IFEMA (Institucion Ferial de Madrid) opened its Campo de las Naciones grounds in 1991 and has since become the largest exhibition operator in Spain, hosting over 65 trade fairs and 600 events per year. The 12 halls (Pabellones 1-12 plus the new Pabellon 14) total roughly 200,000 m of indoor exhibition space plus 50,000 m of outdoor area.
The hall portfolio
Halls 1-12 are arranged in two parallel rows connected by a central pedestrian street. Halls 9 and 10 are the largest single-volume halls and host FITURs travel-trade exhibitors. Hall 14, the newest addition, has the highest ceiling clearance and is used for ARCO Madrid contemporary art installations. Floor loads reach 3,500 kg/m in the central halls.
Signature fairs
FITUR every January is the second-largest travel-trade fair in the world after ITB Berlin - 9,000 exhibitors and 250,000 visitors with particularly strong Latin American participation. ARCO Madrid in February is one of Europes top-three contemporary art fairs. Fruit Attraction has overtaken Berlins Fruit Logistica in several Latin American produce categories. SIMA (real estate), Climatizacion (HVAC), Genera (energy) and Madrid Fusion (gastronomy) round out a calendar that runs 200+ days per year. IFEMA also hosted COP25 and the 2022 NATO Summit.
Logistics for exhibitors
The venue has its own metro station (Feria de Madrid, Line 8) and is 8 minutes from Madrid-Barajas Airport Terminal 4 by metro. Schenker is the official forwarder; Spanish operators DSV and Resa handle most domestic freight. The Spanish customs operation at Barajas is the largest in the country and clears most international shipments within 24 hours.
Exhibitor practicalities
On-site parking is paid (P1, P2, P3 multi-storey). The IFEMA Palacio Municipal de Congresos handles overflow conferences. Hotels closest to the venue include the Hotel Auditorium (literally beside the entrance), Eurostars Madrid Tower and NH Madrid Ribera del Manzanares. Build-up runs typically four to five days for headline shows. Spanish working hours apply - lunch is sacred (14:00-16:00) and crew dinners run late.