Pau Relat: "Barcelona's handicap is low self-esteem"

--- At what point is this board of directors created and independent members incorporated?

--- Before MAT Holding was a group, that is, when each company operated autonomously. In the late 90s, a board of directors was formed with family representatives and independent professionals. All of this was consolidated with the holding company.

--- Are mergers the future for competing in the world?

--- We often make mistakes with the approach. Every company has a project, capacity to grow and lead, and a market position. To answer your questions, it is necessary to prioritize the interests of the project over the interests of each group that is part of the board.

--- A matter of incentives...

--- Can a shareholder limit a project's growth capacity to maintain control of the company?

--- It wouldn't be the first time it happens...

--- Is that the best thing that can happen to the company?

--- I doubt it, but it depends on the mission and vision of the company and the entrepreneur.

--- All answers must have a strategic purpose. Which one? To serve the business project and ensure that the stakeholders are involved. Mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, growth... Why?

--- Why?

--- It is the business project that has to ask for it to generate that value. One of our differentiating factors is having had that strategic vision and that the stakeholders have put the interests of the projects ahead of their own interests. There is a clear maxim: if the project goes well, the stakeholders also do well. But the reverse does not necessarily have to be true.

"If the business project goes well, the stakeholders do well. But the reverse does not necessarily have to be true" Pau Relat

--- A los stakeholders les puede ir bien, pero si al proyecto no le va bien entonces a ellos también les acabará yendo mal. Un accionista responsable sabe lo que le conviene al proyecto en cada momento y actúa en consecuencia.To the stakeholders it can go well, but if the project does not go well then it will end up going badly for them too. A responsible shareholder knows what is best for the project at all times and acts accordingly.

--- They work in crop protection and in different solutions for agriculture and water…

--- Our purpose is to care for agriculture and water through solutions that promote sustainability, efficiency, and profitability in agricultural and water management.

--- Economic, environmental, and social sustainability is in vogue.

--- In 2022, we advanced in our purpose of caring for agriculture with modern techniques and digital agricultural management technologies for all actors in the sector. From this comes the creation of Vegga, which is the digital platform for crop and farm management, and we launched TerraNostra for the modernization of agricultural farms with high-value crops.

--- Is the fight against climate change a toast to the sun or a reality?

--- We operate in the sustainable economy from the Crop Science of the phytosanitary product through Industrias Químicas del Vallès. To understand each other, they are like medicines for plants and it is a regulated industry that prevents crop diseases and makes them more productive. We also work on efficient water management that allows the maximum use of every drop to produce more with less.

--- More with less.

--- It is essential for the great challenge humanity faces in the next 40 years: a spectacular growth of the world population that will have to be fed somehow. The only way to respond to this is to produce more with the current extension or destroy green areas and jungles to gain more extension.

"Humanity's great challenge is feeding the population, which will grow spectacularly in the next 40 years. We want to produce more with less"

--- We are fully committed to sustainability and climate change because we want to produce more with less. How? By making the most of water through drip irrigation technologies and with the use of phytosanitary products that allow crops to be more productive and not catch so many diseases. This is the DNA of our company.

--- Caixa or faixa?

--- There are two currents: doing things out of conviction or doing them because it's time. Like everything in life. We must ensure that more and more people do it out of conviction. The important thing is to do things well and do them discreetly, without the need to tell everyone. This is the profile of the Catalan businessman: making things happen, without making too much noise. This is a very FemCat motto.

"Things can be done out of conviction or because it's time. The Catalan businessman makes things happen, without making too much noise"

--- Fira is a magnificent reflection of the real economy and is the most relevant economic institution in the country. It was founded with the clear mission of promoting the economic and social development of Barcelona, the territory, and its area of influence.

--- The year 2000 was a before and after.

--- We have been able to get to where we are today thanks to the refoundation of Fira de Barcelona led by Jaume Tomàs and the public-private governance model. Fira de Barcelona is today a clear reflection of the good health of the economy and culture of this country.

