33
testament of the commitment from
WG to the events industry, currently
there is no one voice across the
industry, so this is some small steps
to creating a platform, an opportunity
and a voice for the industry in Wales.
There is always room for
improvements and learnings, we are
learning every day. The current
situation has taught us to be agile, to
be flexible, to remain committed, and
commitment is ongoing.
Big Interview
International delegations are going
to take longer to return, will
domestic events business fill the
void in the meantime, do you think?
Domestic will be the main bookings
in the first instance with international
secondary. This pattern is evident
with the re-booking of events. We
have seen some international events
that are still considering delivering
their events towards the end of
2020, but most are awaiting on
Welsh Government guidance as well
as air spaces and routes to re-open.
Covid-19 has shown how agile we
are as an industry, we have a job to
do and our flexible collaborative
approach will help get it done. We are
standing still right now, but much is
happening around us including
supporting industry partners. We had
to think on our feet and discover
alternative ways to support our
partners during this challenging time.
We did this through constant
engagement, updates and being
there for one another.
Developing industry standards and
recovery plans that will inspire and
regain confidence in Wales as a
business events destination has also
been on our agenda.
Technology is leading the way we
do events at the moment. As we
move to the new normal, live events
will return with hybrid playing a much
bigger part than ever before; there
will be a transitional period
How important is the events
industry to the Welsh economy and
what is its value; do you know how
many jobs rely on it?
The UK events industry is worth an
estimated £70bn in direct spend and
Above: Three
Cliffs Bay, Wales
employs more than 700,000 people,
Wales currently achieves around 2%
of this share.
The events industry is a key
employer for Wales and it is a huge
driver for the Welsh supply chain and
the economy. We have a history of
delivering world-class sporting
events including the UEFA
Champions League Final, The Ryder
Cup and of course the Six Nations.
Wales has a growing reputation as a
major events host which underpins
confidence in the destination in the
business events market.
Over the past few years Welsh
Government has shown its
commitment to the industry through
its joint venture and investment into
ICC Wales in Newport and Venue
Cymru in Llandudno. It is now time
for Wales business events sector to
shine.
What’s next for VisitWales?
Firstly, we need to ensure that the
country re-opens safely so we can
welcome the world back to Wales.
We are planning to continue to
build on the great work that we
began earlier this year and
introduce and reposition Wales as
a viable business events
destination and offer.
We are looking to develop our own
Ambassador Wales Programme,
which builds on the work that ICC
Wales has started with its
Ambassador Wales/Llysgennad
Cymru Programme.
The programme is full of
passionate professionals who
believe in championing Wales as a
conference, event and business
event destination. The aim is to
encourage the leading universities of
Wales to collaborate and work across
boundaries and key sectors to
encourage relevant academics and
business events into Wales.
Wales has strong MICE credentials
with a fantastic range of meeting
spaces for up to 5,000 delegates
and this is something we will
continue to showcase. The country
has a wide range of incentive and
“out of conference” activities taking
advantage of Wales’ natural
landscapes and environments.
We will continue to celebrate the
Year of Outdoors in 2020 and
through to the end of 2021. We have
an abundance of beautiful outdoor
space in Wales and want to
encourage visitors to celebrate and
explore these landscapes. Wales has
a continuous 870 mile Coastal Path;
three National Parks; more than 600
castles and five Outstanding Areas of
Natural Beauty over 600 castles; five
Outstanding Areas of Natural Beauty
and Dark Sky Reserves.
www.conference-news.co.uk