Reus airport (105 km), with a price which is usually much lower than that of traditional carriers.
Below, you can see a list of the range of destinations offered by low-cost companies for each airport. Please remember that this range may have widened by summer 2011, since Ryanair wishes to establish itself in Barcelona.
| Low-cost flights to Barcelona airports | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des de | Barcelona | Girona-Costa Brava | Reus | |||
| Airlines | Price | Airlines | Price | Airlines | Price | |
| Amsterdam | Vueling, transavia.com, Girjet | €190 | ||||
| Athens | Vueling | |||||
| Brussels | Vueling | Ryanair, Thomas Cook Airlines | Jetairfly, Ryanair | |||
| Bucarest | Vueling, Blue Air, Wizz Air | |||||
| Budapest | Vueling, Wizz Air | |||||
| Casablanca | Vueling, Jet4you | |||||
| Dubrovnik | Vueling | |||||
| Helsinki | Blue1 | |||||
| Lisbon | Vueling | |||||
| Malta | Vueling | |||||
| Marrakesch | Vueling | Ryanair | Ryanair | |||
| Milà | easyJet, Vueling | Ryanair | ||||
| Moscou | Vueling | |||||
| Naples | Vueling | |||||
| Nice | Vueling | |||||
| Prague | Vueling, Smart Wings | |||||
The 'Girona-Costa Brava airport is located a few kilometres from Girona, on the Costa Brava. It is mainly a destination for seasonal routes but also has year-round flights. The airport is used mainly by Ryanair, even though other companies have a much smaller presence. The quickest trip from the airport to Barcelona is by a regular bus line (whose timetables are adjusted to arrivals and departures at the airport) which picks up passengers at the exit of the terminal and leaves them at Barcelona's Estació del Nord. You can look up the timetables here.
The Reus airport is located in the Camp de Tarragona, between the cities of Reus and Tarragona. The only carrier with a permanent base in Reus is Ryanair, even though there are many seasonal flights, mainly to the United Kingdom. The quickest trip from the airport to Barcelona is by a regular bus line (whose timetables are adjusted to arrivals and departures at the airport) which picks up passengers at the exit of the terminal and leaves them at Barcelona's Estació de Sants. You can look up the timetables here.
Coming to Andorra
edit
For the second and sixth days of the Congress, the organisation will put in place its own bus system to bring all attendants from the centre of Barcelona to Andorra la Vella, and to return them to Barcelona for the closing ceremony.
The trip to the Principality of Andorra takes three hours, including the mandatory driver pauses. Throughout the route, various stops will be made in different towns in order to make the trip more enjoyable and give all interested congress participants the chance to know the history, culture, monuments and places of interest of some of Catalonia's most emblematic towns.
Congress participants who for any reason go directly to the Principality of Andorra can do so by means of public means of transport, from the multiple airports and cities near the Principality, from both France and Spain.
Please take into account that Andorra lacks airports and railway stations. This means that access is exclusively through the regular bus network linking the Principality to Spain and France. The nearest commercial airports are: Barcelona, Girona, Reus, Toulouse and Perpignan. All of them have a direct link from the Terminal to Andorra la Vella.
The train stations of Puigcerdà and Ax-les-Thermes also have regular bus services which make it possible to reach Andorra by public transport.
The Spanish and French road networks allow for a good and fast link between Andorra and the capitals closest to the Principality. Most of the route is on primary roads or expressway, ensuring comfortable and easy access.
Below, you can see a list of the closet cities and airports with the travel times in public transport. If you are coming directly to Andorra you may also consider renting a car.
- Estimation of travel costs from all continents:
- Distance from international airport(s)and how do we get to the location:
- Local transportation and local social opportunities
- (Wikimania usually does not offer dinner. What are the surroundings of the location like? Lots of restaurants and places to hang out? What is the local transportation like?)
- Visa issues
- (who needs a visa, how easy is it to obtain it)
- Tourism opportunities
- (when people travel from far away, they like to come for more than just the conference. What are the tourism opportunities around the location?)
Local sponsorship opportunities
editPossibility of local sponsorships
- Contacts
- (no name needed, just "company X, 4000 USD or will provide 300 beds)
Local team
edit(Who stands behind this bid, who will be able to help locally, names and what they can help with)
Miscellaneous
editAnything you feel should be brought to the attention of the jury.
Self-evaluation
edit- Weaknesses of the proposed location ...and how to overcome those weaknesses
- Weakness This would be the 3rd consecutive Wikimania in the European/Mediterranean area.
- Solution 1
- Weakness 2
- Solution 2
- Strengths of the proposed location
- Strength 1
- Strength 2