Madrid consolidates its position as a global business hub with the return of the World Business Forum and the arrival of new US firms

INTERNATIONALIZATION AND CORPORATE STRATEGY

The Spanish capital is consolidating its position on the global circuit of major corporate events. The upcoming World Business Forum at IFEMA Madrid will not only bring together the leading executives and tech companies from the United States, but also confirms the city's growing appeal as a hub for foreign investment and the development of the entire value chain linked to international business tourism.

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Madrid is once again positioning itself at the epicenter of international business and corporate leadership. The prestigious World Business Forum , organized by WOBI, will return to the Spanish capital on November 17 and 18, bringing together a distinguished selection of top executives and global experts at the IFEMA Madrid Municipal Palace. With this announcement, the city confirms its place as one of the six exclusive venues for its international program by 2026, sharing the spotlight with major financial metropolises like New York.

This year's edition will revolve around the theme "Transcend ." The goal of the event will be "to analyze how companies can move beyond resilience and build organizations prepared to face long-term growth and transformation processes ." To address this challenge, the program has brought together leading figures in the technology, economic, and leadership sectors in the United States.

Among the most anticipated speakers is Zack Kass , a global expert in artificial intelligence and former head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI , a multinational company that has just announced the imminent opening of an office in Madrid. He will be joined by voices such as Rita McGrath , a professor at Columbia Business School specializing in corporate growth strategies; Daniel Goleman , a world authority on the study of emotional intelligence applied to business; and the legendary athlete Carl Lewis , winner of ten Olympic medals.

The robust events ecosystem and the North American market

Madrid's consolidation as a magnet for international investment and major events is based on highly competitive infrastructure. The figures support this growth: during 2025, IFEMA Madrid managed an impressive calendar of 75 trade fairs, 14 congresses, and 566 conventions, mobilizing a total of 27.670 exhibiting companies. Of these, more than 22% represented international trade , demonstrating the city's international importance.

Corporate events like the AWS Summit Madrid , which brought together nearly 9.000 attendees, demonstrate the city's capacity to attract international visitors. A particularly relevant statistic for the internationalization of the Spanish economy is that North American visitors already accounted for 9% of all international attendees at IFEMA. This positions the capital as an ideal logistics and business hub for connecting decision-makers in the United States and Canada with markets in Europe and Latin America.

Economic impact on the value chain

This influx of foreign talent and capital goes beyond simply hosting conferences, boosting the local economy and attracting key industry players. A prime example of this foreign direct investment is the recent arrival, in March 2026, of the US experiential marketing agency Jack Morton Worldwide , which has centralized its operations for Spain and Portugal in Madrid. This move follows in the footsteps of the agency Wasserman , which opened its new Madrid headquarters in 2025.

In short, international connectivity, a strong corporate base, and the expertise of its professionals are transforming Madrid. These factors not only benefit organizers but also create a highly profitable ecosystem for the entire international supply chain involved in the design, production, and services of global corporate events.