Saló de l’Ocupació 2026 – Barcelona, Spain

What to expect

Saló de l’Ocupació 2026 is a major employment and professional development event in Barcelona focused on connecting job seekers, young people, career changers and professionals with employers, training providers and employment-support organisations. The event is promoted by Barcelona Activa and organised with the wider employment ecosystem, bringing together practical career guidance, job opportunities, professional training and direct contact with companies.

The event is designed to be more than a conventional job fair. Visitors can receive personalised advice, improve their CV, practise interviews, strengthen their digital professional profile, investigate different occupations and meet companies looking for new talent. The organisers have also expanded the event’s space and employment offer to create more opportunities for direct interaction between candidates and recruiters.

The experience is organised around five main areas:

• Inform – Discover the event, available resources and possible professional routes.
• Orient – Receive career guidance, employment advice and information about professional options.
• Discover – Explore occupations, practical demonstrations and professions that may match your interests.
• Prepare – Improve your CV, interview technique, digital presence and job-search strategy.
• Connect – Meet companies, learn about high-demand sectors and access employment opportunities.

The programme also includes practical demonstrations, workshops, conferences, job marketplaces, professional advice and opportunities to meet public-sector organisations. It is particularly useful for people actively looking for work, young people entering the labour market, professionals considering a career change and people who want to update their skills.

Event dates

Saló de l’Ocupació 2026 takes place on 21–22 October 2026 at Montjuïc Venue in Barcelona, Spain. The official event website confirms the dates and location, with registration open for visitors.

The event is held in conjunction with the wider professional ecosystem at Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc site, creating opportunities for visitors to combine employment-related activities with business and entrepreneurship resources.

Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.

Venue & exhibition site

The event takes place at Fira de Barcelona – Montjuïc, specifically using Pavilion 8. The official visitor information identifies Pavilion 8 as the pavilion used for the Saló de l’Ocupació and the jointly held employment and business activities.

Montjuïc is one of Barcelona’s best-known exhibition locations and is situated close to Plaça d’Espanya. The site provides a convenient setting for a large employment event because it is well connected to metro, FGC rail, buses and other city transport services.

The exhibition environment is organised into dedicated spaces rather than functioning simply as rows of recruitment stands. Visitors can move between advice areas, career-development resources, practical workshops, employment opportunities, demonstrations and company-facing activities.

The official visitor guidance also recommends using the event app and visitor guide, which provide information about activities, access points, the venue layout and practical information.

Full event programme

The programme combines employment services with practical career-development activities. Rather than concentrating only on recruitment, Saló de l’Ocupació gives visitors several ways to understand the labour market and improve their chances of finding suitable work.

Key programme areas include:

• Job-search conferences and workshops
• CV and application advice
• Interview preparation
• LinkedIn and digital-profile guidance
• Professional networking
• Career-change support
• Training and skills information
• Entrepreneurship guidance
• Practical demonstrations of different occupations
• Sector-specific employment sessions
• Job marketplaces with participating companies
• Public-sector career information
• Activities focused on artificial intelligence and employment

Examples from the programme include sessions on using LinkedIn for job searching, adapting CVs and cover letters with AI tools, understanding how AI is changing recruitment, improving professional skills, investigating public-sector employment and exploring career opportunities in audiovisual industries, logistics, transport, healthcare and technology.

There are also highly practical activities. Visitors can experience demonstrations involving robotics, 3D additive manufacturing, emergency-response professions, sustainable construction, first aid, hairdressing and beauty, creative-industry technical occupations and environmental trades.

Key speakers & keynote speakers

The programme includes professionals, trainers, career advisers, business representatives and specialists in artificial intelligence and professional development.

One of the notable speakers is Pedro Rojas, an AI trainer and consultant specialising in artificial intelligence applied to professional development, job searching and entrepreneurship. His programme contributions focus on LinkedIn, professional positioning and the impact of AI on human resources and recruitment processes.

Other confirmed contributors include Jordi Esqué, a consultant and trainer in professional and vocational guidance, who contributes to sessions about adaptability and professional competencies. Victòria Alsina Burgués, Director of Strategy and Planning at the University of Barcelona’s continuing education institute, contributes to information about micro-credentials and professional upskilling.

The programme also features specialists from organisations such as Fundación ONCE, Barcelona Activa, Pere Claver Grup, the University of Barcelona and other employment, education and industry organisations.

A significant professional programme is also provided through the Barcelona Quality Employment Agreement framework. Its international employment-focused sessions examine competitiveness, inclusion, labour-market transformation and quality employment, with Marta Camiñas of the European Commission’s DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion listed for the opening keynote of that programme.

Conference sessions & tracks

Rather than using a conventional conference-track structure, the event organises its content around practical employment needs and professional interests.

