A convention in Segovia combines a working room in an 18th-century royal estate, a World Heritage city and the mountains, about 25-30 minutes by high-speed train from Chamartín. We propose two days based at the Parador de La Granja, an afternoon in Segovia, a Castilian dinner and a close with glass, gardens and a roast lunch.
Why Segovia for a convention?
Segovia offers, in a small area, what many conventions are looking for in the experience element: the aqueduct, the cathedral and the Alcázar in the city, and a few kilometres away the Real Sitio de San Ildefonso, with its palace, its gardens and the Royal Glass Factory. All of this with a cuisine of its own, from roasts to judiones beans, that turns meals into part of the programme.
For the organiser, the argument is time. The Avant train links Madrid Chamartín with Segovia-Guiomar in about 25-30 minutes, so the group arrives in time to open at 10:00 and is back in Madrid by early afternoon on day two.
What we set out here is an indicative sample programme: the structure and timings that fit the destination best. We adapt it to your objective, the group and the season in a proposal we send you within 24 business hours.
The Parador de La Granja as a base
We chose the Parador de La Granja for its convention centre. According to the Paradores website, the main building is the Casa de los Infantes, built in the 18th century by Charles III for his children, and the former Guardia de Corps barracks houses a convention centre with 16 rooms and capacity for more than 600 people. The 532 m² Salón La Granja takes up to 500 people, and the 105 m² Salón Valsaín up to 120.
That means the plenary and workshops take place in the same building as the accommodation, with a seasonal pool and a spa for free time. And the whole royal estate is close at hand: the Royal Palace, the gardens and the Royal Glass Factory are all within walking distance.
If you prefer to stay in the city, the Parador de Segovia, about 3 km from the old town, has a convention centre with an auditorium and fifteen rooms. We compare the two in the proposal according to your group.
How does the programme scale from 60 to 250 people?
| Group size |
Plenary |
Workshops |
Dinner |
| 50-120 people |
Salón Valsaín or a mid-sized room |
Convention centre rooms |
Parador or a restaurant in Segovia |
| 120-250 people |
Salón La Granja |
Rooms in the Guardia de Corps centre |
Parador or Royal Glass Factory |
| More than 250 |
Salón La Granja at full capacity |
Workshops in shifts |
Parador, with accommodation split across hotels |
With large groups, the Segovia visit is organised in several small groups with staggered starts, because the old town has narrow streets and the area around the aqueduct draws crowds.
Logistics and transfers
For the outward and return journeys we propose the train from Chamartín, with group tickets issued in advance and our own staff at the station. Segovia-Guiomar is on the outskirts of the city, so we have coaches waiting at the exit to go to La Granja and, in the afternoon, to the edge of the old town. Those flying from Barajas can return by direct coach.
Within the royal estate everything is done on foot. You only need transport to go to Segovia, for lunch if it is in the city and to get back to the station.
What changes with the season
From May to October the gardens, walks around the royal estate and terraces are the focus of the afternoon. The area sits at a fair altitude and is usually cooler than Madrid in summer, which makes it a good alternative to Toledo in July. In winter it is cold and can snow: we swap gardens for museums, reinforce the plan B and consider more time in the meeting room and the spa. We explain it month by month in our guide to the best time for events in and around Madrid.
Budget: what it depends on
We do not publish fixed prices because every convention is different. The cost items are accommodation, rooms and AV equipment, breaks and lunches, dinner, guided visits, the Royal Glass Factory, train tickets and coaches, and coordination. What moves the cost per person most is the season, the day of the week, the technical production of the plenary and the number of services outside the Parador. We explain it in how much a convention in Madrid costs.
Who organises it
ECM is MC Group's brand for corporate events in and around Madrid. The team has more than 20 years of experience, has worked for brands such as Google, Intel, Nissan and Edenred, and has organised more than 100 corporate events in Madrid; you will find some under case studies. If you want to see how we approach the reward element, take a look at incentive travel.
If you would prefer mountains within the Madrid region, the convention in the Sierra de Guadarrama is a similar distance away. If you are looking for another monumental city nearby, the convention in Toledo. And if you want to combine Segovia with several days in Madrid, the 4-day programme. All the options are in convention programmes.
Does Segovia suit your next convention? Tell us your dates and group size and we will send you a proposal within 24 business hours.
Sources
- Paradores: Parador de La Granja
- Paradores Empresa: Parador de Segovia
- Turismo de Castilla y León: Glass Museum, Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja
- Turismo de Castilla y León: glass blowing
- Omio: trains from Madrid Chamartín to Segovia Guiomar
- Everyrail: Segovia stations
