Alicante’s Trade Fair Authority (IFA) stands at a crossroads filled with potential after facing a tough reminder of the past. The burden of a 70 million euro debt, which had constrained activity and slowed progress across the province’s diverse economic sectors, was weighing heavily. Today, with that weight lifted, the institution is poised to pivot toward a model that blends public oversight with private management, positioning it for a more vibrant and commercially viable future.
To make this shift possible, the regional government’s Consell, led by the Ministry of Economy, took on the debt through a process that initially raised questions about fiscal handling. As Rafa Climent notes, the focus isn’t about assigning blame for earlier missteps. The real win lies in adopting a governance formula that preserves public control while leveraging private expertise to meet the needs of businesses and event organizers alike.
In this major transition, a new company will take the helm in guiding IFA’s future. The plan is to establish it after the holidays, with the current director potentially being replaced by Beatriz Serrano following a vote proposed by the president, Rafa Climent. The aim is a leadership that can steer IFA toward sustainable profitability while maintaining its role as a driver of inclusive economic activity.
From the government’s perspective, profitability is not just a metric but a strategic objective. The minister emphasized that IFA should operate as a profitable, ongoing platform for large-scale events. The aim is for a steady turnaround—avoiding the disruption seen during pandemic years and building on a track record of profitability in recent cycles when external conditions allowed it.
Beatriz Serrano echoed the sentiment, highlighting IFA as a fundamental public service that requires a dedicated venue for events. The vision is clear: restore and modernize the exhibition facilities while upgrading the surrounding infrastructure. Investment plans will focus on refreshing aging infrastructures, improving access and urbanization around the site, and using the improvements as a mechanism to support loan facilitation for the location. The objective is to sustain IFA’s role as a hub for innovation and business, as confirmed by the Consell last week regarding the involvement of the Thematic Projects Association in managing a growing slate of initiatives.
On the content side, the goal is to broaden the footprint of IFA’s activities. Serrano outlined a calendar that already includes twenty annual fairs and a similar number of other events. The ambition is to intensify activity across all levels by welcoming new sector-specific fairs. The success of recent years has shown that a well-curated mix of events can elevate the regional business ecosystem, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and attracting a broader audience. This approach reinforces IFA’s mission to provide a robust platform for showcasing innovation, industry trends, and market opportunities across the province and beyond, while keeping the focus on practical, high-impact outcomes for local companies.