A gastronomic and cultural experience to discover Barcelona

In April 2026, the pharmaceutical company AbbVie brought together 45 employees from different European countries in Barcelona for an international congress.

The Tracks agency was looking for an activity that would allow participants to discover the city in an authentic way, foster relationships among peers and enjoy local cuisine beyond a conventional dinner.

As a local operator, Impalaya designed and coordinated an interactive Tapas tour through the historic center of Barcelona, combining culture, gastronomy and teamwork.

The challenge: to offer an authentic and participatory experience

After an intense day of meetings and conferences, the aim was to organize a relaxed and attractive activity that allowed attendees to continue discovering Barcelona while interacting with colleagues from different countries and departments.

The experience should be accessible to all profiles, develop in English and offer a real immersion in local culture.

The solution: a Tapas Tour gamified by the historic center of Barcelona

For this experience, the 45 participants were divided into three teams accompanied by four professional guides.

For three hours they toured some of the most emblematic neighborhoods of Barcelona: the Gothic Quarter, El Born and Barceloneta.

Unlike a traditional gastronomic tour, participants used digital tablets to become protagonists of the experience.

Through interactive challenges, cultural questions, observation tests and orientation challenges, teams had to find different points of interest and locate the bars where the following tastings awaited them.

As they advanced through the city, they discovered the history of Barcelona, anecdotes about its most emblematic monuments and curiosities about Catalan culture.

Local gastronomy in three selected establishments

Throughout the tour, the participants visited three carefully selected bars to show different aspects of local cuisine.

Each person enjoyed about 15 pieces of tapas during the experience, accompanied by drinks such as beer, vermouth, wine or soft drinks.

The tour allowed combining moments of urban exploration with more relaxed spaces to talk, share impressions and continue strengthening professional relationships.

More than a company dinner

One of the reasons AbbVie chose this format was his ability to offer a much more dynamic experience than a traditional dinner.

Instead of staying all night in a single restaurant, participants discovered different neighborhoods, learned stories about the city and collaborated with colleagues who in many cases did not know each other previously.

Team dynamics favored natural interaction and networking, as participants had to cooperate to solve challenges and find the following locations on the route.

Customization and complete logistics

Impalaya took care of all the local coordination of the event.

Our team managed:

• Selection and booking of establishments.
• Timetable coordination.
• Special subsistence allowance management.
• Design of interactive experience.
• Content customization.
• Coordination of guides.
• Production and monitoring of the route.

Thanks to detailed planning, the activity developed smoothly and perfectly integrated into the congress program.

Results

Participants especially highlighted the combination of cultural discovery and gastronomic experience.

Many commented that they had learned aspects of Barcelona that were completely unknown, while enjoying some of the most representative tapas of Spanish cuisine.

The activity allowed employees from different countries to interact in a relaxed and collaborative environment, strengthening professional connections outside the usual context of work.

For AbbVie, the experience fully fulfilled the goal of offering a memorable, authentic and aligned activity with the international spirit of the event.

Why organize a corporate Tapas Tour in Barcelona?

The gastronomic tours have become one of the most demanded activities for congresses, incentive trips and corporate events in Barcelona.

Among its main advantages are:

• They allow you to discover the city in an authentic way.
• They favor networking between participants.
• They combine culture, gastronomy and entertainment.
• They are ideal for international groups.
• They can be customized according to the client’s objectives.
• They function perfectly as an alternative to a traditional dinner.
• They are compatible with conferences and corporate incentives.