Welcome to the latest ICC Wales Quarterly Update. With Q1 already in full swing after a record-breaking 2025, 2026 is already shaping up to be another standout year, with major events like the World Chefs Congress & Expo on the horizon. This edition highlights our advocacy work, key insights from our new Access All Areas report, a recap of the Wales Investment Summit, and our refreshed small meeting spaces.
2025 was our busiest year ever and the ICC Wales Team welcomed 220,000 visitors including the Royal College of GPs, Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Wales Investment Summit.
2026 is already shaping up to be another extraordinary year as we prepare to host the World Chefs Congress and Expo 2026 , Wales and West Photography show and SQLbits – Europe’s largest data 4-day conference. This fantastic level of event activity and interest for ICC Wales reflects the incredible confidence that Organisers continue to place in our venue and our team – so a big thank you from us!
But our role is not just hosting events; we are proud advocates for our industry and ICC Wales has been championing Martyn’s Law since Figen Murray OBE started her campaign in 2019. This law received Royal Assent in April 2025, and it is due to come into force across UK venues in 2027. We will continue to follow the development of this important legislation and for further details, please visit our ICC Wales Knowledge Bank which contains useful tools and resources about Martyn’s Law.
Launched at IBTM World Barcelona with our partners, The Business of Events, Access all Areas: Closing the Accessibility Gap in Events report has proven to be a very thought-provoking topic which highlights a major disconnect between what venues believe they are providing and what attendees actually experience. This report identifies the work that we need to do to ensure that our venues and events are inclusive for all our delegates and visitors. Come and see us as we deliver our Key Session Access all Areas – From Log-in to Live at the forthcoming ABPCO Festival of Learning on 29-30 April 2026.
As we embark on our 2026 journey, we do so with confidence, ambition and a sense of excitement and anticipation. Our goal is to provide our clients and our visitors exceptional experiences delivered by our experienced, friendly award-winning team who are the beating heart of our vibrant, iconic venue. Thank you for your continuing support and please do visit us here in Wales, where you will always be assured of a very warm Welsh welcome.
Wales – once known as the home of coal and steel, is now a thriving home to the creative industry and semiconductors. Small country, big ambition - where Wales’s 9 key sectors truly showcase the epitome of excellence. As home to Europe’s leading compound semiconductor cluster which manufacture the constituents for electric vehicles, 5G communications and smartphones – this innovative cutting edge technology means that in your smartphone there is likely to be a little ‘piece’ of Wales!
Six of these nine key sectors were the focus of the recent Wales Investment Summit staged at ICC Wales in December 2025, hosted by First Minister of Wales, The Right Hon Eluned Morgan. HRH The Prince of Wales delivered the keynote address to 350 delegates from 29 countries and other VIPs included the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle.
The Summit focussed on Wales's dynamic, thriving and innovative ecosystem, presenting compelling commercial opportunities for investors. Away from the Summit, delegates were encouraged to explore Wales and played golf at the world renowned Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course at our sister venue, the Celtic Manor Resort. Some were brave enough to try their hand at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport with cyclist Geraint Jones (Tour de France winner) and others explored Wales’s rich Welsh larder of extraordinary cuisine with our creative culinary expert chefs.
As ICC Wales highlights in its Power of Events – A Force for Good report, events act as a catalyst for inward investment. At the Summit, the Welsh Government highlighted that £1.4b worth of new project commitments contributing to a pipeline of £16b in investment tied to the summit and its lead-up activity, creating an estimated10,000 new jobs.
Small country, big ambition - where Wales’s 9 key sectors truly showcase the epitome of excellence.
Wales has a rich industrial heritage which has evolved into a vibrant Advanced Manufacturing Sector. Home to 5,000 manufacturing companies who employ 150,000 people across aerospace, automotive, power generation and low-carbon sectors, this sector exports world-class products on a global scale.
As a world leader in Marine and Renewable Energy which is a thriving £4.8bn low-carbon economy, Wales certainly punches above its weight in driving growth in its extensive renewable energy projects.
With more than four decades of expertise and home to the world’s first and only dedicated compound semiconductor cluster, CSconnected, South Wales is at the heart of groundbreaking research, innovation, design and manufacturing in this multi-billion dollar international market.
As a UK Leader in cyber excellence, Wales is at the hub of innovation and expertise. This growing sector works hand-in-hand with the National Cyber Security Centre and the Ministry of Defence.
Wales’s digital expertise across the key sectors is a vibrant ecosystem of agility, innovation and partnership.
Led by the dedicated Life Sciences Hub, Wales’s Life Sciences Sector nurtures close collaboration between the NHS, academia and industry.
Encompassing Film and TV, Music, Games, Animation and Publishing, Wales truly flourishes in this exciting key sector.
