Almost a year ago, I signed off our last iGB London report with a hopeful “See you in Barcelona next year!” Despite having known about the change for some time, you never quite know how something will turn out in reality.
The FTD team went all in! Sue, Chris and I flew over for almost a whole week; the sort of immersion that we don’t even experience in London (despite two of us living there!)
We pitched up at the EasyHotel on Sunday, a convenient 10 minute walk from the conference venue, and hit it hard from there!
We threw ourselves into a packed schedule:
- A day at ICE to get a sense of the wider industry, followed by welcome drinks and the AffPapa party.
- Two days at iGB, attending over 20 meetings with cherished partners and new contacts.
- A sightseeing morning followed by an Unwind Session at the beach with the event organisers (and a celebratory steak dinner!)

By the time we got home, we were pretty exhausted (no thanks to baggage handling at Heathrow), but we were pleased to have got there given the unfortunately timed storm!
Some Takeaways
- Barcelona is a lovely destination in January. The sun and sea made a nice change from the East London gloom that often characterised iGB London.
- It is also a city that’s infinitely easier to travel around. The infrastructure is great and the traffic a dream in comparison.
- Our partners were in a cheery mood, as were we despite our ongoing Google gripes and battles!
- Though the iGB talks and panel discussion agenda is falling woefully behind what’s available at SBC, it is still a fantastic forum in which to meet and connect with partners old and new.
- For us as a remote business, it’s a great opportunity for us to connect too. Hopefully, we can get more of the business out and about in London in the Summer!
Overall, ICE and iGB Barcelona was a roaring success. We plan and hope to be back next year!