Following convention - what's happening with the International Convention Centre Wales

Jo Barnes: Why is this such an important venture for the area?
Ian Edwards: Until now, Wales simply hasn’t had the capacity to accommodate large-scale global conferences and events for upwards of 5,000 delegates but ICC Wales will compete with leading venues across the world and bring vast new benefits to the visitor economy in Wales.
The exposure for Wales and increased footfall to the country, and in particular Newport and South-East Wales, will be fantastic for the destination, and businesses in the surrounding area. It is estimated that ICC Wales will bring £70m a year into the Welsh economy, much of this coming from the estimated additional accommodation requirements of 100,000 bedroom nights per annum. Celtic Manor is currently running at around 90 per cent occupancy so will only be able to cater for a fraction of this additional business. All the hotels in Newport, Cardiff and the surrounding areas will benefit.  

JB: What about infrastructure?
IE: It’s very difficult to improve the motorway access as we are already so close to the Coldra junction and this easy accessibility is undoubtedly one of the key assets of ICC Wales. 
We are working closely with the Welsh Government, the Highways Agency and the South Wales Trunk Road Agency to ensure the free flow of traffic to and from ICC Wales will be as smooth as possible. To assist this, we will be installing part-time traffic signals at the junction of Celtic Manor Resort and Chepstow Road which will only be operational at the time of large events taking place at ICC Wales. Everything possible will be done to reduce the impact of the additional traffic using the Coldra roundabout.
Any improvements in public transport links will be another welcome development and we are also the site of a proposed new station on the new Capital Region Metro which would be the best way of getting delegates to ICC Wales from Newport Station as swiftly as possible.
There are no current plans for permanent new bus services but we will also be working with Newport City Council to provide shuttle bus services at peak times when large events are being held at the venue. 

JB: What should other businesses in the area be doing to maximise the impact of the ICCW on them? 
IE: Many businesses in the area are already benefiting as contractors on the construction of ICC Wales and we are talking to many more about being suppliers to the centre when we open in 2019. Some of these we already work with as Celtic Manor but there is an opportunity for more companies in the locality to benefit.
Hotels, restaurants and attractions in Newport and Gwent will also see a huge boost in their business as a result of the increased footfall to the region generated by ICC Wales. ICC Wales will have capacity for more than 5,000 delegates so there will be a great demand for accommodation in all price ranges as well as the need for places to eat and visit and be entertained.
ICC Wales will be working directly with the hotels in the area to organise delegate accommodation and there is a fantastic opportunity here for the local hospitality industry. I would advise hotels, restaurants and attractions to make sure they are projecting themselves in the best manner possible to win delegate business.
The increase in visitors will have a knock-on effect on lots of people from independent suppliers and shopkeepers to taxi drivers.
Friars Walk has been a welcome and timely development in terms of what Newport can offer for delegates’ spouses. Delegate outreach and spouse programmes will be an important factor in securing large association meetings at ICC Wales and the more alternatives we can offer and the more organised these can be, the better.

JB: How is the build of the ICCW progressing?
IE: The build is going really well. At the moment, we’ve got 100 tons of British Steel arriving every week on site as we work on the framework. We’re very much on schedule for our opening in July 2019! 
Some stats we received during the construction earlier this year (to the end of August): 
• 55,265 total man hours have been worked on-site
• 132 local construction workers are currently employed on-site
• 36,500 cubic metres of soil and material has been shifted
• 5,640 tons of concrete has been poured
• 390 tons of reinforcements fixed.

JB: What sorts of jobs will you be creating? 
IE: We’ve already begun advertising for staff to join our Make It Happen Team. Several of our team members have transferred from our conference and events team at Celtic Manor to work on ICC Wales, but we’ve also taken on new team members. 
Our association sales manager, Sandra, has joined us from ACC Liverpool and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role, along with the rest of the team who have impressive experience delivering some amazing events such as the Ryder Cup and NATO summit at Celtic Manor Resort. 
Although we don’t open for another two years, we have already secured some important conference wins for ICC Wales and we are currently pitching for many more. The events we will able to attract at the new venue are a long time in the planning because of their sheer scale so the hard work is very much up and running.  
As the project develops we will be taking on further team members to lead the way with this exciting venture. 

JB: What will the scrapping of the tolls mean for the ICC Wales and Celtic Manor Resort?
IE: The M4 tolls have always been a big barrier discouraging people from visiting and doing business with Wales so their abolition before ICC Wales even opens is brilliant news and brilliant timing for us. 
It’s another positive we can add to the message that ICC Wales is an incredibly accessible venue by road because of our proximity to Junction 24 of the M4 motorway. A toll-free bridge is perhaps the best welcome mat we can lay down for the many thousands of delegates who will be crossing the border to take advantage of our fantastic new facility.       
It will also provide a boost for recruitment here at Celtic Manor and ICC Wales as the £6.70 levy for a car acts as a significant deterrent for commuters. 

JB: Would you like to see the relief road being built or should other options be looked into? 
IE: The relief road will be another significant improvement to the region’s transport infrastructure. The current delays caused by the narrowing down of the M4 to two lanes for the Brynglas are unsustainable as traffic levels continue to rise. Any improvement to the current situation would be welcome but I think it needs to be a major relief road to bring the required results.   

JB: Any plans for attracting events like the Ryder Cup or Nato back to the Celtic Manor – anything you can tell us about?
IE: We’re always keeping an eye and an ear open for such events, and with ICC Wales in development, we’d love to attract global events such as these to the new venue. Our focus right now is getting more brilliant wins under our belt, such as the Alzheimer’s Conference that will be held at ICC Wales in 2020 and of course our inaugural event in July 2019, the Hospitality and Catering EXPO. 

JB: What next for the resort after the ICC Wales is up and running?
IE: ICC Wales is very much the focus at present but, knowing our owner, Sir Terry Matthews, it will not be too long before the next major project is advanced. We are just approaching the finishing stages of major bedroom refurbishments at both the Resort Hotel and Coldra Court so there is always quite a lot going on to improve the guest experience. Things never sit still around here!