New MICE and Entertainment Complex Planned for Colombia

Meeting planners, take note: Arena Del Rio is a new entertainment complex poised to be the most innovative and creative venue of its kind in the Latin America region. 
 
Expected to open in Barranquilla, Colombia, in 2024, the $407 million multifaceted urban complex will spread across a 31-hectare site on the Magdalena Riverbanks, located in the Gran Malecón. The "site by the sea" will be serviced by three international airports, making the Caribbean city well-suited for the MICE industry.
 
The complex is being developed by Two Way Stadiums, Universal Music Group-backed UMUSIC Hotels, Dakia U-Ventures and AECOM, a smart city design and stadium innovation leader. Funded by Colombian and foreign private capital, Arena Del Rio will have an investment impact on the area of 1$.25 billion, generating 9,000 direct jobs.
 
Highlights include:

  • Meeting & Conference Facilities – The multifunctional stadium offers a 50,000-guest capacity, a retractable mobile lawn, three auditoriums and a club, making it an ideal venue for meetings and conferences. Additional complex attractions will include a music and sports museum, a virtual reality park, 350 suites, 100 apartments, 120 offices, 100 commercial premises, including bars, clubs, restaurants, a four-port marina and a semi-Olympic pool.
  • UMUSIC Hotels - A luxury 500-room hotel (the first Universal Studios hotel outside the United States), integrated into the stadium, which belongs to a global collection of experimental music-based hotel properties, aiming to combine the experience of a luxury resort with the power of music.

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