Discover Wales at IMEX 2019

Wales is showcasing its strengths as an emerging destination for business events at IMEX 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany.

2019 is an exciting year for Wales. The country’s “Year of Discovery” campaign invites meeting planners to discover what makes Wales an agile, innovative and well-connected destination for business events – including outstanding natural landscape, versatile spaces to suit events of all shapes and sizes, sustainably-produced food, growing inward investment and many specialist academic and research centres.

Head of Business Events at Welsh Government, Heledd Williams said:

“Wales has a reputation for innovation excellence and invention and our ambition is to attract an ever-increasing number of sector related conferences and meetings. We are a leading nation in knowledge-driven sectors and a country where experts meet to achieve lasting legacies and create the future through business events. One of our priorities is to open up access to knowledge capital within Wales. For example, Cardiff is one of the most competitive locations for skilled sector businesses in the UK. It is the leading location in the growing Cyber Security sector and has become a global security hub, with Cardiff University being named as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research. Wales is also positioned as a European leader in compound semiconductors with the development of the Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC).

Wales’ business strengths combined with beautiful natural terrain and locally produced food, make Wales an ideal destination to increase health and wellbeing in meetings, events and incentive and teambuilding activities. Our culture, language and warmth of hospitality provide unforgettable experiences for delegates and meeting planners from across the globe.”

IMEX attendees are able to experience a taste of Wales’ vibrant culture and outstanding health and wellbeing offerings at stand (F350), as on stand partner ICC Wales will showcase its “Mind, Body and Soul” philosophy, created to heighten delegates’ attentiveness, concentration and productivity. 

Attendees can visit the Wales stand for Wellness session each day between 11am – 1pm for a guaranteed warm Welsh welcome and an opportunity to sample Welsh produce.

This year will see the opening of the new International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) in Newport. Set in beautiful woodland surroundings, ICC Wales will provide the country with a major new, purpose-built conference centre, capable of hosting national and international meetings from 50 to 5,000 delegates at a time.

In North Wales, Llandudno’s Venue Cymru is undergoing a major £3 million redevelopment investment project which is also due to be completed this year. Venue Cymru, located on the seafront of this beautiful Victorian town, has also recently partnered with Adventure Tours UK, to provide a wide range of out-of-conference activities to give a hands-on experience within the destination, including a ride on the world's fastest passenger powerboat, RibRide's Velocity, and discovering North Wales’ finest and most famous foodie exports. Both ICC Wales and Venue Cymru will be present on the Wales stand at IMEX. 

Wales’ incentive and corporate team building product continues to grow apace this year. Aber Falls Distillery in North Wales, which offers tours and masterclasses for incentive groups, will open a new visitor centre this year, while the new Adventure Parc Snowdonia, set in Snowdonia National Park, features conference facilities plus additional indoor and outdoor team building and incentive activities, such as off-road pump track and mountain bike skills. Wales-based Call of the Wild and Wings of Wales have also recently partnered with the four-star Vale Resort, to add canyoning, climbing and abseiling to its existing golf and spa days.

The recent launch of Cardiff Business Events Partnership (CBEP) in the capital sees Cardiff Council collaborate to proactively promote Cardiff as a great events capital and provide seamless city experiences to delegates attending events in the city region as well as the new ICC Wales. CBEP is supported by Welsh Government Business Events in association with FOR Cardiff, Cardiff Convention Bureau, Cardiff Hoteliers Association and Cardiff venues. 

This year has also seen the launch of the first Visit Wales Business Events Instagram - @MeetInWales - to enhance Wales’ visibility in the business event market place.