Article by Charlotte Doyle, Head of Live Events. As an AV company with our roots firmly in Bristol and Cardiff, we were thrilled to hear that on the 31st January, the Celtic Manor received the go-ahead for a new £83.7m International Convention Centre.

A new venture

The industry has been abuzz with rumours surrounding this enormous development for some time now. With this latest news release, we now have a greater insight into the scale of the project. The new venue is stated to accommodate for up to 5,000 delegates. It also has a total floor space exceeding 26,000 square metres!

In 2016 we were lucky enough to be one of the first AV companies to work in the Aurora Ballroom of new Intercontinental O2. One of the largest single event spaces in Europe at 3,100sqm.

Upon completion, the ICC in Wales will boast an exhibition hall which at 4,000 square metres. It will also be the largest pillar-free ballroom in Europe, capable of hosting 2,400 people for a gala dinner!

The Celtic Manor is a fantastic venue to work. The conference rooms are purpose built and geared specifically to meet the needs of both conference organisers and AV providers. I have no doubt that all of the knowledge and experience gained by Celtic Manor is going to be filtered into the design and build of the ICC.

The prospect of a world-class convention centre right on our doorstep and the draw this will have for major events is tantalising. The benefits this development will bring to both the local economy and community are endless.

I can’t wait to see how the new International Convention Centre progresses and I’m sure they have an exciting future ahead of them. Now, if only the Bristol Arena was ploughing forward at the same speed!