ICC Wales praised by economy secretary ahead of completion

The ICC Wales has moved one step closer to completion, with the last struts of steel set to be slotted into place this week. The venue will accommodate 5,000 delegates within a 26,000sqm area when complete, making it the largest centre of its kind in Wales and South West England. It will open next summer, with the UK Space Agency Conference taking place there from 9-11 July. The £84million development was also praised by economy secretary for Wales Ken Skates (pictured right). He commented: “The work done to date really emphasises what an impressive project this is. “The International Convention Centre Wales will be an iconic, major asset for Wales, enabling us to compete with any venue in the UK and beyond to attract and host key events that will make a huge contribution to our economy. “It’s already providing opportunities for local businesses throughout the construction phase, but the economic benefits of the new convention centre will stretch far beyond the new building itself. Business tourism brings with it wide ranging benefits and the new centre will allow us to build on our international reputation as hosts of some of the world’s biggest events.” Celtic Manor Resort and ICC Wales Chief Executive Ian Edwards said: “ICC Wales will be a real game-changer for Wales and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the whole country to benefit from business tourism. “The events industry is worth about £42 billion to the UK economy. That is a huge sum and Wales’ share of that right now is only about 1.5% purely because we don’t have the facility or the infrastructure. ICC Wales will change that. “We are delighted by the progress made on construction and it was a pleasure to show the Cabinet Secretary around what is going to be an inspiring venue as it begins to really take shape. We are thankful for the support of Welsh Government and our other partners and stakeholders in this project, which is going to have such a positive impact on the Welsh economy.”