This sector is a cornerstone of the Welsh Economy, supporting over 40,000 jobs, combining traditional craftmanship with innovation, and a renowned focus on provenance, sustainability and traceability.
Welsh Tourism is a vibrant and growing industry worth over £5 billion - our country has 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 3 National Parks, 5 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an award-winning 1,400km coastal path and more castles per square km than anywhere else in Europe.
As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring that all of our visitors have the best possible experience, we partnered with The Business of Events and commissioned ‘Access All Areas’ a comprehensive report which provides an honest assessment of where our industry stands today and where it needs to go tomorrow.
With nearly 1 in 3 delegates identifying with a visible or non-visible disability, and 93% of respondents report encountering barriers at events, the need for inclusive events are urgent and undeniable.
This report focuses on both the venue and the individual’s perspective on inclusivity at events in 12 key areas including Physical Access, Sensory & Neurodiversity, Communication & Information and Technology & AI.
Highlighting ‘Lived Experiences’, best practice and exploring the disconnect between the venue and delegate, this report offers an extensive range of solutions on how venues and event organisers can bridge the gap to ensure that everyone feels inclusive at an event. The Report concludes with Sector Recommendations, a pathway to EAA Compliance and a Call to Action for the Events Industry to embrace accessibility as the standard by which it measures quality.
This important report is available here and we are proud to announce that ICC Wales will be delivering a dedicated session entitled Access all Areas – From Log-in to Live at the forthcoming ABPCO Festival of Learning on 29-30 April 2026.
As an international conference venue that regularly hosts large scale meetings and exhibitions, it is easy to assume that we do not have dedicated meeting rooms for smaller, yet essential, meetings. But we do – we have a lovely range of sassy smaller meeting spaces! If you are looking to host your meeting in Wales’s award-winning premier venue that is well known for delivering exceptional experiences for its clients, we have the ideal meeting room for you.
Whether your meeting is for ten or twenty people, we have smart, sleek, spacious, flexible rooms flooded with natural daylight. These magnificent meeting rooms have state of the art intelligent presentation technology, ergonomically designed furniture and fresh bean to cup coffee and cold refreshment stations – and with a special DDR delegate day rate starting from just £45 + vat that includes a mouthwatering sumptuous lunch from our creative Culinary Team – what’s not to love?
So, whether you are looking to host a hybrid meeting, team meeting, client meeting or conduct interviews, call or email our friendly team to find out more and we look forward to welcoming you to ICC Wales.
ICC Wales is not just a venue – we pride ourselves on creating experiences that really matter and that is why we love hearing from our clients.
Testimonials are our unique window on how we performed at an event and they celebrate the hard work, creativity and expertise that each and every one of our team contributes. Every kind word and every shared success reminds us of why we do what we do and inspires us to ensure that each event is even better than the last!
Here are some recent testimonials that have touched our hearts.
BAFTA Cymru are the Welsh home of world famous independent arts charity BAFTA. They support careers, champion creativity, and celebrate the…
We successfully hosted the SSCL Summer Sensation, transforming the venue with a country and western theme that included a festival-style stage,…
The three-day event provides an exceptional opportunity for all kidney professionals to engage with colleagues, network with experts, and explore…
We’ll be out and about across the industry this year — and we’d love you to stop by for a chat, a coffee and a warm Welsh welcome.
Amy Phillips
Head of Sales
Amy@iccwales.com
01633 410200
We are thrilled to announce that ICC Wales has once again been shortlisted for MORE event industry awards! The 2026 Exhibition News Awards have just been unveiled, and our lovely venue has been nominated for two awards – the Diversity and Inclusion Award and the Exhibition Venue of the Year 2026 Awards.
This is fantastic recognition for our incredible team, our amazing venue and the unforgettable events we consistently deliver and exceed expectations – every day of the week, for our valued clients.
Whilst we are celebrating being shortlisted for awards, we are aspiring to win Gold in the Best UK Conference Centre in the M&IT Awards, and we need your help please. We are setting standards for the events of tomorrow across five key pillars – Innovation, Safety, Accessibility, Sustainability and Wellbeing. We are not just following industry standards, we are setting them and we are making a difference - and we hope you think we do too! Please nominate ICC Wales for Best UK Conference Centre – thank you!
ICC Wales has been officially welcomed as a Convention Centre Partner of the International Association of Professional Conference Organisers (IAPCO).
This important strategic partnership further strengthens ICC Wales’s position in the global events market, enhancing the venue’s international credentials and industry standing.
Through IAPCO, ICC Wales will engage directly with an influential network of leading professional conference organisers worldwide, supporting its long-term vision to be a world-class destination for international events.
Another significant milestone for ICC Wales as it continues to connect Wales with the global meetings community.