"Fira is a magnificent reflection of the real and cultural economy and is the most relevant economic institution in the country thanks to the refoundation led by Jaume Tomàs and the public-private governance model"

--- Public-private collaboration must be further increased in the future, taking the country's successful models as references. It is necessary to have a clear mission and project. I insist: stakeholders must understand that the institution's mission is much more important than the individual interests of each group that is part of the whole. Everyone must be generous. Thanks to this, we can have strategic planning and good management teams, project a long-term vision, and be excellent.

--- How do you see Barcelona?

--- With optimism!

--- "We are not aware of the assets we have in Barcelona," you stated in the session of the cycle The New Barcelona-Moments Estel·lars in which you participated.

--- Barcelona has impressive assets, but it has a handicap: the low self-esteem we have, which prevents us from valuing everything we possess.

--- John Hoffman (GSMA) also says we lack self-esteem.

--- John Hoffman shakes people's mentality and makes them believe in their possibilities. I observe reality.

--- And what is the reality?

--- The major global trade fair events that have decided to change their venue in recent years have come to Barcelona. Why? This is the question I ask them: Why Barcelona?

"The major global trade fair events that have decided to change their venue in recent years have come to Barcelona. Barcelona has impressive assets, but it has a handicap: the low self-esteem we have"

--- People value things that we don't value, and we are already here. Barcelona has the assets, but not the drawbacks of a big city, such as, for example, its location or climate. In 30 minutes you can get everywhere. El Prat Airport is the best interconnected with Europe and only half an hour from the center. The cultural and gastronomic offer is very powerful. The fairground is premium in Europe and has a unique management team. Everyone talks to us and is surprised by the public-private collaboration. The involvement of public and private sectors in Fira de Barcelona is a differential factor.

--- What is the secret to the success of public-private collaboration?

--- There has been a mismatch of expectations and temporality between the business world and public servants. In fact, public servants have lost long-term perspective over the years and have focused on short-term gains and results-oriented thinking.

--- The power of the long view.

--- Fira de Barcelona requires strategic vision and working on a long-term project. We are talking about projects that have results and go beyond mandates. It is an opportunity for civil society and the business world to be leaders in institutions and convince public servants of the importance of public-private collaboration.

"There has been a mismatch of expectations and temporality between the business world and public servants. In fact, public servants have lost long-term perspective and have focused on results-oriented thinking"

--- Both Barcelona and the country have assets, an economy, and a diversification that are a differential trait and represent a very large competitive advantage. Industry, knowledge, startups, services, tourism… Having a balanced economy allows you to carry out a strategic city plan that must be matrix-based, by axes, and with segmentation. What tourism model do we want? Cultural, gastronomic, medical, educational, sports...?

--- I would say we want almost everything.

--- We must make specific bets, work on lateral axes, and set up a professional offer that serves this economic model. The system will feed us back and allow us to move towards a higher value-added model, with talent attraction, industrial investment, wage increases... We must think about the economic model of the city and the country in the medium and long term because few places in the world have the capacity to articulate themselves based on service, technology, or industry.

--- In two decades, we have gone from 27% to 20% of industrial GDP in Catalonia.

--- Many administrations have paid lip service to supporting industry, but reality has not been consistent with their words. Catalonia has been able to overcome different crises thanks to its powerful industrial fabric of medium and large companies that innovate and are leaders in their sector worldwide. These companies have undoubtedly kept the country going. It is an asset that must be preserved.

--- Let's make things happen.

--- The reticence that existed about the industrial world has gradually been lost. I still remember the time when the industrial belt area of Barcelona was supposed to be for services, and they almost wanted to make industries disappear. Public servants have understood the importance of industry as a generator of wealth, work, and well-being.

--- What perception do you think society has of the entrepreneur?

--- It is one of the great challenges we have. Over the last few years, the idea has taken hold in society that being an entrepreneur and making money is bad. It is believed that companies do things badly, and that negative thought, which does not conform to reality, has not yet been reversed. Without economic progress, there is no social progress.

