The development of an international convention centre for Cardiff, which could potentially create hundreds of jobs in the capital, further cementing the city’s reputation on the global stage, is set to move another step closer.
A report will be presented to Cardiff’s Cabinet on January 29 to progress the proposal to develop an International Convention Centre, Multi Purpose Indoor Arena and an Exhibition Centre in the city by testing market interest from the private sector to design, fund, construct and operate the facility.
Councillor Russell Goodway, Cabinet Member for Finance and Economic Development, said: “There can be no denying the need for a facility of this scale in Cardiff and this has been something this administration has been progressing since we took office in 2012.
“The economic benefits of having such a centre in Cardiff cannot be under-estimated with major job creation during the construction phase, followed by full-time jobs on its completion as well as employment opportunities for all those sectors such as hospitality and retail which will be needed when it opens.
“The lack of a Convention Centre in Cardiff is something we need to rectify as the proposed facility will have a major impact on our ability to grow the local economy, increasing our capacity to attract global conferences and other large events.”
It has been estimated that the centre will create 1000 jobs during the construction phase alone with 500 direct full time jobs when operational and 100s of indirect jobs through its supply chain as well as ensuring the city is able to host major international conferences.
Since the convention centre was built in Edinburgh in 1995, the facility has attracted approximately 980 000 delegates to more than 2,400 events, generating approximately £340 million for the Scottish economy.