The principal content areas include:

• Job search – CVs, interviews, online applications, LinkedIn and recruitment.
• Professional development – Skills, adaptability, digital transformation and lifelong learning.
• Career change – Identifying transferable skills and moving into new professional sectors.
• Career guidance – Individual advice and resources for defining professional objectives.
• Employment opportunities – Direct access to companies and sector-specific recruitment activities.
• Training and competencies – Information about courses, qualifications, micro-credentials and professional development.
• Occupations and trades – Hands-on demonstrations designed to introduce visitors to different professions.
• Entrepreneurship – Information for people considering self-employment or launching a business.

The programme is deliberately practical, with many sessions designed to give visitors an action they can immediately apply to their job search or career planning.

Session times & schedule

The programme begins with activities from the morning and continues through the afternoon, with some sessions extending into the early evening. Exact times vary by activity, room and format, so visitors should check the official agenda before attending specific sessions.

The schedule includes short 30-minute workshops alongside longer one-hour panels, demonstrations and job marketplaces. This format allows visitors to build a personalised itinerary instead of spending the entire visit in one conference room.

Examples include morning networking and job-search sessions, practical workshops around professional skills, lunchtime career activities, afternoon job marketplaces and later sessions dealing with AI, recruitment, entrepreneurship and professional development.

Some workshops have limited capacity. The official programme identifies certain practical activities with maximum attendance limits, meaning advance planning is particularly useful for popular hands-on sessions.

Ticket types & registration

For visitors, Saló de l’Ocupació is free to attend with registration. The official site states that accreditation is free and provides access to the event’s activities, conferences and resources.

The main visitor registration is therefore straightforward:

• General visitor registration: Free
• Conferences and workshops: Included with accreditation
• Career advice and resources: Included
• Employment opportunity areas: Included
• Company and organisation areas: Included
• Job marketplaces: Participation may require separate application or preselection

Job marketplaces work differently from general visitor access. Candidates interested in interviews must apply for relevant vacancies in advance, and only people who are preselected and invited can take part in certain recruitment sessions.

For companies, exhibiting is a separate commercial participation option. The official exhibitor page lists a participation fee of €2,100 plus €150 participation rights and VAT, which is approximately US$2,457 plus US$176 participation rights before tax, or approximately US$3,185 including the applicable tax, using an indicative conversion of €1 = US$1.17. The package includes a turnkey 6-square-metre stand, visibility on the official website and social networks, and participation in Talent en Directe.

Registration deadlines

No fixed general visitor-registration deadline is published on the official event pages. Visitor registration is currently open, and visitors are encouraged to register before attending.

However, individual activities may have different participation requirements. Job marketplaces require candidates to register for relevant vacancies before interviews, and only preselected candidates are invited. Some practical workshops also have limited capacity.

For this reason, visitors seeking interviews or limited-capacity workshops should register and reserve relevant activities as early as possible rather than relying on general walk-in access.

Exhibitor list & major companies

The employment area features more than 50 companies and organisations offering employment opportunities, with companies appearing across the exhibition area, dedicated corners and job marketplaces.

Confirmed companies and organisations appearing in the programme include:

• Carrefour
• Boldú
• Celio
• Cines Yelmo
• FoodLocker
• Grupo Rodilla
• Decathlon
• Deichmann
• JD Sports
• Natura Selection
• Uniqlo
• Ametller Origen
• Ale-Hop
• Toni Pons
• Turris
• Housfy
• Izertis
• Jones Lang LaSalle
• Savills
• Zurich
• Grupo CANT
• Garví Neteges
• Lunet Facility Services
• Serveo
• Suara Inserció
• LD Facilitys
• Optima

Public-sector employers and major operators are also represented, including TMB, Mossos d’Esquadra, FGC and Renfe.

Exhibition halls & floor plan

The main event area is located in Pavilion 8 of Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc venue. The official visitor information provides access to a visitor guide containing the venue plan, access information and activity locations.

Instead of being arranged only around conventional exhibition aisles, the event is divided into functional areas. These include advice and orientation spaces, candidature preparation, professional opportunities, training-related areas and practical occupation workshops.

Visitors should use the official event app and visitor guide to identify individual activity rooms and company locations. The app contains the entity list, activities and practical information, while the visitor guide provides the venue plan and access information.

Networking & business meetings

Networking is one of the event’s central functions. Visitors can meet recruiters, employment organisations, training providers and professionals working in different sectors.

The Talent en Directe concept gives candidates an opportunity to approach companies directly and present their candidacy. The event also provides dedicated marketplaces where companies explain the profiles they need before conducting interviews with suitable candidates.

The networking opportunities are particularly valuable for people who want to move beyond online applications. Meeting an employer in person can provide an opportunity to explain experience, demonstrate motivation and better understand what a company is looking for.

There are also networking-focused educational sessions, including practical guidance on professional networking, building contacts and using digital platforms to create career opportunities.

Industry sectors & highlights

The event covers a broad range of employment sectors, with particular attention to industries experiencing strong demand for workers.

