The Welsh Government seeks to appoint a contractor to deliver and further develop a pan-Wales programme of business events industry engagement and lead generation activity over a two-year period.
Building on the findings and recommendations of the Mid and West Wales Regional Engagement Pilot, the programme will support the development of stronger regional networks, increased industry collaboration, improved destination readiness and enhanced lead generation activity that aligns with the National Events Strategy for Wales, Tourism strategies and wider Welsh Government priorities. The programme is intended to build long-term industry capability and resilience, enabling stakeholders to take increasing ownership of engagement, collaboration and opportunity development activity beyond the life of the contract.
The primary aims and objectives of the contract are to:
• Strengthen engagement with business events stakeholders across Wales.
• Increase industry awareness and understanding of business events opportunities and support available through Meet In Wales.
• Develop stronger regional networks and improve collaboration between destinations, local authorities, venues, hotels and industry partners.
• Support destinations and businesses to identify, develop and pursue business events opportunities.
• Improve the quality and quantity of lead generation activity across Wales.
• Facilitate engagement with key intermediaries including agencies, event organisers, trade organisations and relevant industry bodies.
• Identify barriers to growth and provide recommendations to support the development of Wales' business events offer.
• Create mechanisms for sharing market intelligence, opportunities, best practice and industry updates.
• Support the North Wales educational project by encouraging relevant industry representatives from across Wales to attend, engage fully in the sessions, take learning from the programme and apply this throughout the lifetime of the project.
• Ensure opportunities to engage industry are fully utilised, including encouraging businesses to meet current Visit Wales accreditation requirements, secure an appropriate product listing, and explore opportunities to be bookable online through the TXGB distribution channel where relevant.
• Support the development of a sustainable pipeline of business events opportunities that can deliver economic and wider benefits to Wales.
• Provide measurable outcomes, regular updates and reporting and recommendations that support future business events policy and industry development activity.
• Build industry capability, knowledge and confidence to support a sustainable and increasingly industry-led approach to business events engagement and opportunity development across Wales.
• Develop and implement a clear transition and exit plan that enables industry stakeholders to assume greater ownership of networks, engagement activity, intelligence sharing and opportunity development by the end of the contract period.