"In recent years, the idea has taken hold in society that being an entrepreneur and making money is bad. We have not managed to reverse this negative thinking that does not conform to reality. Without economic progress, there is no social progress" Pau Relat

--- The only source of wealth generation is the business world, which must be responsible, sustainable, green, and inclusive. Absolutely agreed. However, we have not valued it enough, and in general, there has been a tendency to discredit businesses. This makes it difficult for new generations to want to get involved and start businesses.

--- Doing business is also for young people.

--- Changing it is complicated, and we must be excellent in doing things. We need to educate. There is a magnificent FemCat program called Escuela y Empresa (School and Business) that tries to raise awareness among ESO and Baccalaureate students about the work an entrepreneur does. It is also important for the media to explain that companies generate wealth.

--- Good business news, like the ones we explain in The New Barcelona Post.

--- That doesn't sell and isn't popular. It's much easier to take those cases of people who don't do things well, but let's not forget that in all groups there are people who don't do things well. It is much easier to stigmatize entrepreneurs because it is much more populist than valuing all those people who risk their assets, their money, and their time to generate wealth.

--- The former president of FemCat and CEO of Vertix, Elena Massot, stated in a recent interview in this same section that "entrepreneurs are not heroes, but neither are we speculators" and warned that "the administration is an absolute brake on economic activity and drives citizens crazy."

--- The problem is that society has solidified two big ideas that do not help change that perception. The first is that public money is manna that falls from the sky and that Saint Peter prints bills.

--- From Helicopter Money to the Holy Helicopter.

--- To all this, there is an associated public expenditure because we increasingly have an economy with more subsidies and aid. The base of the pyramid of people who live on public aid is growing, but the problem is that it is not explained that the only way to generate public expenditure is through the collection of taxes on generated wealth. And what is the great generator of income to face public expenditure? The business world.

"Fira de Barcelona is a clear example of the involvement of civil society and the business world in an altruistic and pro-bono way"

--- A business world that we have criminalized because if a businessman is successful or makes money, surely he is a corrupt person or a thief. This is a very dangerous dynamic spread by Twitter, the headlines, and immediacy. This sells more than defending the figure of the one who generates wealth and has an impact on society. What are we, the businessmen?

"It is more populist and easier to stigmatize businessmen by saying that they are corrupt or thieves if they are successful than to value the fact that they risk their assets, their money, and their time to generate wealth"

--- People involved with the company and the territory. The business world, guilds, or associations have a lot to do with what this country is today. Fira de Barcelona is a clear example of the involvement of civil society and the business world in an altruistic and pro-bono way.

--- Is everything altruistic and pro-bono?

--- We have more than 1,200 entrepreneurs involved altruistically in the organizing committees of the trade shows. All of them are involved in making things happen, and people don't know that. They do it to boost the economy, transform their sector, generate employment, or be a driving force for reactivation.

--- Perhaps people think there's some hidden interest...

--- Just as we talk about the presumption of innocence, we should also talk about the presumption of goodness. Some of us are lucky that things have gone reasonably well for us, and we have an obligation to give back part of what we have received. People must understand that we dedicate part of our time altruistically and pro-bono to initiatives like Fira Barcelona. Otherwise, I would not have accepted. Being pro-bono allows you to be very independent in decision-making, think about medium and long-term value, and the legacy you leave. Neither short-term criteria nor personal interest.

--- What legacy would Pau Relat like to leave at Fira de Barcelona?

--- It's not a matter of personal legacy; I have taken the baton from previous presidents who designed an institution with ambition and a vocation for international leadership. They provided Fira with the necessary infrastructure and teams to make it possible. I only take the baton with the challenge of living up to the received legacy and with the will to strengthen the leadership position in the global trade fair world.

--- How to strengthen this trade fair leadership position?

--- With the expansion of Gran Via or the modernization of Montjuïc. We must promote the growth and internationalization of our own trade shows, and we must attract and develop major global events such as the Mobile World Congress or ISE.

