SIR Terry Matthews has issued a challenge to restaurants and hotels in and around Newport to step up and improve or miss out on valuable new business when the new £87.3m convention centre opens at the Celtic Manor Resort.

Speaking at the official ground-breaking ceremony for the joint venture project at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Sir Terry said: “ICC Wales will be a game changer for the country on the international business events scene.

"For far too long, Wales has not had the share of this lucrative market that the country deserves. This is going to change.

"I’m positive that we have begun a new era in staging major events in Wales and our new state-of-the-art convention centre will continue that momentum for decades to come.

"It’s an incredibly proud moment for me to see this amazing project start to come to life and I pay tribute to the leadership of our partners in both public and private sectors who have helped to make this dream a reality."

South Wales Argus: ICC Wales Breaks Ground (L-R) Debbie Wilcox, Sir Terry Matthews, First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones and Stephen Bowcott

He said: "This will be like a magnet for the area. The Celtic Manor is already full and we can't be fuller. Hotels and restaurants in the area should be starting to think about what they are going to do once the convention centre is open to improve their standards. If they don't, they will miss out."

And he added that an M4 relief road can only be good for business at the new International Convention Centre Wales.

Sir Terry was speaking at the official ground-breaking ceremony for the £87.3m joint venture project at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.

He said he was in favour of a relief road but his preferred option was to see one or two new tunnels bored at Brynglas.

Sir Terry said the site of the new convention centre was perfect due to its position on the M4 and A449, with all its passing traffic but by building a relief road or improving the existing motorway could only help.

Sir Terry, chairman of the Celtic Manor Resort, was joined by the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones, Stephen Bowcott, chief executive of principal constructor Sisk Group, and Councillor Debbie Wilcox, leader of Newport City Council, to mark the official start of the two year project by symbolically digging soil on the building site’s massive footprint.

South Wales Argus: ICC Wales Launch Event.Celtic Manor Resort23.06.17©Steve Pope Fotowales.com

Once complete, ICC Wales will provide total floor space for meetings, conferences, exhibitions and events of 26,000sqm – the equivalent size to nearly four international rugby pitches.

The £83.7m joint venture between Celtic Manor and Welsh Government, ICC Wales will accommodate 5,000 delegates and includes a 4,000sqm pillar-free main hall, a 1,500 seated auditorium, 12 flexible meeting rooms, a double-height glass atrium and a 2,500sqm outdoor plaza.

First minister Carwyn Jones said: “This convention centre is vital to fulfilling our ambition of making Wales a leading international destination for business.

"In order to compete in a highly competitive international market, Wales needs a convention centre of this quality and size. A world-class venue such as this will allow us to capitalise on Wales’ growing reputation as a destination for major events.

"The Celtic Manor has already demonstrated its ability to host global events and I’m confident our partnership with them on this project will deliver significant economic benefits for Wales.”

South Wales Argus: ICC Wales Launch Event.Celtic Manor Resort23.06.17©Steve Pope Fotowales.com

Cllr Debbie Wilcox, the leader of Newport City Council, said: “We believe this is a fantastic development for the city which will bring great benefits to local businesses and the economy.

"Newport has a proven track record in hosting world class events and ICC Wales means there will now be a first class venue to enable more major events to take place.

"As we mark this important milestone, I would like to pay tribute to Sir Terry’s vision and commitment to this project and look forward to even more international visitors coming to Newport and discovering what our dynamic city has to offer as it continues to regenerate and thrive.”

South Wales Argus: ICC Wales Launch Event.Celtic Manor Resort23.06.17©Steve Pope Fotowales.com