WORK on the £100m International Convention Centre Wales, which is set to be built at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, is set to start on February 9, 2017.

Ian Edwards, chief executive of the Celtic Manor Resort, told the Newport City Summit that work had already started to clear the site for the 26,000 sq ft convention centre on a site at the resort and that building contractors would move in to start the actual building work in February.

He told the event, held yesterday at the City Campus of the University of South Wales in Newport city centre, that the new building, which would be open by June 2019, would dwarf the existing Celtic Manor.

He said that the conference industry was worth £21bn across the whole of the UK, with Wales taking just 1.59 per cent of that total. With the new convention centre, it was expected that Wales would be able to tap into that economic benefit bringing at least £70m to the area per year.

Mr Edwards said: "The convention centre will cost £100m to build and make happen. It will house a 4,000-seat ballroom which will be the largest, pillar-free ballroom in Europe. It will bring 700 additional underground car parking spaces and be able to cater for 5,000 delegates."

He said: "There will be 350 construction workers on site during the two and a half year build, which will bring in about £50m to the local economy just during the construction phase.

"Once it is open it is expected that the convention centre will bring a £70m economic benefit and 100,000 bedroom nights to the area every year.

"But this is not just about the Celtic Manor. This is about the whole of the region. We run at 90 per cent occupancy rate already and we can't accommodate all the bedroom nights needed by the convention centre in our hotel. The delegates will need somewhere to stay. It's about putting Wales and Newport on the world map."

Mr Edwards was one of the speakers at the fourth Newport City Summit, which included sessions on Newport becoming a City of Democracy, and speeches by Simon Powell, of Eysys, Debbie Wilcox, leader of Newport City Council and Philip Blond, of Respublica.