--- And what if they leave someday?

--- At Fira we bring events from sectors of the economy that will be strategic for the country over the next 10 or 15 years. The willingness to attract these exhibitions is the legacy they leave when creating an ecosystem of startups, talent or headquarters of large companies that revolve around a sector. If one day there is an exhibition that decides to leave, then there will remain a legacy of a country with sectors of the productive economy that will be important beyond the next decade. It is not a short-term bargaining.

--- The capitalization and legacy of the MWC is the MWCapital Foundation.

--- That is what we aim for with the MWC and the MWCapital Foundation. The anchoring of startups, talent and companies from a sector make it more difficult for the associated exhibition to leave. We are talking about a legacy of international positioning, of expanding the venue to continue growing and attracting world-class events and being excellent in the management of the exhibition center, highlighting the importance of public-private collaboration as a success story.

--- Fira's business model has gone from renting square meters to making things happen and generating knowledge in the same space.

--- Fira's mission is to act as a driver of economic and social development. The holding of fairs and the rental of space is a means to achieve that end and that legacy. The event will remain if there is an industry that is established here and a series of services are created around the sector. Our main interest is not the week of the event, but that the entire ecosystem around it ends up leaving a legacy in the city and in the territory.

--- The previous interviewee of Persona a Persona, Jordi Herreruela, asks you the following three questions:

1. What music do you listen to at home or in the car and who are your favorite artists?

--- It depends on the time of day and the situation. My favorite artists are Coldplay and Elton John, among others.

2. Is there any plan to connect Fira and its congresses more with the people of Barcelona?

--- Fira de Barcelona has always been very linked to the lives of Barcelona residents. As children, they enter our venue to have fun at the Children's Fair, and when they are older, they come to the Comic or Manga fair. When they have to decide what they want to study, they come to the Education Fair, buy their first car at the Automobile Fair, or enjoy Sónar. When they are professionals, they find great events and congresses at Fira on multiple sectors where they can learn, open themselves to new opportunities, or grow their businesses.

--- Barcelona residents also got vaccinated at the Fira de Barcelona venue.

--- As part of our social commitment and during difficult times, we have also wanted to be close to the citizens, as recently seen with the Covid-19 vaccination center through which thousands of Barcelona residents passed, as well as other solidarity actions. It is a centenary institution deeply rooted in the city, also due to the economic and social impact it leaves on the territory, and due to the activity it generates outside the venues in hotels, shops, restaurants, transport, and many other businesses linked to the fair world. But, without a doubt, we must continue to strengthen our ties with the citizenry and find ways to be closer. In this sense, we also work to leave a permanent legacy that goes beyond the days an event lasts.

3. What are Fira de Barcelona's sustainability objectives?

--- At Fira de Barcelona, we have a firm commitment to sustainability/ESG from all points of view: environmental, social, and governance. Our mission as an important economic and social engine is fully aligned with the SDGs of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, to generate wealth and well-being for Barcelona and the entire territory.

--- For example?

--- We are committed to the protection of the environment and the fight against climate change. To minimize the impact generated by fair activity, we promote actions to encourage renewable energies, energy efficiency, recycling, and the circular economy. Fira has ISO 14001, which is the most recognized international certification in terms of environmental management systems. All the energy consumed in the three venues comes from renewable sources and 40% comes from nearby wind farms. In addition, Fira focuses its efforts on reducing waste and moving forward to have zero waste events. For example, in 2022 more than 221,000 m² of carpet used in our halls was recycled, and more than 35.8 tons of food were given to several NGOs. We want to extend this environmental commitment to organizing companies, exhibitors, and builders, as well as to the people who visit us.

SEVEN OF LIFE OF PAU RELAT

1. Role model: My grandfather

2. Book: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

3. Movie: The Mission by Roland Joffé

4. Song: The Mission by Ennio Morricone

5. Favorite place: La Cerdaña

6. Life motto: Whatever you do, do it with passion

7. Dream: The happiness of my little daughter