The Welkin Contest = Free Trip to Barcelona!

Are you an artist? Wanna win a free trip to Barcelona, Spain? Then you must checkout The Welkin ARTBOX project.  The deadline’s arriving quickly so read the info below and get started!

When our friend Rebecca told us about The Welkin ARTBOX Contest we were immediately intrigued.  Basically, here’s the scoop:

The Contest & How you Can Win a Trip to Barcelona

The Welkin Contest presents ARTBOX, a large scale art installation in conjunction with SWAB Barcelona 2012, and is offering the chance to one emerging contemporary artist to be flown to Barcelona to take part in designing and creating this exciting project.

The ARTBOX project showcases the work of a hand selected group of urban-contemporary artists from Spain and abroad. Each artist is invited to customise one ARTBOX, size 1.80 x 1.80 meters. Using mediums such as Montana spray paint, acrylic paint, house paint or found objects; the 3-dimensional wooden boxes will be completely covered on all four sides. The 10 cube installation will be on display at the exterior entrance of SWAB, in Plaza Universo, creating a labyrinth of art to welcome the 20,000 expected visitors. The aim is to introduce SWAB visitors to a new generation of contemporary artists and invite viewers to interact with art in a new way.

The Welkin Contest is offering one talented European artist the chance to take part in the ARTBOX project. Through a competition platform, young and emerging visual artists from across Europe are invited to design one of the 10 ARTBOXES. A panel of judges will decide the winner in early May 2012. The winner will have the opportunity to participate in the ARTBOX project alongside 9 other recognized contemporary painters and the chance to get their work seen by a large array of collectors and art lovers.

More information can be found here: www.thewelkincontest.com
And here: www.facebook.com/TheWelkinContest
And here: www.swab.es/artbox

Don’t miss this chance to have your work seen by over 20,000 contemporary art fans, curators and critics!

Important Dates:

Application Deadline: April 20, 2012
Submission Deadline: May 4, 2012
Winner Announced: May 8, 2012
ARTBOX Workshop: May 19 – 23, 2012
SWAB Art Fair: May 23-26, 2012

Know anyone who might be interested? Pass them the info!

Cheers,

Benny

Follow us now! – We Will be Adding Tips Daily

makes the real world easier to use. We build tools that help you keep up with friends, discover what’s nearby, save money and unlock deals. Whether …

For those of you who don’t know, foursquare is a free checkin-based app that you can get on Android iPhone’s that helps you decide helps you discover great things around you, wherever you may be.  It works by letting you know where nearby places are and lets you read tips and reviews written by people who have already been there.  This way if you are hungry in the middle of Barcelona but you don’t know where to eat you can check foursquare to find a place nearby and read lots of individual reviews and tips about what their best products are.

The trouble with foursquare is that you may not always get a reliable recommendation.  That’s why you should follow SuiteLife on foursquare.  We leave reliable and useful tips on all sorts of different places in Barcelona.  We make sure each tip is a real insider tip, something we’ve experienced ourselves and are dying to pass on to our fans. We will soon have tips on 100’s of different places in Barcelona that you can read wile out and about, on anything from bars to art galleries.  So be sure to follow us and tell all your friends too so you can make the most of your time In Barcelona.

https://foursquare.com/suitelifebcn

Please leave any comments or questions below.

cheers

Matthew Rutter

SuiteLife Joins Pinterest Phenomenon

Yes that’s right we’ve joined Pinterest, the fastest growing social media platform on the web.  It’s a great site where you can pin your favourite photos and videos onto a virtual pin-board for your friends and the world to see, re-pin and comment on.  SuiteLife has 4 of these virtual boards so far to showcase all of Barcelona’s best sights, tastes and of course our beautiful apartments for rent in Barcelona.

If you’re not already on Pinterest what are you waiting for? There are loads of cool photos and ideas, from recipes to interior design and there is all our cool Boards.

Follow us now and we will follow you too, we would love to see what SuiteLifers are interested in.   Oh, and if you’re in need of an invite to join Pinterest, send us a message or leave a comment and we will try to help you out.