Official sector information highlights:

• Agri-food: Food production, transformation, distribution, sustainable food systems and related innovation.
• Commerce: Retail, customer service, sales, marketing and digital commerce.
• Construction, energy and trades: Sustainable construction, rehabilitation, technical trades and renewable energy.
• Digital and technology: Programming, data, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
• Maritime economy, logistics and transport: Port activity, logistics, transportation, mobility and related technical professions.
• Social and solidarity economy: Community services, education, culture, inclusion and sustainable employment.

The programme also extends into healthcare and social care, audiovisual and creative industries, public administration, tourism, cleaning, hospitality, beauty and personal services.

One of the strongest features is that visitors can experience professions through demonstrations rather than simply reading about vacancies. This can be particularly helpful for people who are considering a career change and want to understand what a profession actually involves.

Event rules & visitor information

General visitor access is free, but some activities have specific participation conditions. Job marketplaces may be restricted to preselected candidates, while certain workshops have limited capacity.

Visitors should register in advance, check their selected activities and use the official app or visitor guide to organise their route. The organisers recommend preparing an agenda before arrival because the programme contains multiple simultaneous activities.

For job seekers, it is advisable to bring an updated CV and have a clear explanation of professional experience, skills and career objectives. A polished LinkedIn profile can also be useful because several activities specifically address digital professional visibility.

The event also includes accessibility and practical visitor information through the official venue guidance.

How to get there

Saló de l’Ocupació takes place at Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc venue, close to Plaça d’Espanya, one of Barcelona’s principal transport hubs.

For visitors arriving from central Barcelona, Plaça d’Espanya is generally the most convenient reference point. The venue can be reached by metro, FGC railway, local buses and the Montjuïc Funicular.

The surrounding Montjuïc area also has pedestrian connections to Plaça d’Espanya and neighbouring districts, making public transport a practical choice for visitors who want to avoid traffic and parking difficulties.

Public transport & parking

The closest major metro connection is Espanya, served by Metro lines L1 and L3 as well as FGC services. Other nearby stations serving the wider Montjuïc area include Poble-sec and Paral·lel. The Montjuïc Funicular connects Paral·lel with the Parc de Montjuïc area.

Several bus services serve Plaça d’Espanya and Montjuïc, including routes connecting the exhibition area with other parts of Barcelona. Visitors should check current TMB service information before travelling because temporary traffic arrangements can affect Montjuïc access.

Parking is available around the Plaça d’Espanya and Montjuïc area. The municipal mobility plan lists Fira de Barcelona – Montjuïc parking on Carrer de Lleida with around 1,900 spaces, alongside other nearby parking facilities.

Public transport is generally the better option for visitors because the area can become busy during major events.

Accommodation areas

Visitors travelling from outside Barcelona have several convenient accommodation choices.

Plaça d’Espanya: One of the most practical areas because it is close to the Montjuïc exhibition grounds and has strong public-transport connections.

Sants: Barcelona Sants offers excellent rail connections and easy access to Plaça d’Espanya by metro or bus. It is useful for visitors arriving by train.

Eixample: A larger central neighbourhood with a wide choice of hotels, restaurants and transport connections. It is a good option for visitors who want to combine the event with sightseeing.

Poble-sec: Located close to Montjuïc, Poble-sec can be convenient for visitors who prefer to stay within walking distance of the exhibition area.

Central Barcelona: Areas around Plaça de Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia and the Gothic Quarter offer extensive accommodation and dining choices, although visitors will have a longer journey to the venue.

Previous year’s highlights

The previous edition demonstrated the event’s broad employment focus, with companies, employment organisations, training providers and public institutions contributing to a programme designed around practical career development.

The event has consistently combined recruitment with professional guidance rather than treating employment as a simple exchange of CVs. Visitors can receive individual advice, attend career sessions, investigate sectors and meet employers.

The programme has also placed increasing emphasis on emerging skills and technological change. Previous activities included sessions on artificial intelligence, digital careers, cybersecurity, professional branding, LinkedIn, technology-enabled recruitment and new employment profiles.

Another important feature has been the use of sector-specific marketplaces. Previous programmes brought candidates together with companies from retail, IT, the maritime economy, tourism and other industries, giving job seekers opportunities for direct interviews following preselection.

The event’s broader purpose is to promote quality employment and support people through job searching, professional improvement and adaptation to changes in technology and the labour market.

Official registration & tickets

Visitor accreditation for Saló de l’Ocupació is free, and the official website currently provides an open registration process. Registered visitors can access the event’s conferences, activities and professional resources.

The official visitor page also recommends downloading the event app. It provides the list of participating organisations, activities and useful visitor information, while the visitor guide provides the programme, venue plan and access details.

Candidates interested in recruitment marketplaces should pay particular attention to individual vacancy requirements. Registration for the general event does not automatically guarantee an interview. Applicants must register for relevant opportunities, and companies or Barcelona Activa may preselect candidates before the interview sessions.

For the most accurate registration information, visitors should use the official Saló de l’Ocupació website and its registration system.