The announcement that the NATO Summit will be held in Newport has received a mixed reaction from Newportonians, perhaps caused by memories of the promises made about the Ryder Cup.

That sports event was treated with great fanfare and was supposed to lead to a deluge of investment and people into the city.

However, outside of the Celtic Manor grounds the impact seemed to be limited to the redirection of some lost-looking Americans on to the train to Cardiff.

While the Celtic Manor Resort clearly benefited and is a hotel and conference centre which we can all be proud of, as a partner in a business which has had a presence in this area for more than 200 years, I hope the NATO summit is seen as an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the huge efforts businesses and individuals have made to improve the city and to show the potential for future investors.

The event itself should generate enormous international media coverage and rather than focusing on the damage that has been done by a number of retailers pulling out of the city centre lets get the world leaders out and about around Newport.

We have some excellent independently owned restaurants and bars and I’d like to see President Obama enjoying a pint in the Murenger or Chancellor Merkel lunching in the Waterloo.

Why not hold events in the Riverfront Theatre, market or university highlighting the efforts made by local businesses to regenerate the city and surrounding industrial estates, perhaps congratulating Admiral or the developers of the Art College and Shire Hall and encouraging new investors to redevelop iconic buildings.

Many businesses, like ours in Gold Tops, have invested heavily in premises in Newport which had fallen previously into disrepair and renovated them helping to revitalise pockets of the city.

It would be good if world leaders visited the Riverfront or Dolman Theatres and listen to a selection of the many youth orchestras and choirs Gwent Music Trust and local schools support or saw some of the work that so many enthusiastic volunteers put in to keep the arts in Newport vibrant and accessible.

This is an opportunity for Newport to showcase the things we are currently getting right and to improve our image as a city.

It’s to be hoped that the organisers of the summit together with Newport City Council and the Welsh Government ensure that the impact of the event extends beyond the golf courses of the Celtic Manor.