Find our Pinterest page here.

Cheers
Matt

SuiteLife Launches the 7th Edition of The Barcelona Bible: Shopping in Barcelona

Download it Today for FREE!

Hey Barcelona fashionistas! SuiteLife has just launched it’s 7th FREE Ebook in The Barcelona Bible Series, Shopping in Barcelona, and we’re really excited to share it with you! We all know that Barcelona is a shopper’s paradise, but if you don’t know your way around it’s easy to get lost in the maze. The author, Charlotte Giver, takes us on a whirlwind tour of the best shopping that BCN has to offer!

Download the new ebook and check out our others with this link: Shopping in Barcelona Free Ebook

Enjoy!

Benny

SuiteLife Barcelona now an Official Member of AICAT Real Estate Registry

But… What is this AICAT thing you’re talking about?

AICAT is the official registry of real estate agents in Catalunya.  Any professional or company that wants to act as a real estate agent in Catalunya must be part of the registry.  And now, as of September SuiteLife is very proud to be the registry’s newest addition! Most importantly we want to explain to you what the registry is and how it benefits the house hunter here in Barcelona.

How the AICAT Registry Helps You

The registry acts to protect the consumer. It requires agencies to have either over 4 years experience in the market or to have completed an exhaustive real estate class (SuiteLife has both).  It also requires that the agency hold civil responsibility and liability insurance and bank guarantees to demonstrate the company’s solvency (SuiteLife also has this).  The registry also serves to regulate and provide guidelines, a professional code and procedures that agencies must follow.

Before the Registry

In 2001, the real estate industry in Catalunya was de-regulated.  The barriers of entry dropped to almost nothing, and basically anyone with a mobile phone and a laptop to call themselves an ‘agent’.  In the last 10 years the industry became somewhat of a Wild West.  There were very little rules, and cowboy agents could run around the city wheeling and dealing with little regard to their responsibilities to their clients. Those days, thankfully, are quickly coming to a close.

Why you should only use an agency that is part of the AICAT registry

We can’t stress enough the importance of only using an agency that is part of the new AICAT registry.  If you are involved in a costly real estate transaction you will certainly sleep better at night knowing that the agency you’re dealing with is not only officially recognized by the Catalán government, but also that they are adhering to the policies and guidelines setup by the government in order to protect property renters/buyers.  When you use an agency that is not registered, you are really leaving yourself open to a plethora of possible problems, and with an investment so large, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Thanks to all our cherished SuiteLife clients and fans.  We are very excited to be in the AICAT registry!

Cheers,

Benny

Get the lowdown on Barcelona’s infamous El Raval barrio! Suitelife’s latest neighbourhood guide takes you on a tour of its history, the best bars, restaurants and sights to check out. Perhaps unfairly portrayed as Barcelona’s dodgy neighbourhood, Raval is in fact full of character, vibrant, and with hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

Check out the link below for the highlights and invaluable insider info.

Guide to The RAVAL

The 3GSM Mobile World Congress comes to Barcelona for 2011 – “The must-attend annual gathering of the mobile industry”.

WHAT is the 3GSM MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS?

Every year, the 3GSM Mobile World Congress comes to Barcelona, attracting some of the World’s greatest industry leaders. Companies come to showcase and grow their businesses and offer a chance for smaller businesses to learn, develop and more importantly, FIND INSPIRATION! Of course, the 3GSM Mobile World Congress is THE place to network in Barcelona and few other events can boast such a high volume of quality business minds in one place. Last year, the 2010 3GSM Mobile World Congress saw some 49,000 people attend the Mobile World Congress, with a reported 54% holding a C-Level/VP or Director title.

The press go crazy for some of these big names and it’s no wonder there were 2,400 members of the press on site, on behalf of 1,600 media groups. Interestingly enough, and I think typical of Barcelona, the Mobile World Congress attendees come from almost 200 countries world wide, a World Congress in every sense.

