Once again, this year’s members’ meeting of the Spanish aerosol association (AEDA) on May 30, 2019 drew numerous participants from the Spanish aerosol industry to Barcelona so they could bring themselves up-to-date about the activities of AEDA and exchange ideas.
The beloved seaside resort Sitges, near Barcelona, was selected as the location of the members’ meeting of the Spanish Aerosol Association AEDA. The name Sitges originates in pre-Roman times and is derived from Sitja, which means “granary.” There were two granaries where Sitges is now even in the 1st century. In Roman times, the harbor of Sitges was the gateway to the world.
Even in the 11th century, where city hall stands today, there was a castle that belonged to Barcelona. From 1116 to 1814, the de Sitges family reigned. In this time, people lived mainly from agriculture, fishing, and from the goods that were traded in the harbor. In the 19th century, Sitges profited from the royal decree that Catalonia was allowed to trade directly with the Americas. 27% of the Catalonians who traded with America came from Sitges. In the second half of the 19th century, four former residents who had become wealthy in America returned to Sitges (they were called “los americanos”). Here, they built grand villas, which still exist today.
Tourism developed starting at the end of the 19th century. With the construction of a Sitges–Barcelona railway line (1888) and the rise of the first medical and therapeutic baths (1887), ever more vacationers came from Barcelona to the seaside town of Sitges. In the 1930s, Sitges became a center of European tourism.
The selection of Sitges as the site of the Forum was very good and inspiring for the lecture program and the many conversations that took place there.
Beforehand, however, this one-day event offered a strictly-organized program, which began in the morning with an official part and specialized lectures. AEDA President Eugenio Santos gave a brief overview of the topics that would be treated and discussed in the course of the program. Then, the Chairs of the committees – Jose Manual Castineira (Secretary), Jose Luis Macias (Vice-President), and Toni Giralt (Vice-President) reported about the association’s activities in the past year and presented the annual report. The focal points of the reports were FEA standards, ADD directives/revision, plastic aerosols, and GHS, in addition to the financial topics. The production of aerosols in Spain developed very positively in 2018, with a slight increase over the previous year. The official program ended with the presentation of the annual report by Jose Macias and the subsequent discharge of the Executive Board’s duties, which was granted unanimously.
Two specialized lectures presented by Ms. Gemma Mompart (Sellonlinkedin) and Mr. Javier de la Mora (Lant Abogados) rounded out the morning program and were very informative, providing an excellent addition to the specialized topics of the day.
A tour of Sitges’ old city with lunch in the Vivero Beach Club Restaurant concluded the well-organized program.
