ICC Wales is being built at the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport. It will have capacity for 5,000 conference delegates with a total floor space of more than 26,000 m2. The centre will have a 1,500-seat auditorium and separate exhibition hall which, at 4,000 m2, will boast the largest pillar-free ballroom in Europe, capable of hosting 2,400 people for dinners.
It is being developed by a 50/50 joint venture between the Welsh Government and Celtic Manor Resort.
Excavation work has already begun on land adjacent to the Resort Hotel and existing Convention Centre at Celtic Manor, clearing the way for construction to start in March. Completion is scheduled for June 2019.
Signing of the construction contract comes after funding details were agreed between the Welsh government, Celtic Manor Resort and NatWest bank, which is lending 拢51.5m to the JV.
Celtic Manor Resort chairman Sir Terry Matthews said: 鈥淭his International Convention Centre has been many years in the planning and I am delighted that we are now in a position to build and deliver this facility that will be such an asset to Wales.
鈥淭he Celtic Manor Resort has already established a reputation as the UK鈥檚 number one conference hotel but this new centre will be a real game-changer. In the past, we鈥檝e been forced to turn away hundreds of millions of pounds of business because we did not have the capacity to hold the largest conferences. Not any longer.
鈥淭his International Convention Centre will allow us to attract the biggest and most lucrative business events to Wales, as well as high-profile summits and party political conferences. ICC Wales will rival any convention facility in Europe and will act as a magnet for major events, bringing huge benefits to the Welsh economy.鈥�
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