Above
Heledd Williams , head of business events at VisitWales , says that with its new venue , ICC Wales , the country is poised ready to lead a new era of business
2019 was a major milestone for Wales ’ £ 343m business events sector . In September we opened our very first international convention centre , ICC Wales . In its first week as an operating venue , ICC Wales welcomed more than 5,600 delegates and held its first major international event , the three-day UK Space Conference just a few weeks later .
Over the last year Wales has had some fantastic event wins including the Cyber UK Conference , the European Museum of the Year Awards and Conference and International Golf Travel Market , which were all due to take place this year but due to the pandemic have been postponed to 2021 . And also , the Conservative Party Spring conference , which will take place at ICC Wales in 2021 , and is projected to inject £ 20m into the local economy .
As the business events market in Wales continues to grow , we have seen an increase in venues upgrading and expanding their offering , many of them with support from the Welsh Government . Earlier this year Venue Cymru in Llandudno underwent a £ 3m investment to upgrade its meeting and event spaces , which can host up to 5,000 delegates . The venue is projecting buoyancy in 2021-2023 with 30
: Heledd Williams , head of business events at VisitWales
“ While we cannot host any events for the time being , we continue to have a presence at tradeshows including IBTM World Virtual , which we will attend with a number of our partners .”
21 multiday
VisitWales association conferences confirmed and accounting for 17,600 delegates requiring over 44,000 bed nights .
In the south , the capital city Cardiff has secured a number of international conferences for 2021 and 2022 , including the World Harp Congress , which is expected to attract 2,500 delegates across the five-day event .
We have an incredibly strong offering for the incentive market including attractions such as ZipWorld , home to the fastest zip wire in the world , and Adventure Parc Snowdonia . Next year Adventure Parc Snowdonia will benefit from the addition of a 106-bed Hilton Garden Inn , allowing it to further expand its offering to the corporate and incentives market .
While we cannot host any events for the time being , we continue to have a presence at tradeshows including IBTM World Virtual , which we will attend with a number of our partners . Events like this are incredibly useful for us and our partners , learning from our industry colleagues and for connecting with buyers from across the globe .
It has been an incredibly difficult few months for the entire events sector and like many others , we have seen our venues adapting their spaces to support the wider national effort . A number of venues have transformed into field hospitals and testing centres , including the Principality Stadium in Cardiff , which transformed into the Dragon ’ s Heart Hospital and added a further 2,000-beds for Covid patients .
As we look towards a more positive 2021 , we will continue to support our partners as they plan their recovery and prepare to reopen their venues and attractions in the post-coronavirus landscape . I am incredibly confident that business events will return to Wales and that we will grow our stake in the UK market and continue to attract notable events . www . conference-news . co . uk