Here’s a little slideshow we threw together to show you what was going on during the first day of the show:

“Whether you’re looking for an integrated solutions provider, hardware and device manufacturers, network infrastructure, service providers, software developers, or simply the most innovative applications available, you’ll find it all at the Mobile World Congress 2011.”

WHEN is the 3GSM MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS?

Exhibition Areas
Monday, 14 February 09:00 – 19:00
Tuesday, 15 February 09:00 – 19:00
Wednesday, 16 February 09:00 – 19:00
Thursday, 17 February 09:00 – 16:00

Hospitality Suites and Outdoor Areas
Monday, 14 February 07:30 – 22:00
Tuesday, 15 February 07:30 – 22:00
Wednesday, 16 February 07:30 – 22:00
Thursday, 17 February 07:30 – 16:00

WHERE is the 3GSM MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS?

To meet these inspirational business faces, head to Fira Barcelona which is located next to Placa Espanya in the south-west of Barcelona in the Sants-Montjuïc district. There are two Metro lines and one bus line heading to the World Mobile Congress venue, I would suggest hopping on the metro, RED or GREEN line and head to ESPANYA metro stop . There are also multiple taxi pickup and drop-off points near by.

In short, there are many ways to get to the venue – it all depends on where you’re staying! View our Travel section’s transportation pages for the most up-to-date information available.

SuiteLife Barcelona Featured on Home & Garden TV!!!!

We are SUPER excited to have been featured on one of the latest episodes of House Hunters International on the Home & Garden Television Network!

We will keep you updated as to when it airs again, and within a couple of weeks it should end up somewhere online and we’ll send you the link!

For info check out the this link.

SuiteLife on TV, W00T W00T!!

Benny

SuiteLife Launches it’s 3rd New Free Ebook: Download Yours Today!

SuiteLifers!

We are passionate about bringing you excellent insider info on living in and enjoying Barcelona.  We are very happy to announce our newest free ebook in The Barcelona Bible series, “How to Find an Apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days or Less…”.  If you, or anyone you know is endeavoring on the ever-grueling BCN apartment hunt, this is a must read!  Enjoy!  There are many more free ebooks coming too!

CLICK HERE or on the above image to download it now…

Benny

Last night I attended the book launch of the most creative man in Barcelona, Jürgen Salenbacher.  His much-anticipated new book, “Creative Personal Branding”, has hit the bookstore shelves and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

Full disclosure: To me personally, Jürgen is a close friend and we did our MBA together here in Barcelona.  To the world though, he is one of the leading authorities on the creative economy, innovation, and branding.  His accomplishments are too vast to list in their entirety, but here are the highlights:  Jürgen’s clients over the years include Coca-Cola, Durex, Levi’s, Lego, Luis Vuitton, Adidas International, Roca, and Mattel.  He has led branding strategies for Michael Ballack, Muhammed Ali, and the Kingdom of Bhutan.  He’s even won the famous Red Dot Award, amongst many others.  Since 2006 he has somehow also found time to be a professor at IED Barcelona where he teaches Masters-level classes in Communication Strategy and International Marketing Strategy.  All that AND the striking good looks of Pierce Brosnan!

The book:   As his website succinctly explains “Salenbacher looks at the origins of today’s crisis and examines the work of leading theorists in business culture before explaining how our success in exploring change rests on our ability to think creatively”.  We all know that life = change.  Whether you are an entrepreneur, an employee looking to contribute more, a creative type, or just someone facing change and major life decisions, this book is for you.  Interspersed with challenging and eye-opening exercises, “Creative Personal Branding” can help you put your life in perspective and strategically plan for the big question that we all ask ourselves, “what’s next?”.

I‘ve only had time to read the first two chapters since last night, but I’m already impressed and will be furiously reading the rest of the book over the holiday break.  I suggest that anyone looking to take life by the horns and embrace change, instead of being paralyzed by it as most of us are, buy this book today.

For more info and to purchase a copy see Jürgen’s website here.

Cheers,

Benny