West Wales
West Wales is home to some of the country’s finest beaches and landscapes and encompasses the counties of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. Whether planning a conference, team building or a very special incentive event, West Wales is a perfect destination with the open spaces that allow delegates to meet, learn and develop in an environment that will also recharge and revive.
Pembrokeshire's 186 mile coastline is home to the only coastline National Park in Britain. One of the UK’s most visited counties, Carmarthenshire has earned the nickname ‘the Garden of Wales’ and the stunning landscape also features amazing pristine beaches.
History and culture abound in this area of Wales – in King Arthurs historic landscapes and the birthplace of poet Dylan Thomas, find vibrant towns and a fair share of Wales’ many castles including Pembroke Castle where planners can host an event in the most prestigious surroundings.
For groups really wanting to embrace the great outdoors, wellness and get back to nature, Fforest is one of National Geographic’s top three glamping spots in the world (2017) and the in-house events team will help develop the perfect solution for groups of any size – a favourite of companies such as IKEA, Lululemon and Red Bull - they work with the best.
Adventure and team building events can find the perfect home in the region too – internationally recognised TYF and Call of the Wild will develop programmes for a range of groups, their expert facilitators and trainers will lead teams through a plethora of activities – all with carefully crafted learning and messaging to ensure goals are met. Maybe even try coasteering – an adrenaline packed activity that was first developed in the region.
West Wales also boasts beautiful and exclusive hotels that are perfect for very special incentives, retreats or smaller meetings – the Retreats Group has three luxury hotels in and close to sixth century St Davids – the smallest city in the UK and pioneering in its approach to sustainability. Delegates meeting at Roch Castle will be wowed by not just the epic views from its cliff top location – but also the exceptional service levels offered at this location and sister hotels Penrhiw Priory and Twr Y Felin Hotel. Or for a truly unique experience consider the city’s cathedral which can be used to host an event with a real ‘Wow’!
Also home to vibrant Swansea – the second city of Wales – larger events and conferences can find their home in one of the large venues including the Swansea.com Stadium (formerly Liberty Stadium) with space for up to 660 guests or the new Swansea Digital Arena, soon to be completed, which will be a very exciting space for events of up to 3,500.
As with every area of Wales, the West holds its own in Academia, research and development with Swansea University recognised as one of the top 30 research institutions in the UK and linked to global companies such as Rolls Royce, TATA Steel and BP. Swansea is also home to Marine Power Systems which leads the charge on the use of wave energy – the next big thing in renewable energy. With strength in construction, high value manufacturing and life sciences, financial and professional services – the West offers planners the best combination of rural, coastal idyll and world leading technical and commercial innovation.
Access
The region’s major city Swansea offers good public transport links across Wales and to other UK major cities and international destinations. Swansea and the South West region can be directly accessed by;
- road being a three and a half drive from London and two and three quarter hours from Birmingham;
- rail from London in under two hours, three hours from Birmingham and under four hours from Manchester;
- air through Cardiff Airport (CWL), located less than an hour from the region and offers 50 direct routes and over 900 connections through KLM airlines.
