In February, over 19,000 professionals gathered at the H&T trade fair held at Fycma, marking a significant event for Malaga’s economy. The Fycma fair and trade centre reported a turnover of 16.4 million euros for the year 2025, contributing an impressive economic impact of 265 million euros to the city, reflecting a 37 per cent increase compared to 2024.

This economic impact encompasses various aspects, including direct income related to event hosting—such as the average daily expenditure per attendee and associated planning or production costs—indirect income from local supplier contracts, and induced income derived from the broader stimulation of consumption in the region due to these activities.

Throughout the financial year of 2025, Fycma hosted a total of 147 meetings, conferences, and events, attracting more than 283,000 attendees. This marks a monumental increase of 70 per cent when compared to the previous year.

Alicia Izquierdo, the Councillor for Innovation, Digitalisation and Investment, shared these encouraging figures on Friday. “We are very pleased with the performance of Fycma in 2025. We have seen improvements across all indicators. It has been a year of record figures, driven by substantial events and extended fairs, which not only attracted more attendees but also increased the number of overnight stays,” Izquierdo stated.

Izquierdo also pointed out that a significant portion of the events held in 2025 had a scientific and technological focus, comprising 55 per cent of all meetings. “This positions Malaga as an international epicentre for innovation and advanced technological development,” she emphasised.

The city council is optimistic that Fycma will continue to attract international interest and investments throughout 2026. Key events scheduled for 2026 include the EuCNC & 6G Summit from 2 to 5 June, the European Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC) from 20 to 24 September, and the Global Photonics Economic Forum on 24 and 25 September. These major events underscore Malaga’s status as a hub for cutting-edge knowledge, fostering international projection, promotion, and the attraction of talent and investments.

This year has already seen successful events such as the Retro Auto y Moto show and the H&T event, the latter being the longest-running event hosted by Fycma. Currently, the centre is also hosting the Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Estética and the Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Restauración Capilar.

According to Izquierdo, these events have remained unaffected by the suspension of railway services in the province, although there may be implications for tourism.

Upcoming events include the Transfiere European Forum for Science, Technology, and Innovation on 24 February, as well as the Mobility Expo World Congress in March. Later in the year, Fycma will also accommodate the city council’s employment fair, Talent Land España, the Congreso Jurídico de la Abogacía de Málaga, and Expo Agritech.

Additionally, Izquierdo mentioned that the San Diego Comic-Con Málaga will soon announce the date for this year’s convention, further enhancing the cultural and economic landscape of the region.