Visit Wales announced the “Year of the Outdoors” for business events at IBTM World in Barcelona, a leading global event for the meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry, in December.
The year will also celebrate the country’s outstanding natural landscape and wealth of outdoor experiences, including its three National Parks, 600 castles and its 870-mile coastal path, which makes Wales the only country in the world with a continuous walking route around its entire coastline.
The Year of the Outdoors will include two recently secured major international showcases to be hosted in 2020 at the Celtic Manor Resort and the newly opened ICC Wales. Meet GB – VisitBritain’s flagship event for the international business events community – will take place in April and incorporate themes of wellbeing, nature and sustainability.
Earlier this year ICC Wales published ‘The Great Outdoors – how the natural world can enhance a business event’s experience’. The report focused on four main themes: The need for more nature in our lives given the levels of stress that many of us face in the events industry, the positive benefits nature can bring to an event experience (including greater learning and wellbeing experiences), how Wales is harnessing its environmental strengths through its natural landscapes and emerging technologies and how event professionals can make the most of nature in event planning. It includes a 10 point guide to making an event “nature-friendly”.
