Wales puts on showcase for meetings leaders

Senior members of the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) spent two days in Wales to learn more about the principality’s plans to attract more business events. The BVEP group included representatives from an array of industry association acronyms: ABPCO, AEO, EVCOM, ICCA and NOEA, as well as from London & Partners, Tourism Northern Ireland, Visit England, VisitScotland and officials from the Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). Visit Wales, Celtic Manor Resort and the Vale Resort hosted the delegation, which also toured a number of other key venues including the Wales Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle. The deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism, Ken Skates said: “We were delighted to host the Business Visits and Event Partnership in Wales and showcase the latest high quality facilities we have to offer. The success of the NATO Wales Summit last autumn, along with Wales’ growing reputation for attracting high-profile sporting events such as the UEFA Champions League, shows that Wales is now a compelling choice for international business and sporting events. “The successful partnership approach to hosting this meeting – working with Cardiff Council, Cardiff Hoteliers, the Celtic Manor Resort and Vale Resort – has once again enabled Wales to show that it is a serious contender in the global events industry.” BVEP chair Michael Hirst, OBE, said: “As well as being welcomed warmly and treated to some outstanding Welsh hospitality, it’s fair to say that we were all extremely impressed by both the ambitions of Wales to be a major live events destination but also the quality of the venues, infrastructure and service. There is no doubt that Wales has so much to offer and that offer is growing rapidly.” The visitors were also updated on Celtic Manor Resort’s plans for its new International Convention Centre with capacity for 4,000 delegates, while at The Vale, delegates enjoyed a dinner at the resort’s 400-year-old Hensol Castle, which has undergone a £10m revamp, including to its conference and exclusive hire facilities.